Bubbly re-corked as bubble bursts

LAST week I spoke of our hopes that Rooney would live up to his big-game reputation and break his drought, and when the Spud-Faced Nipper duly vindicated our trust in him just after 5pm on Sunday, you could have forgiven us all for mentally cracking open the champers.

Okay, we may have lost the game but the campaign remains ours to win, especially as we remain convinced Arsenal and Liverpool are too far back, and see that Chelsea’s implosion shows no sign of abating.

That said, I cannot deny it: that last 12 minutes at the Emirates hurt like few such periods I can recall in recent times. So we were right, as I suggested last week, to have some fear faced with Arsenal. Those of you who often email in to complain that I am too complimentary of Wenger’s outfit might want to give it a rest this week in light of their admirable, United-like stickability.