The opening day didn’t seem too bad. Even though I was stuck in Somerset in mid August at least the starting match of Arsenal’s campaign was on TV, the gunners shot down a woeful Newcastle, bathed in the early afternoon sunlight – unbelievably it would be as late as October before the first traditional 3pm Saturday kick-off. Some even ventured to suggest the tidings of doom & gloom over the departure of Patrick Vieira were over the top. The August / September despatching of visitors Fulham 4:1 and Everton 2:0 gave a 100% home record during the months (9/9pts) and, for a team of Arsenal’s stature, could have been the platform for a season of league success.

Instead, by the end of the September there was a growing seed of suspicion that a tough season on the road was forthcoming (1/9 points). The 0:1 defeat at defending champions Chelsea was hardly a disaster (true Senderos did have a poor game, but the slating he took for allowing an ‘off-side fluky knee scoring’ Drogba to be goal side of him, was harsh), but with the latter defeat at Middlesborough 1:2 and draw at West Ham 0:0, a rot was setting in!

Two October victories at Highbury, Birmingham 1:0 and Manchester City 1:0 (notable for a card happy official doling out 8 yellow cards), a defeat away to West Brom 1:2 (it had taken 2 months for Arsenal to take the bloody lead in a league game away from Highbury – but old boy Kanu equalised for WBA and the boys were screwed again!) and an uncomfortable 1:1 draw at the scum, underlined the unbelievable difference of home and away form. By this time some of us were beginning to have suspicions that the away games were being played by dopple-gangers!

November and finally a month that brought Arsenal relief from the incessantly poor away league form, though this may partly have been because Arsenal only played 3 league games in the month. Not only did Arsenal continue the 100% home form with resounding wins over Sunderland 3:1 and Blackburn 3:0, but Wigan had the dubious honour of becoming host to Arsenal’s first win on the road 3:2. At last Arsene Wenger had sorted it out, no question the tide was turning – but in a season of false dawns….

Just Arsenal’s luck then that their first fixture in December was away to ‘bogey’ Bolton and unsurprisingly Fat (manage England in your dreams) Sam was grinning broadly as Arsenal fell to their 4^th away defeat 0:2. By the 18^th further defeats had followed away to Newcastle 0:1 and then home to Chelsea 0:2 - even the home record was knackered now!  At least the year ended with a stylish title winning (in my dreams!) unbeaten run of 3 games, with victories on the road to Charlton 1:0, home against Portsmouth 4:0 and a miserable draw away to Aston Villa 0:0.

So the halfway point of the season reached and of a possible 57 points only 33 had been won. Lying in 6^th place, just the 22pts off top spot!! clearly Arsenal were biding their time and planning to make a late move for the title. The new year was going to see the revival, a straight 19 wins, 57 points and Arsenal’s farewell to Highbury would be a title triumph with a winning total of 90pts (did I really write that!?!).

In fact January started out ok with the unbeaten run stretching to 5 games. Firstly a negative Man Utd showed their quality by forcing the first goalless league draw that Highbury had seen since November 2003. Then, Highbury watched Steve (one day I’ll be England’s manager – oh god its happening) McClaren’s Middlesborough get annihilated 7:0. But once again Arsenal’s attempt at a revival came unstuck, and was scuppered with a 0:1 defeat away to Everton, another false dawn!

February and the first visitors to Highbury were West Ham and a second home defeat 2:3 was suffered, the foundations of which were laid in the first half through an abysmal, embarrassing non performance by Sol (shameful, over paid,  half time walk out, drop the club in it) Campbell. Victory at Birmingham 2:0 was followed by a home draw with Bolton 0:0 and then 2 further defeats on the road, Liverpool 0:1 and Blackburn 0:1. Still lying in 6^th place, Arsenal were now losing ground even on the second, automatic CL qualification place – new ground for Arsene Wenger, how would he coax his team?

The answer seem to come in the month of March, with all three matches won, away to Fulham 4:0, home to Liverpool 2:1 and also Charlton 3:0. Unfortunately with the teams above Arsenal also enjoying similar success, by month end with the season drawing towards a close it was clear that the race was now for 3^rd place! – though with an 8pt deficit and running out of games, 4^th spot was probably a more realistic aim!

At the start of April the goals continued to rattle in at a furious pace and Aston Villa must have regretted visiting Highbury on April Fools Day, as the Gunners shot 5 past them – as David O’Leary wasn’t on the shortlist for the England manager’s job, Arsenal took it easy on his team! 8 days later and Arsenal visited Old Trafford, suffering their 11^th and final league defeat of the season 0:2. An away draw at Portsmouth 1:1 and then home win against West Brom 3:1 put the final match of the month at home to the scum as a potential decider for which of the North London clubs would claim 4^th spot and the final CL qualification place. A total disaster almost occurred, but Arsenal clawed a 1:1 draw having fallen behind. The scum fans were delirious, the draw in their enemy’s camp appeared to have set them up for North London supremacy and qualification for the CL, it was a stomach churner for Arsenal fans – but the season wasn’t quite over.

May saw wins away to Sunderland 3:0 and Man. City 3:1, setting up on the final day a most fitting season finale and, farewell to Arsenal’s Highbury home of 93 years. As the farewell match unfolded at Highbury Wigan certainly tried to be party poopers, each time in the first half when Arsenal scored and expected to take control, the visitors swiftly hit back. However, in the second half the game turned decisively in Arsenal’s favour and as the crowd celebrated the Highbury goals so the news filtered through about how the scum were performing across London at West Ham. At the final whistle the scum had lost 1:2 and Arsenal had won 4:2, 4^th spot and CL qualification was secured – god it felt good, and even more so to be at their expense!

The scum had realised pre-match the tide was turning and in desperation had tried to postpone their match (latterly requested a replay), with claims of food poisoning from the night before, the Premiership bigwigs weren’t taken in – a real stomach churner (literally) for the other end of the Seven Sisters Road and at least their antics allowed the rest of the country to have a good laugh at the scum’s expense.

Talk to most people and there is a feeling that the second half of the season was a big improvement on the first, however the statistics don’t really back this belief. Whilst it is certainly true that Arsenal finished with a flourish, in fact during the second half of the season Arsenal won only 34 of the 57 points available, just 1 more than from the first 19 games.

During the season, many of the young players were forced to stand up and be counted, the defence at times was so patched up no team, not even 3 first teams Chelsea, could have coped better. In Flamini we have found a credible emergency left-back, whilst on the right hand side Eboue and Gilbert have become household names. Hleb improved as the season went on and in Diaby (if he can recover full fitness) and Cesc we have strong midfielders and in RvP and Walcott there is future promise up front. 

To most clubs where Arsenal finished this season would be a major accomplishment, having been spoiled over the past few seasons it would probably be summed up as a triumph out of disaster – 67pts to Chelsea’s 91pts (difference of 24pts!). However with the young and established personnel (the resigning of Henry was a monumental coup) and signings such as Rosicky, I fully share Arsene Wenger’s anticipation of next season.

Be seeing you

 MysticBeg