Considering he was just about the only Arsenal player to come out of last Sunday’s lamentably anti-climactic curtain-raiser with any credit, the Ox must have been disappointed to have found himself benched for Sunday’s encounter at Crystal Palace.

Five minutes into yesterday’s disastrous derby day opener, I turned to my mate to say that I wished I’d had a five quid punt on the Irons, as I heard the radio commentators expressing their surprise at the outrageous odds (in a two-horse race) of 14/1. 

When Aaron Ramsey hit the post in the late stages of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final, I’m sure I wasn’t the only Gooner wondering if it might be destined not to be our day.

Reaction from the weekend’s top Premier League action.

There’s patient and there’s asleep at the wheel

Liverpool: Lessons to be learned from Real bashing

It was an arduous task escaping the carnival atmosphere around Highbury, on my way to Wembley on Saturday. Opting for the next best thing, the many thousands who’d missed out on the gold dust of a match ticket were bursting out onto the streets, having gravitated to London N5, to savour the occasion at the live screening at our gaff, or to watch the game in one of the many gaily bedecked Gooner boozers.

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has apologised after being photographed holding a placard that used foul language to insult rivals Tottenham.

A crisp sunny day for a drive out of the Big Smoke, the lilting Welsh accents of the genial locals, a clean sheet, three goals and a return trip back across the Severn Bridge, plumped up by a seven-point cushion.

“Santi Cazorla smiles” is not exactly news. Team-mates at Villarreal declared him “our Ronaldinho” because of his temperament as much as his talent, friends say his enthusiasm is infectious and, while he chats, his fellow Spaniard, asturiano and Londoner Juan Mata cannot resist approaching to share a joke.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could never see himself working under a director of football.

Olivier Giroud is convinced Arsenal can last the distance in the Barclays Premier League title fight next season providing they get off to a flying start.

Arsenal 2 Aston Villa 1

Sunderland 0 Arsenal 1

Reading 2 Arsenal 5

Arsenal 5 Tottenham 2

It was Roberto Mancini who called it a “crazy season”, so crazy that, after all the madness which had preceded the dawning of the final day in the Premier League last time around, Alex Ferguson was left with not unreasonable grounds for hoping the noisy neighbours would do “something stupid”, maybe even a “Devon Loch”, at the death.

Blessed are the playmakers. Or should that be bantam?

Alex Song could follow Robin van Persie out of the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said this morning.

Santi Cazorla outlined his desire to end Arsenal’s trophy drought after becoming the latest high-profile recruit at the club yesterday.

Arsenal have announced the signing of attacking midfielder Santi Cazorla from Malaga for an undisclosed fee on a long-term deal.

Seve Ballesteros surprised himself by making the halfway cut in the Madeira Island Open today – after blaming tournament referees for causing him to miss it.