Terrace Talk: Arsenal - Arsene Wenger’s loyalty pays off as players show fight

An afternoon which started with a huge social-media hoax about The Gobby One getting the boot ended with the Scousers stealing our thunder by sacking Brendan Rodgers. In between, we’ve witnessed the sort of complete performance from the Gunners against Manchester United that we’ve been waiting for, ever since Fergie sought refuge in his pipe and slippers.

Admittedly we’ve turned them over in the Cup at Old Trafford but we’ve waited a long time to inflict quite such a comprehensive defeat, against the comparatively mediocre incarnation of the Mancunian side in recent times. What’s more, it’s that much more hilarious that it should happen after they’ve spunked the best part of £300m in their seemingly vain attempts to redress this situation.

Seeing the Arsenal literally leave an impressive looking midfield on paper — Schweinsteger, Carrick, Mata — for dead in that sensational opening 20-minute spell, there was the distinct sense that we were so pumped up, as if our players truly felt they owed their manager proper recompense after our midweek fiasco against Olympiacos.