When the crucial first goal went in early in the second half, Mikel Arteta simply turned and retreated to his dugout. A season’s work was disappearing down the drain and there was nobody left to blame but himself and his team.
Last Thursday it had apparently all been the referee’s fault as Arsenal flunked it at Tottenham. Not this time. No, this time it was all on those in yellow.
With a season on the line here and with a place in the Champions League up for grabs, Arsenal were simply insipid. If Tottenham do as we would expect and avoid defeat at Norwich on Sunday, it is they who will finish fourth and Arsenal will look back on this night and wonder just how they could possibly play so badly.