Wenger’s long Good Friday

A LONG and ultimately frustrating Wednesday had just turned into Thursday when Arsene Wenger walked into the San Danielli Italian restaurant on Blackstock Road for dinner with Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.

The diners greeted him with a spontaneous round of applause, but the events of a few hours earlier had drained Wenger of any joie de vivre. The lady acquaintance he greeted with a kiss urged him: "Keep smiling."

"I can't," he whispered.