I’m neither an Arsenal or Tottenham fan (in fact, nothing gives me more pleasure than to see London clubs humbled by anyone from the north). But I’ve had a bellyful of the sour grapes pouring out of the Emirates since last week’s Carling Cup annihilation at White Hart Lane – and it was an annihilation, not just a defeat!

OK, Arsenal don’t lose often but when you meet your match, for God’s sake have the decency to admit you lost to a better team! And as for Arsene Wenger’s flops being a ‘’half-strength’’ Gunners team, whose fault was that? Did anyone force him to rest some of his best players?

What actually happened is that Wenger got too big for his boots. A (to him) petty tournament like the Carling Cup is clearly not big enough for the arrogant Emirates lot these days. Any other club – with the possible exception of Fergie and Man United, who seem equally dismissive of everything but the biggest tournaments – would have regarded the sight of Wembley 90 minutes away as the biggest incentive of all. There was absolutely NO sense in fielding anything but the strongest possible line-up, so when you effectively opt out and your unbelievable arrogance rebounds on you, you have absolutely NO excuse. I just wish it had been 10-1 and not 5-1 because that’s what Arsenal’s dismissive aloofness deserved.

‘It was so long since they had tasted defeat against their north London rivals that Wenger thought he just needed to put 11 men in red shirts on the field and Spurs would crumble’


It was so long since they had tasted defeat against their north London rivals that Wenger thought he just needed to put 11 men in red shirts on the field and Spurs would crumble. Instead, it was the Gunners who fell apart against a Tottenham team who treated English football’s second-biggest cup tournament with the respect it deserves … and how the rest of the country loved it!

And what about this myth that Arsenal were at half-strength? Don’t give me the nonsense that Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas didn’t start – they were both involved in the debacle. Indeed, without Adebayor’s goal it would have been 5-0 – or even worse!

The only three Arsenal regulars not involved on the night were Manuel Almunia, Mathieu Flamini and Gael Clichy. And if they are the reason the Gunners lost, it says very little for the quality of the rest of the team.

The fact is Tottenham were four goals better than Arsenal over the 90 minutes and Gunners fans should have the grace to hold up their hands and admit: ‘’You hammered us.’’

The problem is that winning seems to have gone to everyone’s head at the Emirates … and when reality bites, they just can’t take it.