Who had the better night? Was it Roy Hodgson, who effectively secured England's qualification for Euro 2016 with victory in Switzerland? Or the Arsenal fans, who caught a glimpse of what might yet be when the Premier League resumes this weekend? Both had Danny Welbeck to thank for putting them to bed with smiles on their faces.
In the short term, Hodgson is obviously the clear winner. After a week that saw the most intense criticism of his reign, he needed this win, not to mention the improved performance that went with it, just to safeguard his position. But Arsenal's supporters will have seen something in those final moments to give them renewed hope for the rest of the season.
Welbeck is a player who engenders rather more good feeling than his achievements thus far have warranted. Born in Manchester, there is nothing surprising about the affection in which he was held at Old Trafford, but his appeal wasn't limited to partisan supporters. Even the casual observer would notice the contrails he left behind every time he broke down the flanks or the wholehearted way he battled for possession.
A closer look would reveal well-timed runs, intelligent movement and a selfless desire to bring his teammates into the game. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't hit Godzilla's bottom with a bazooka from a range of 20 yards, he'd be the complete 21st-century striker.
Yet there was something in the way he took England's second goal that must have delighted those expectant Arsenal fans. Welbeck had so much time to mess up that late chance, so much time to consider a powerful low shot, then a cheeky lob, and then get flustered and opt for something eminently catchable in between. But he didn't mess up. He protected the ball, he altered his body shape, he took a breath, and then he did his job. Arsenal could do with someone like that.
You can point out his first goal was scored with his shin pad, but only someone emotionally barren, someone who didn't fully understand the essence of Welbeck, would say a thing such as that. Don't focus on the feet that finished it -- focus on the legs that made the run and the brain that timed it. He's smart, he's swift, and he won't ever stop trying for you. But that second goal -- throw composed finishing into the Welbeck equation, and suddenly an Arsenal title challenge doesn't seem so far-fetched.
Welbeck wasn't the only man to leave Switzerland with his reputation enhanced. The selection of Fabian Delph was a bold experiment from Hodgson and one that looked for so long as if it would blow up in his face.
The Aston Villa midfielder was booked in the ninth minute, having already captured referee Cuneyt Cakir's attention with his aggression, but he went the rest of the game without giving away another foul. He barely gave the ball away either; he troubled the Swiss midfield and played throughout as if he feared he would never get another chance to impress, as would have been the case had he been dismissed.
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This was not, perhaps, the kind of barnstorming, cathartic, everything-is-okay-again-I-can't-even-remember-Brazil performance some will claim. Switzerland could easily have scored, and had it not been for an outstanding one-handed stop by Joe Hart and a crucial clearance from Gary Cahill, it might have been a very different story. But this was certainly a huge step in the right direction for Hodgson, and Welbeck was the star of what was, at the very least, a promising first night in this competition.
Welbeck's career so far could easily be compared to England's recent history. Expectations are high, and all the right components are in place, but for some reason it never quite clicks. To a lesser extent, the same point could be made of Arsenal. But for all three parties, there is now something on which they can build.
Hodgson now has a two-year remit for reform, a chance to prove his talk of the promise of youth isn't just bluster. With the only serious rival in an easy group felled, there can be no more defeatism, no more caution. There is no excuse now not to take this group apart and then travel to France in high spirits.
Arsenal now have a striker who offers more mobility than Olivier Giroud and whose all-around game might be just the thing to reinvigorate Mesut Ozil. As for Welbeck himself, he should consider this a springboard. For club and country, he has a first-team place secured. Now it's time to prove the people who believed in him were right to do so.