Views from another Arsenal fan...
I've got a dose of the Martin Jols on this one: I didn't see it. I saw about 85 mins of the game, but my baby son's appetite made me nip out to the kitchen for a crucial few minutes.
On the replays I only saw the Davids cross & Robbie's finish. First off, fair play to Robbie. He timed his run well and lost his marker brilliantly. Great to see him doing so well.
It was only later that I heard that there was controversy.
As a general observation I think this lark of kicking the ball out everytime a player gets a minor knock is infuriating. It leaves the game wide open for cheats to prosper - Albania at Lansdowne Road immediately springs to mind. What age were we all when we first learnt the adage "play the whistle"?
If I was Wenger I'd be far more upset that Arsenal showed none of the class or hunger that has been present in any of their successes. That's certainly how I felt. I suppose deep down this game was an unwelcome sideshow to the Arsenal players & it showed. But runs of form build their own momentum and Arsenal should have given it everything from the start in my opinion. It was similar at WHL in the first game. Arsenal only started playing when it looked likely they'd lose.
I also think Wenger, no matter how genuine he felt his reasons were, should have maintained a more dignified demeanour. Throwing the toys out of the pram only shows Jol he's rattled. I honestly think that Wenger, Ferguson & Mourinho are a shocking example of sportsmanship to the hundreds of thousands of children who adore them. I'd expect more from Wenger than the other two but he continuously lets me down in this regard.
Wenger said he'd never seen anything like it in English football, obviously forgetting all about the FA Cup match Arsenal won against Sheffield United:)
Overall a fair result and one that suits Spurs far better than Arsenal. Hopefully Arsenal will make 4th place an irrelevance. And regardless of how Arsenal end up in Europe I'm not going to get too bothered about 4th place anyway. Any team who loses 11 games a season barely deserves 10th, let alone 4th, so it'd be a hollow "success".
I'd also add that for all his ability, Jose Antonio Reyes infuriates me. He plays the game in such a dishonest, sly & mean-spirited manner I find him hard to take. Cop on for your own sake lad.