Eve of Destruction?

Mixed feelings tonight ahead of tomorrow's date in the last chance saloon...

I already mentioned my inkling that Arsenal were going to somehow win this game, but that optimism has since been tempered by quotes from Wenger suggesting that Bendtner is in no fit state to be starting games of this magnitude. And it's also disappointing that Diaby may not make the starting eleven- the physical presence he can provide would be welcome, particularly with Denilson in such rotten form. A word here though for the cretins who have unleashed untold vitriol on the Brazilian, and now pine for the return of Diaby in his place- I am sure these are the same people who booed and jeered Diaby earlier in the season. Opinions are like assholes- everybody's got one, but here's a fact: Diaby's had more bad games for Arsenal than Denilson. These fickle fuckers are starting to get on my nerves...

The Bendtner situation may seem unfortunate, but it's not. If you told me when I was watching the non-performance against Chelsea in November that Wenger was not going to sign a proper striker, I'd have screamed. I thought at the time that the game was a purgatorial punishment for Wenger's transfer inaction, and that there would be some attempt at a remedy in January. And here we are: on the eve of the return fixture, about to face off with Drogba and Anelka, and still without a striker.

Having mentioned my "good feeling", I also have to admit I wouldn't be surprised if we lost 5-0 tomorrow. On the one hand, you kind of feel that we're due a good performance in a fixture like this. But that attitude says it all really. It's similar to me saying that we're due to lose a league game to Spurs every year- at some point you have to question just how these kind of "hoodoos" come about. I reluctantly concluded some time ago that this particular Arsenal side is made up of bottlers, for want of a kinder term. Certainly since 2008, there has been a tendency in this team to let themselves down on the big occasion. The win against Milan stands as the exception to the rule. At times, Arsenal have played well in some big games, only to be derailed by an apparent failure of will, collectively or individually.

History keeps repeating itself, and at the moment it feels farcical, but if we settle into it any more this mediocrity will become the norm.