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It never entered my head that I was wasting my time and money. I was getting the opportunity to see my team play a league match at Arsenal for the first time in over 34 years, and no matter what the result might be it was something I was looking forward to.
In the end I lost my pound as we lost 3-1, but the big score didn't come and in fact this was a narrower defeat than six of our other defeats on the road this season. Yes, it's true that Arsenal missed some chances, Nicklas Bendtner in particular, but at least we took the game into stoppage time before an Andrey Arshavin goal confirmed the home win.
The last long journey of the season brought another early start and the trouble free journey down the motorway got us to the Emirates for around noon. A quick check on one of my favourite grounds, Highbury, was followed by some lunch and then we were ready to make our way into the stadium just one year on from the cup tie.
It's impressive, provided you are not too close to the front and it doesn't rain, and we had decent enough seats towards the back giving us a good view of the pitch. By this time all the players were out warming up and we saw there were four changes to the side that had started against Portsmouth.
Andre Bikey, Wade Elliott and Robbie Blake had all dropped to the substitutes' bench whilst Steven Fletcher missed his first league game of the season because of the broken hand. Graham Alexander returned for Bikey having missed the last five league games. Jack Cork and Chris Eagles came in for Elliott and Blake, and with David Nugent available again he stepped in to replace Fletcher.
Then came the Arsenal line up, and as each name appeared on the big screen, the size of the task facing us grew. They really do have some talent to choose from even though the likes of Arshavin was on the bench and two central defenders, William Gallas and ex-Notts County star Sol Campbell, were missing.
The start of the game was almost frightening as Arsenal conjured up a couple of chances in the first three minutes, and make no mistake they had the better of the play for long periods. But we defended manfully and it certainly wasn't one way traffic with our best effort coming from a Clarke Carlisle header which was saved by Manuel Almunia.
It was down their right where they were getting the most joy through Theo Walcott. He'd failed to impress in the game at Turf Moor but here he was causing us some problems. Still, we battled away and Brian Jensen wasn't being tested too much.
That was until the 34th minute when the opened the scoring with a goal that had the word ARSENAL stamped on it. Cesc Fabregas, surely one of the best midfielders in the world right now played the ball sideways for Samir Nasri. There didn't look any danger but Fabregas spotted the chance and made the run with Nasri chipping the ball over for him. Maybe Graham Alexander could have done better and maybe Danny Fox could, but let's credit the great Arsenal play here.
We've had a habit of conceding a second goal too quickly in away games and we almost did it here. Again it was Fabregas. This time he linked up with Emmanuel Eboue who played in Bendtner, but the striker couldn't get his effort on target.
Fabregas was substituted soon after with a hamstring problem and thankfully they didn't create too much for the remainder of the half so we went in at half time just one goal behind.
Arsenal pushed for a second at the start of the second half. They could have got one too had the chance not fallen to Bendtner who put a header wide. Then we gave them the shock of their lives.
Eagles made a good run and we got the ball into the box. Eventually it reached Martin Paterson wide and he couldn't turn it back in allowing Arsenal to clear. The ball reached Leon Cort who headed it back forwards and Nugent was onto it. It wouldn't come down but he managed to lob it over Almunia to send a small section of the Emirates in the corner at that end wild.
There was no counting of chickens, there were still forty minutes to go, and unfortunately we only survived ten of them before Arsenal went back in front as Walcott cut inside and hit a left foot shot across Jensen and into the bottom corner of the net.
For me, Walcott would not have been on the pitch had he been a Burnley player. He raised his hands into the face of Danny Fox (which the television cameras didn't capture) and he pushed Jack Cork twice as he overreacted to a tackle from Fox that played the ball and not the man. Referee Chris Foy, who in fairness didn't have a bad game, was only too willing to wave yellow cards at Burnley players but incredibly took no action against the Arsenal man.
Behind again probably the writing looked on the wall but we really didn't let this game go and Steven Thompson, on for Paterson, came closest with a left foot half volley over the bar. There wasn't long left at that point and who knows, a few inches lower and we could have been bringing a point home.
It was not to be and in the last of four minutes stoppage time Arshavin added the third and time was up for the Clarets.
Not for one minute would I saw we deserved to win the game and not for one minute would I suggest that Arsenal weren't the better side. And so it probably was a fair result.
But make no mistake, this was a much better Burnley away performance and for me one of the best of the season. Of course Arsenal missed chances, but when you look at the quality they have on that pitch they are going to create chances against any team.
I don't like losing but as I said leaving yesterday, I'd rather come here and lose again next season than go to Scunthorpe or Doncaster for a league game and win. Playing against this quality of team says it all for me, and this is the league I want to be in.
We've lost eight of our last nine league games, we've won just once in seventeen. With statistics like that you would think we would be dead and buried and yet we are still only one win away from safety.
I sat and watched Hull get murdered by a very impressive Everton this afternoon. Wolves lost to Manchester United yesterday and our next away game is a vital one against struggling Wigan.
We've still got over a quarter of the season remaining. The current run doesn't suggest we are going to get too many more points, but there are games there to be won and everything remains in our own hands.
I want to stay in this Premier League. The club do, the players do, the manager does and I'm damn sure I'm just one of thousands of supporters who do. We're not giving this up yet.
The teams were;
Arsenal: Manuel Almunia, Emmanuel Eboue, Mikael Silvestre, Thomas Vermaelen, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas (Abou Diaby 39), Denilson, Tomas Rosicky (Andrey Arshavin 60), Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner (Eduardo 74). Subs not used: Lukasz Fabianski, Armand Traore, Bacary Sagna, Craig Eastmond.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Leon Cort, Danny Fox, Graham Alexander (Andre Bikey 65), Martin Paterson (Steven Thompson 74), Jack Cork, Kevin McDonald (Wade Elliott 53), Chris Eagles, David Nugent. Subs not used: Nicky Weaver, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Robbie Blake.
Yellow Cards: Kevin McDonald, Martin Paterson, Clarke Carlisle, Wade Elliott.
Referee: Chris Foy (St Helens).
Attendance: 60,043.