It is not just Arsenal Football Club and it’s fans that are having a hard time of it this season. It does not make it any easier to see Chelsea looking set to win the Premier League at a canter, of course, but the Gunners can take some small comfort that the likes of the spuds, Liverpool, Man City and Man United have all so far failed to take advantage of our own problems.
Which all means that our next Premier League game, against the last of those rivals, Man United, could still be a pivotal one in the course of the season. Louis van Gaal and his expensive team of misfits may have moved to within a point of us last weekend, but they were still awful and should be there for the taking at the Emirates, if we can stop leaking goals like a sieve that has been used for target practice that is.
But if United win and go above us, it will be more misery and could plunge Arsenal into another bad run of results, so the news reported by The Guardian that United will be without a large number of key players is a real bonus for us. And the fact that the Colombian international striker, Radamel Falcao, is one of them makes our signing of Danny Welbeck look a great piece of work by Wenger.
Their main problem, like Arsenal, has been in defence. Even though they have a lot more options in the back four than us, the injury situation means that hardly any of them will be available when they come to north London next weekend. Rafael, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Marcos Rojo. So if there was ever a chance for the Gunners to get at a weakened Man United team, surely this will be it.