Lap of dishonour ends yet another frustrating season

SO here we Gooners are again, the uninvited guests with our noses enviously pressed up against the pub’s frosted windows, missing out on all the jollity of yet another end of season lock-in.

I celebrated Newcastle’s late equaliser at Chelsea, maintaining a glimmer of hope of having something to play for against Villa. At the very least, I expected the Gunners to turn up for the curtain call, if only for the self-serving purpose of preventing Man City from leapfrogging us and avoid the cataclysmic banana skin of a Champions League qualifier. Never mind paying their dues, by putting on a bit of a show for all of us poor put-upon punters.

But then judging by the surprisingly obvious number of empty seats at the Emirates on Sunday, I guess that unlike this particular muggins, plenty of our more fickle faithful had seen the writing on the wall.