TERRACE TALK: Arsenal - I couldn’t wait for those long minutes to tick away

Thankfully, unlike the farcical officiating at the Etihad, the ref at St James’ Park on Saturday didn’t thoroughly spoil the spectacle for the watching millions, by sending the wrong player off in the opening seconds.

Even if it did take until half-time for the home side to eventually turn up.

Mind you, it’s never a good sign when you find yourself concentrating on the clock more than the events on the pitch, and with the Gunners visibly wilting before our eyes in the second-half, I ended up desperately willing the minutes to tick away fast enough for us to escape Tyneside with all three points still intact.