“Alexander is preparing to make the most serious and important moves of his life. He is leaving Arsenal even though they want to offer him a new long-term contract and better conditions. Only time will tell if leaving is the right decision, but there’s no way back now. Everything will be cleared up in the next two weeks.”

Not a statement that leaves much open to interpretation, and Hleb’s loss is sure to anger many. After two poor seasons, he started this campaign very well, but as time went on he once again reverted to type, seemingly allergic to shooting and lacking the end product that his skill should be capable of.

Certainly, meeting Inter Milan while out for a Champions League tie was in particularly poor taste, and the ice cream denials that followed were quite frankly insulting. It remains to be seen whether Inter will offer Arsenal a cut price for him, or whether the Webster clause will be invoked, Hleb having become unprotected after three years in his contract.

Some light is shed on that question by Wenger’s response:

“We have not been in touch with any club about Alexander Hleb.”

Some are interpreting this as him saying that Hleb will stay, when in reality it seems that Hleb will invoke the clause and disappear, which would break the agreement the G14 clubs had, where they claimed they would not utilise the rule on each other.

My suspicion is that Inter will offer a cut price, possibly the same amount that Arsenal would be compensated by, and leave Wenger with absolutely no choice but to accept. The details of exactly how the clause works are sketchy, but the fee will be the remaining two years of Hleb’s wages, likely to be around 4m.

If he stays, he has a lot to prove next season. If he leaves, maybe we’ll get some goals from a player taking up one of the foremost attacking slots in the team. Either way, I’m not overly fussed.

I’m not one who generally has an axe to grind, but yesterday Myles went too far, in foisting his opinions on the rest of the Arsenal supporting community:

“If they [the board, and Wenger] get it wrong this summer they will not be playing to 60,000 people throughout  next season.  This is a massive summer because there’s a definite tide of opinion against Arsene now. Fans do not want to watch kids who cannot win trophies. They are tired of watching Eboue and Senderos, they rarely see Rosicky or Van Persie, and they realise that Walcott might never do what Ashley Young is doing at Aston Villa.”

You know what really winds me up? When people tell me what I believe, or what all of us believe. The fans I talk to are not the ‘fans’ Myles talks about here, aside from the dislike of Eboue. They are not fickle minded people who will stop going to games, fairweather supporters who will give up on the club, or, as he suggests later in the piece, people who believe that Wenger has taken the club as far as he can.

The ‘fans’ Myles seems to be talking about do not appear to be fans at all. They are probably those who would sell the club down the river for a couple of glamorous and destabilising signings. With every passing day, Myles appears more like one of these, and less like the Gooner he professes to be.

You simply cannot go around saying ‘Arsenal fans believe this, they will do this, they like player X, and can’t stand player Y’. You can say what you believe, but you can’t make sweeping and wildly inaccurate statements about the whole fanbase.

Especially as fans rarely agree on anything. Eboue seems to connect most, and his is the only name that makes sense in this spiel. Senderos divides opinion - personally, I think he was on a superb run of form before Toure came back from Ghana and took his place. We all know big Phil is a confidence player, so why do so many insist on having a pop at him?

Mentioning Rosicky and Van Persie is just an example of how Myles is trying to add credence to his argument. Rosicky had a perfectly reasonable injury record at Dortmund, while Van Persie had no injury history prior to his arrival. Both will have passed stringent medicals. I’m sure everyone is disappointed that they haven’t played more this season, but they are hardly about to stop supporting the team as a result, and as for blaming Wenger, by the same token should he be criticised for not seeing Eduardo’s leg break coming?

And that is exactly the point. I don’t know how fickle Myles Palmer thinks Arsenal fans are, thinking that the stadium will not be full next season without serious spending this summer, but there is a massive waiting list for season tickets, and no matter what the occasion the stadium is always rammed. Even Sunday’s dull end of season lunchtime game was a sellout.

And then you get lines like this:

“They [Arsenal fans] realise that Walcott might never do what Ashley Young is doing at Aston Villa.”

Ashley Young turns 23 this summer, and has only recently started to shine, while Walcott is still 19 and has already had an impact in the knockout stages of the Champions League. What’s more, I am yet to meet a Gooner who is not excited by Theo’s potential, and the player he could become.

Using him as an example of why Arsenal fans are getting disgruntled, to me, is ridiculous, but everyone’s entitled to their opinion. What I cannot stand is the blanket statement that all of us feel that way. We don’t. At least I don’t.

So Myles, feel free to voice your opinion with your typical tone of self importance. And if you want to, continue to prevent comments so that no-one is allowed to enter into a debate with you. But do not claim to speak for all Arsenal fans, because I can tell you right now that you do NOT speak for me.

Some end of season games are relaxed, fun and full of goals. Others are like yesterday’s game, with Everton plainly coming for the point that would’ve sealed UEFA Cup football for them, and Arsenal lacking incision of any kind, creating the dullest of dull affairs.

Some of the lack of creativity could be attributed to the missing midfield - Cesc, Flamini, Hleb and Rosicky all laughing and joking together on the sidelines, but in truth it seemed that the ones on the field just weren’t that fussed. No-one displayed that laziness more than Eboue, who should surely be trying to impress after getting on the wrong side of even his own fans.

Eventually though, a chance arose, and unlike many days, it was actually taken, Traore’s excellent cross powered home by Bendtner, leaving him just one short of double figures this season, an impressive tally given his position in the pecking order.

And that really is all that can be said about the game, the rest of the news being the names we won’t be seeing in an Arsenal shirt next season. We’ve known about Lehmann for a long time, and he made his farewell appearance as a substitute, earning a well deserved ovation from the fans. He may not have distinguished himself in the media this season, but after his early mistakes he has stayed match sharp and been impressive when called upon. And his sniping should not detract from his past heroics for the club - the unbeaten season, his first in England, that penalty save against Villareal that took us to the Champions League final, his performance and penalty save from Scholes that gave us the FA Cup three years ago, out most recent trophy.

And more, his sheer entertainment value. Sharp cut downs of Kahn, shoving matches with Drogba, sheer dislike of Spurs, you have to love the man. Thanks Jens, you complete nutcase.

Joining him through the exit door, as has been inevitable for some time, is Mathieu Flamini, whose move to Milan was finally confirmed today. It is difficult sometimes to understand why he chose to leave, but you have to remember that unlike us, Flamini is not an Arsenal fan. It is not his dream to represent the Gunners, and he sees this move as a step up. With Milan steeped in European history, you can’t really blame him for that, although you do feel that despite the season he has had, he may not find the grass is greener, a lesson many have had to learn.

There is no doubt that Wenger wanted Flamini to stay, but he respected his contract and the boss has probably felt for some time that he’d be looking for a replacement come the summer - the rest of us have. At least he has a definitive answer in early May.

Unfortunately, it means more losses this summer, the same way it starts every year. I’ll look more closely at that trend tomorrow. Until then.

A few weeks ago, this match looked important to both clubs, but if Chelsea win either of their last two games, we can’t come second, third already having been wrapped up, while Everton only need a point from two games to secure their place in Europe after Villa’s loss yesterday.

So what could’ve been a vital game has now become what will hopefully be a partypiece. Three years ago Everton came to Highbury in the same situation, and were trounced 7-0 with Bergkamp leaving the field to choruses of ‘One more year’, and although the same result is highly unlikely against a decent Everton outfit, some fun could be had.

Ironically, that 7-0 win featured Mathieu Flamini’s first goal for the club, and the same fixture this season may see him wave goodbye to the home fans, in a way reminiscent of Edu, who scored a penalty on that day before leaving at the end of his contract in the summer. He got a great send off, and Flamini deserves one too - not just for this season, but for all the fill in jobs he’s done in his time at the club, especially at left back in the run to the Champions League final.

So thanks Mathieu, and let’s make today a good one.

Two of those three hold no merit whatsoever. Dein does not have any power over the Arsenal board or Edelman, and Wenger is a man who leaves boardroom debates to the board. I’m sure they listen to him, but to suggest that he ousted Edelman is ridiculous.

The Fiszman link is more interesting. It is entirely possible that he felt Edelman had done everything he needed to do, and that the time was right for him to leave, but even then I cannot see a ruthless sacking having taken place, I just can’t. That Edelman is being retained for twelve months suggests it is an amicable split, whoever came up with the suggestion in the first place.

I also don’t believe that this is an opening for Usmanov, or even Kroenke even though he is now much closer to the board than when he first arrived on the scene. Whether a new managing director will be appointed remains to be seen - Dein was never replaced, and there is no guarantee the structure inside the club will remain the same, with a like for like replacement. When top people leave, there is often a shuffle round, changing the dynamic of the organisation. That isn’t always a bad thing.

But I feel the need to reiterate the main point of yesterday’s post - this isn’t a drama.

Back to football, and it seems like Flamini’s future lays elsewhere. Wenger set an end of April deadline, and now that we’ve moved into May he believes we’ll have an answer in the next day or so.

“I know that if it’s down to football then he will stay here. If it’s down to football or financial resources he might not stay here. He is free to choose a different direction, everybody is free out of contract and you have to respect that.”

It doesn’t take a genius to see that Flamini is moving on, and if he decided to sign a new contract it would be a great surprise. A great shame, after the season he’s had, but Wenger has known for ages that his contract was expiring, so will have a plan. It would be naive of him not to.

To finish up, I want to wish every good luck to Bournemouth this weekend. Having lived so close for much of my life, I’ve always wanted the best for the club, especially as they are perennially broke yet dignified. For those who don’t know, they’ve spend the whole season in the relegation zone of League One, and lost ten points after going into administration at New Year, ironically in a weekend that they would’ve escaped the bottom four without the deduction.

Seemingly doomed, they’ve staged a remarkable comeback, winning the last six games, and are now just one point from safety going into the final day. It would be a fantastic and deserving achievement if they managed one more win away at Carlisle and stayed up. Good luck to the Cherries.

1. Chelsea are in the final

It is a truly sickening sentence. They scratched around in a group containing the superpowers of Schalke and Rosenborg. They were poor against Valencia, who are 15th in La Liga. They made Olympiakos look half decent before losing to Fenerbahce. They deserved to lose the first leg of the semi final and didn’t deserve to win the second. And yet, despite all that, they’re in the bloody final.

2. Essien’s card waving

Last week it was Deco, this week Essien. After Carvalho had executed a perfect sliding tackle which took ball and then man, Essien ran full pelt over to the referee, brandishing an imaginary card and telling him to book Torres (I believe) for a non existent dive. The ref ignored him. Then Arbeloa came over to tell the ref to book Essien for telling him to book Torres, and received a yellow for his complaints. You’ve got the love the consistency.

3. Barcelona were rubbish

The United-Barca semi final was supposed to be a classic. But United didn’t play very well, and once they’d scored they realised that despite all the supposed attacking talent of their opposition, they were pretty toothless, Messi apart. So they double teamed Messi and killed the game. Nothing wrong with that, it was a good tactic. But Barcelona were simply awful at actually creating chances - they were like a worse version of the frustrating Arsenal play of last season - all the possession and no cutting edge.

4. Didier Drogba

He was in last week’s list, and he’s back for more. Benitez mentioned before the game that Drogba dives, which he does. But a note to Didier - you can’t score, run over to the Liverpool bench, pointedly do a celebratory dive in front of the opposing manager, and then accuse himof a lack of class after the game. Besides, Benitez was right to say what he said, he just got the timing all wrong. Wait until after the game to fire up your opposition’s top striker, you muppet.

5. It’s now all about United and Chelsea

If you arrived into the season at this point, you’d never know that anyone other that Chelsea or United ever had a chance of winning honours. It seems cruel that Arsenal contributed so much to this season and now have to watch as those two slug it out for the league and Champions League. Football is a game of such fine lines.

Silver lining - although it means supporting United for the next three games, we are left with the amusing possibility that Chelsea might win nothing, and come second in three trophies this season. That would actually be hilarious.

The right noises are being made by all parties, and the official reason for Edelman’s departure is simply that having completed these projects, he feels it time for something new:

“Now that we have completed our second season at Emirates, I believe it is the right time to seek pastures new and embark upon fresh challenges.”

There seems no reason to disbelieve him - if you think about it the major challenge was the stadium move, which has been a success, and with the Emirates deal going on for years nothing needs to happen there, so after those he may feel the rest of his work is a bit humdrum. Some have levelled criticism at him for the club’s budgeting, blaming him for Wenger’s lack of spending, but I don’t give that any credence - there is only one man responsible for not spending a fortune, and that is the manager.

Some of the press are reporting this factually, while others are already progressing down the road of how this is a ’shock’ and a ‘disaster’ for the club. It won’t be long until they claim that his exit is part of a ‘mass exodus’ to come this summer, probably before tipping us to finish behind Spurs next season, again.

It’s garbage, it really is. Myles Palmer is already suggesting Edelman was pushed, but given that Sky are reporting that he will be retained for twelve months to smooth the transition to a new managing director, that seems fanciful at best.

In reality, Edelman probably does want a new challenge. He has achieved a lot at Arsenal and should be thanked for that - under him the financial results have been superb, all the talk of the stadium placing a strain on the club have been exaggerated, and the sponsorship deals are secure for years. Thanks Keith.

Ken Friar will take over temporarily, reprising the position he held for the eighteen years before Edelman’s arrival. The club seems to have this all in order.

This isn’t the disaster some make it out to be, and sometimes there are no sinister reasons for these events, no matter how little that truth sells newspapers. Keep that in mind when you read the paid media over the next couple of days.

You always know that a match has been rendered meaningless when you score six and manage to raise no more than contented amusement at what you are witnessing. Theoretically, of course, the title challenge is still on, but to bridge a four point gap to two opponents, with only two games left, is asking for too much. That said, if one slips this weekend, they may do again as they prioritise Europe, and second could be pinched. It would be incredibly frustrating were that to happen and we didn’t capitalise.

So the second half display was important last night, after going into the break leading despite playing far below our usual standards. That we were ahead at all was due to some truly abysmal Derby defending to let Bendtner and then Van Persie in. Mind you, Gallas was equally culpable at the other end, defending weakly and reacting slowly to allow McEveley to equalise. It would be fair to say the captain isn’t having the best of times at the moment.

Van Persie appeared to tweak something in his leg celebrating the second - you can see him wince slightly as he walked away, taking his injury proneness to new heights. Wenger took him off as a precaution, introducing Adebayor, who had scored a hattrick against the same opposition at the Emirates earlier in the season.

It took him less than fifteen minutes to add to his tally, but only after another laughable Eboue moment. Or at least, it would be comic if it weren’t so infuriating. Walcott worked wonders down the right, squared it, and Eboue, presented with a great chance, fell over trying to poke at the ball. Fortunately, Ade was alert and tapped in the loose ball.

I’ve lost count of the number of times Eboue has fallen over when shooting or playing the final ball - his balance seems all wrong. Is it a lack of confidence? He doesn’t seem the type to be fazed, which is probably a good thing given how poor he’s been.

After somehow failing to add to our lead, Derby hit back, Earnshaw finally scoring his first of the season after our offside trap failed. The goal may have been a mistake though, as it sparked Arsenal back into life, Walcott delightfully curling home before Adebayor scored his 29th and 30th of the season, the former set up by a terrific Clichy run and pass, once again. How he remains so fit in the final ten minutes is beyond me.

And so Adebayor reached thirty goals for the season, yet remains a figure who divides opinion. Incredible really. Yes, six of his goals have come against Derby, but he scored against United, Liverpool, Spurs, Milan and in many more crucial games. The flak he still receives, in my opinion, is disgraceful, so it is encouraging to see some of the more informed bloggers giving him the credit he deserves. Well done Ade.

Third place is now wrapped up, and Derby are all but condemned to be the worst team ever in the Premiership. But the swagger is back, we saw it in the second half, and already thoughts are moving to next season. Four months away it may be, but I can’t wait.

It is fantastic that he has been recognised in this way, although I am confused at how Ronaldo hasn’t swiped both awards (as he did last season), having been nominated in both. If he’s the best player, surely he is the best young player? The only thing I can imagine is that he lost votes because some thought 23 was too old for a ‘young’ award.

Still, it’s well deserved for Cesc, who again showed maturity beyond his years, admitting that he would prefer a trophy for his club, while dedicating his achievements to those around him:

“This is for all the team, and all the fans, because all together we have had good season even though we haven’t won anything at the end”.

Adebayor, Clichy and Sagna all made the team of the year, and amusingly, Chelsea were not represented at all. Having four players in the team of the season really does show how far we’ve come this season, easy as that can be to forget after the disappointments of the last two months.

Elsewhere, none of the transfer situations have been resolved, I still suspect Flamini’s end of month deadline will come and go without us hearing a final decision, so expect it to drag.

I can see why Wenger wants to resolve this quickly, however. Every two summers, when an international tournament takes place, he likes to sign players earlier, before their stock rises on the biggest stage. The most recent example was Rosicky two years ago, who confirmed his arrival before shining in the World Cup. Wenger will want to know how many players he needs to sign, and quickly, in case we get priced out by our rivals later on.

Back to the football, and we’re away to Derby tonight with a much changed side, likely to include Fabianski, Hoyte, Denilson and perhaps Diaby now his suspension is over. Mathematically, the title is still alive so they will still be going for a win, but a Carling Cup team should be able to beat Derby so there can be no excuses if they don’t. Let’s hope van Persie’s luck turns and he grabs a couple.

Final word on Spurs’ signing of Modric - I was surprised, and I’m not sure why he’s gone there, but if they’re going to spend all their money on attacking players, then their miserable defence will still let them down next season.

Enjoy the game tonight.

We all knew Liverpool-Chelsea wasn’t going to be a classic, but even that snorefest produced more chances and goals than the complete non-event that was Barcelona-United. There was Ronaldo’s early penalty miss, and then there was…er…nothing. Yawn. I thought these were supposed to be two of Europe’s premier attacking teams?

2. None of the teams even looked that impressive

Liverpool never looked like scoring against Chelsea unless they made a horrible mistake (which they did), Chelsea never looked like scoring against Liverpool unless they made a horrible mistake (which they did), Barcelona never looked like scoring against United unless they made a horrible mistake (which they didn’t), and United never looked…..you get the picture.

3. Benitez’s reaction to the ref

“I was very disappointed with the officials. And it’s not the first time, it’s really disappointing.”

Said without a touch of irony, despite Liverpool’s last four Champions League games featuring a ludicrous red card for Materazzi, another harsh red card in the second leg, a penalty on Hleb that should’ve been given, and a penalty for Babel that shouldn’t.

And he’s moaning about the standard of refereeing in their matches? He knows that very standard may be the only reason they’re still in it, right?

4. Didier Drogba

I’d forgotten how utterly infuriating Drogba could be when he has one of his play acting days. Diving, throwing himself around at every opportunity, feigning injury, sulking, the works. Didier, you’re 6 ft 4, built, and you’re actually a good player when you set your mind to it. Grow up.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo

Almost the same, although he at least doesn’t sulk and stay out of the game as a result. He sulks and then gets back on with it. But he still seems to think the world is against him every time he doesn’t get the latest soft free kick he’s after, appealing to the ref as he’s going down (he does have an uncanny ability to tumble while looking straight at the official). He should’ve had a second penalty though.

6. The ITV commentary team’s blatant bias

We all know how one sided they can be when an English club is playing against continental opposition, but their pro-Liverpool commentary on Tuesday night was painful to listen to at times. Every time Drogba went down easily, they adamantly cried ‘he dived’, every time Torres or Gerrard did the same, they reluctantly conceded ‘there perhaps wasn’t that much in that’. The excitement was there to hear when Liverpool scored, the disappointment even more so when Chelsea equalised. Standards, people.

7. Deco and his imaginary card waving

Come on folks, I thought we’d cut this behaviour out long ago, as we don’t seem to see it so much these days. But it is still a mandatory yellow card, so why the ref only denied Deco’s requests rather than booking the little weasel, I’ll never know.

In fact, I don’t see any reason this shouldn’t become a red card offence, as it clear gross unsportsmanship. It isn’t like a dive, where the referee can get it wrong, there is simply no mistaking the act of waving the imaginary card, so no risk in increasing the punishment. Why not make it a sending off offence? Maybe they’d stop doing it.

8. Chelsea’s luck

They played appallingly for 94 minutes, and then with seconds left Riise decided to head a ball a few inches from the ground instead of hoofing it away with his foot, gifting them an away goal they never deserved. The thought of them winning the Champions League makes me want to be sick.

9. Samuel Eto’o

Was there a more disinterested player on the pitch last night? Strange to think so many want him to go to Arsenal, his laziness is surely not helping his popularity over in Barca.

10. Ferguson’s gum chewing

The Spanish coverage like their little montages, showing images of key players in turn, their emotions, and then cutting to the touchline to do the same with the managers. All very dramatic, until you see Ferguson and his masticated Wrigley’s, his red face chomping furiously on what must be at least two whole packets at once. Is there a more disgusting sight in football, now that Sam Allardyce is out of a job?

Before we start on those, however, let’s get one thing straight. Adebayor is not leaving, no matter what his incredibly unhelpful agent, Vincenzo Morabito, claims. I hate agents, I really do.

But there are two whose futures are in serious doubt. The first is of course Flamini, whose contract expires in a little over two months and who, according to Wenger, has to make his final decision by the end of April. So in a week, we should know. Something tells me May will arrive and we’ll all still be in the dark. We’ve been here before.

There is no doubt that the fans, Wenger and the rest of the players want Flamini to stay. Wenger also claims that Flamini himself wants to stay. The general consensus is that only wage demands are stopping the deal, but that in itself seems odd - a fair offer would be around the 50k mark, which is surely a massive hike on his current earnings. And with him established as a first teamer and knocking on the door of the French national team, it would seem a dangerous time to switch clubs.

There are so many examples of players moving on from Arsenal and seeing their careers fade, possibly the saddest being Henry, whose difficult season continues and will more than likely miss tomorrow night’s game with United. No matter how much his plight makes Wenger’s decision to sell last summer look spot on, it gives me no pleasure to see him suffer out in Spain.

While everyone wants Flamini to stay, Hleb divides opinion. Undoubtedly a wonderful footballer, he can also be the most frustrating player at the club at times (including Eboue) when his inch perfect passes stray off course. He is a player who plays with no margin for error, making either the perfect pass or giving the ball away.

For me, that isn’t the problem though - he sets up an adequate number of goals and you can tell his value to the team by how much he is missed when injured. The main issue with Hleb is his goalscoring, or lack of it. He netted on the first day of the season, and in the first couple of months seemed to have added the facet to his game. But no more have been added to his tally, and not because of bad luck or good saves, but because he steadfastly refuses to shoot. That is what is so frustrating about the man, his passing up of wonderful opportunities trying to be too clever.

As I said, he divides opinion. Arseblogger wrote a good piece on him this morning, essentially recognising his worth but also that if he was to leave, now might be the time to cash in, before his contract comes towards an end. I would worry if we got rid of him at the point, though. Although he doesn’t like playing on the wing, his ability to fill in there gives him a versatility that can be so important when your squad is as stretched as ours has been this season.

If we sold him, we’d need to sign two midfielders. I think we already need a winger, but his departure might require the arrival of a goalscoring support striker, someone who can play at the head of a five man midfield and provide a genuine goal threat. I would hold great concerns if Wenger sold Hleb and didn’t act to replace him adequately - I just don’t see who we have that could fill his roles, the permanently injured Rosicky aside.

The challenge is certainly to keep the squad together this summer - they are on the rise. Let’s hope they recognise that and stay.

Can you remember the last time we won 1-0? Clue - there hasn’t been one in 2008. You have to go all the way back to December 16 and that fantastic victory over Chelsea, 29 games ago. And there is no way that match should’ve ended 1-0, with both sides spurning gilt edged chances.

The lack of resilience and the inability to hold on to a lead in the manner of Graham’s team has been jumped on by the media as the main reason for the club going trophyless again this season, and at first glance it seems a decent argument - the clean sheet against Reading at the weekend was the first in eight games, dating back to the goalless draw with Wigan. In contrast, United have nine clean sheets in their last twelve games, Chelsea eight in their last thirteen.

So is that the reason? Do Arsenal simply not keep clean sheets?

Well, no, it isn’t as simple as that. Almunia and co have actually managed 25 shutouts this season in 55 games, close to one every other game, which is not a bad record. United, with their lauded defence, have only three more, with 28. Chelsea have 31 but score considerably fewer.

But the difference between United and Arsenal has been when they’ve conceded. United have let their guard slip when in cruise control - they’ve won 4-1 three times, 5-1 and 4-2, but when they haven’t been at their best going forward, they’ve managed to keep it tight at the back. They have won 1-0 nine times this season.

And remember the start of the season, when their title challenge was faltering almost before it had begun? Two points from the opening three games put them in early trouble, and their next set of performances were also poor. But instead of dropping more points, they scraped four consecutive 1-0 victories and hauled themselves towards the top. That is why they are going to be champions again.

As for us, we have a terrible habit of conceding crucial goals at exactly the wrong moment. There are the obvious ones - ahead against Chelsea, United and Liverpool and letting them all slip with soft goals, but it has happened a lot this season. Our two big wins also included clean sheets that barely mattered - 5-0 against Derby and 7-0 against Slavia, a match in which Almunia made a couple of stunning saves.

But when clean sheets have been required, they haven’t materialised. It is the nine 1-1 draws that have cost us so badly, especially the five in which we scored first. That adds up to a lot of dropped points, and the advantage conceded in that critical tie with Liverpool. United held on to those leads, winning 1-0 over and over again. We’ve managed only four 1-0 wins all season, and none this year. It is such a slim margin, but that has been the difference.

It all seems so simple on paper, but what causes this? What causes a talented side to let a few 1-0 wins turn into 1-1 draws, only to see that dismantle an entire season’s work? Is it experience, age, mentality?

Or is it just football?

What is important is to note the improvements. We lost eight games 1-0 last season. How many do you think we’ve lost 1-0 this season?

Here’s the answer - a big fat zero. That’s right, not once have we lost by the same score that was the scourge of last season. In fact, we’ve only lost and failed to score once in any competition all season, that 4-0 defeat in the FA Cup.

So last season’s lesson was to stop losing 1-0. That has been heeded - those results have now turned into 1-1 draws.

Halfway there. Next season, cut out the sloppy goals, and we’ll be exactly where United are.

The margins are small. Very very small. Keep the faith.

It has been a while since we’ve had a post match glow of a comfortable win at the Emirates, well over two months in fact, but it returned today after what turned out to be a routine win over a Reading side even more devoid of confidence than Arsenal.

The first twenty were quite tame, with the crowd noticeably quiet in patches, but there was none of the ‘getting on the players’ backs’ predicted by the ever helpful Sky team before the match. Adebayor headed a great chance wide, Cesc ran out of steam after being put through by a lovely Hleb pass, while Van Persie was running around menacingly, firing a free kick just wide.

Although chances were been created and spurned, you never got the feeling that it was to be a scoreless afternoon, and the opening goal soon came after a decent break. Toure played a delightful curled ball into Adebayor, who answered every critic who claims he doesn’t finish well by taking an immaculate first touch before casually slipping the ball past Hahnemann. It was Henry-like, and there weren’t too many complaints about the great man’s end product. I guess some people will never be convinced.

Meanwhile, that most rare of things was happening - we were looking deadly from set pieces. Much has been said about Van Persie’s absence this season, mostly citing the goals he would’ve scored had he been fit. It’s all true, but the other facet of his game is his sometimes unplayable delivery from set pieces. He and Cesc were playing a short corner game all afternoon, giving the Dutchman a better angle, and time and time again he was causing panic in the Reading defence with his vicious inswingers. Song missed a good chance, Walcott had a couple of efforts, the only surprise was that no goal ever came about from the tactic. It gives a whole new dimension to our play.

Before half time, the second was scored, and if you ever doubt the regard Gilberto is held in by the Arsenal fans, listen to the reception he got when his long ranger was deflected into the corner. He has been ultimately professional this season, a tough campaign for him personally, for various reasons, and this, his first goal, was no more than he deserved.

At half time, it looked like a cricket score might be on the cards, but thanks to some extraordinary bad luck, no goal came after the break. Van Persie’s free kick hit the underside of the bar, then the inside of the post, and stayed out, a feat that seems almost impossible when you think about it, Walcott hit the bar minutes later, Cesc beat Hahnemann only for Duberry to somehow clear off the line, and then when Van Persie forced an own goal from the same defender, he was wrongly ruled offside, an incident that Match of the Day bizarrely chose not to show, even though they showed a Reading attack correctly ended due to the linesman’s flag. Odd.

All this was ironic, because I’d dared to think after Gilberto’s shot was deflected in that our luck was turning. I tell you, if and when it does turn, someone is going to be on the end of an almighty pasting. Derby, next up in the Premiership, might be glad of the sanctity of the Championship next season.

Some of the second half football in particular was sublime - Walcott was lively, Van Persie superb throughout, Clichy energetic as ever despite a long season, and while some of the attacking players will rightly get the plaudits, I felt Gilberto did an excellent job screening the back four. There was none of the lethargy we’ve seen from him at times this season, he was buzzing around and cleaning up after the rest of the midfield all day.

And even Jens managed to be cheerful about being barged over in the box, simply getting up and not complaining. Not often you see that.

There was, however, one sour note - Hleb reacting to some overly close attention by Murty by slapping him around the shoulder. It was a cuff, not a punch as Murty claimed to the referee, and the Reading captain’s reaction was laughable, but it was a case of raised hands nonetheless, and Hleb is now almost certain to serve a three match ban for violent conduct, which will end his season. One hopes that with all the transfer speculation around him, it does not end his Arsenal career. Somehow I doubt Wenger would let that happen after the patience he has shown with the Belarussian.

So the race for second is still on - Chelsea may be four points ahead, but they play United next, and with a Champions League semi distracting them too, they may drop enough points to be caught. It is a target worth fighting for, if only to end the season on a positive note.

Today was a great start in that - much more like the Arsenal we’ve seen. It could have been six today. That it wasn’t was down to the woodwork and bad luck rather than poor finishing. That in itself is an improvement on last season.

With our season effectively over bar the shouting, this process has already begun, with Valencia’s David Villa expressing his interest in switching to the Emirates:

“I watch the Premier League a lot and the team I’m most attracted to is definitely Arsenal. The Valencia president (Agustin Morera) always told me he wouldn’t sell me until summer 2008. If an offer comes in I’m hungry to test myself in England.”

Villa is one of a number of top players expected to move this summer, and with Valencia having such a poor season (they are currently two places from the drop zone in La Liga), he has become a big fish in an increasingly small pond. He is a real talent, and would be a superb signing, but somehow I just don’t see it happening, for two reasons:

1) Unless a striker is sold, I would be very surprised to see another one get signed this summer. Like last season, when fans were baying for new blood up front, I can see Wenger trusting what he has, which is a starting pair of Van Persie and Adebayor, with Bendtner and Walcott playing a greater part. Eduardo is scheduled to return in the New Year, and Wenger may expect the other four to cope in the meantime. Signing a striker now would push at least one of these players back, whether it is Walcott to the wing, or Bendtner out of the club altogether (which isn’t impossible).

2) Chelsea have expressed interest in Villa before, and are likely to again. It feels like Malouda from last summer, who said similar things about wanting to join Arsenal, making his signing seem imminent, but Chelsea simply offered a fee that Wenger was never going to consider value for money, and off he went to Stamford Bridge. Even if Wenger is interested in Villa, he probably has a figure in mind and won’t double it when Chelsea do.

No, signing well known players is difficult with Chelsea forcing the hand of the selling club. But at least we should know early this summer - with a tournament going on Wenger is likely to make his moves before it starts and the player’s value rises, as he did with Rosicky two years ago.

If Villa signed, I for one would be delighted.

But I would also be surprised.

He should have signed squad players in January

One of the most obvious accusations, it doesn’t actually stack up when you examine it a little closer. First, as many managers have said, decent players simply aren’t available in January, Anelka being the only transfer of note, and if Wenger had wanted him, he could have got him last summer for less. At the time, the season was going spectacularly well, and when Keegan signed Asprilla so famously, in a similar position, he was panned for trying to fix what wasn’t broken. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

The point is - the team were playing superbly, the reserves were impressing in the Carling Cup, and there seemed no need. Wenger doesn’t sign players ahead of kids he thinks are the future - in the long run it sets them back.

He should not have let Diarra go

This one has a little more merit. Diarra was being the proverbial pain in the backside, whinging to anyone who would listen after only a few months at the club that he deserved more playing time, while the incumbent of his position had waited years for his chance, seizing it when Gilberto had missed the start of the season. He can have been nothing but disruptive. That said, his energetic legs would have helped at the business end of the season, especially with Flamini and Cesc looking so exhausted.

Wenger believes in team spirit though, and Diarra was detracting from it. The youngster seems oblivious as to how he is wrecking his career - still intent on joining a top club, he’s already been through Chelsea and Arsenal, Ferguson won’t take him after the attitude he’s shown, and Liverpool are also stacked with central midfielders. And what top foreign club watch Portsmouth regularly?

Wenger should’ve signed a striker

Adding to the first point, some lazy journalists are using hindsight to say that Arsenal rely too much on Adebayor and that another striker should have been signed in January. Let’s put that into perspective - over Christmas Adebayor was rolling into form, Eduardo was scoring goals for fun, Van Persie was weeks away from his eventually aborted comeback, and Bendtner wasn’t even getting on the pitch very often. With Walcott another option, why would another striker be required? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but some things you just can’t see coming.

Gallas should’ve been stripped of the captaincy

Do you honestly believe that Gallas would be an effective player for Arsenal if this happened? For everyone who suggested it, consider where we would be without him in the team. We’re not exactly flush with centre backs. If Wenger wants to change the captain, he’ll do it in the summer.

So I’ve defended Wenger yet Arsenal have still come up short. Why? To me, it isn’t so much a lack of squad depth, it is a lack of match winning depth. Each of the top four have match winners, and comparing Arsenal to United, who will be crowned champions, Adebayor has won as many matches as Rooney, while Cesc has won at least as many as any United midfielder. The same goes for Chelsea and Liverpool. Only Ronaldo sticks out as incomparable - he is peerless, and the reason United are now clear at the top.

No, the problem is behind that. Our first choice wingers are Rosicky and Hleb, when everyone is fit. How many games have they won from those positions? Hleb has from the centre, sure, but not from wide, while Rosicky, when not on the treatment table, is the master of the ‘icing on the cake’ goal, rather than the crucial one. That is not a criticism of either of them, but when the top three players at any of the big four fail to perform, we have less match winners ready to step up and force that crucial moment. United showed on Sunday that Hargreaves can do it, Giggs can still do it, while even Nani comes on and makes an impact. The other side without depth in match winners is Liverpool, and that is why they are fourth.

For me, all we need is to be a threat from more angles. We have Cesc and Hleb though the middle, Van Persie and Adebayor up front. Clichy has been our best player from wide positions this season, which says something about the lack of wing play ahead of him, excellent though he has been.

If that particular problem can be addressed, another step up is possible. There aren’t that many rungs left to climb.