As the commentator said in the first-half, we’re the only side around that would get strengthened through injuries. Senderos and Djourou out combined with no Toure or Song meant that Gallas had to lead the side

I begin writing this just as we’ve gone three-nil down. Oh look, Bendtner has just hit the woodwork. When that happens you know it’s not our day. Then down the other end someone or another has gone clean through but Fabianski saves and scrambles to gather at the second attempt. Maybe we should conserve our energy and sit back, to avoid injuries as much as humiliation?

Oh dear, it’s four. What a ‘mare. This is eerily similar to them battering Chelsea a few years ago, which was their first victory over them in yonks. I feel sorry for my mate DJ who has gone to this, I would’ve been there with him had tickets not sold out the day after the first leg.

Ade has just hammered one in. I guess that old adage rings true: give him the ball, and he will score! It’s no more than a consolation to be fair, but at least the scoreline looks more respectable. As I type there’s 15 minutes left and Diaby has moved into the middle where he looks ten times better. And Gilberto has moved to centre-half which is a good thing because he was pretty bad in the first-half in midfield. Although he may have made a few decent interceptions, I have no confidence in him when he is on the ball. Only 10 minutes left now and amazingly we are still playing football, no thought in the players’ minds of taking it easy, a great testament to them. The Spuds’ fans having the time of their lives belting out all the Wembley chants, and it grates me. Full-time now, and they’ve just got their icing on the cake through Steed Malbranque.

As the commentator said in the first-half, we’re the only side around that would get strengthened through injuries. Senderos and Djourou out combined with no Toure or Song meant that Gallas had to lead the side. Even Denilson got injured early on and Cesc had to replace him. We were caught by a sucker punch within five minutes through Jermaine Jenas, who is becoming to us what Ade is and Pires were to them. He should have been closed down but wasn’t. Obviously we needed to score a goal to have any chance in the tie, but now we were forced to come out and play. Bendtner whizzed a shot over the bar on ten minutes, a few inches lower and it would have tested the keeper. Then on 25 minutes they got the goal that gave them breathing space. A free-kick given away about 40-yards in a dangerous position – not dead centre but far enough infield from the touchline. Jenas floated it in to no man’s land and Bendtner, facing his own goal, finished with aplomb. So that’s two headed goals he’s got in North London derbies this season (shame this was at the wrong end). If he hadn’t got their then Dawson probably would have, so at least he stopped the defender adding to his goal tally (as you can tell I’m desperately seeking the positives!)

Chasing the game as expected, we were forced to play a very high line, just like we did at The Emirates with little success. Gallas was having a bad time of it, three times I remember him being outdone in one-on-one situations against Keane, Berbatov and Lennon. At least he was having a shaky performance today and not next Tuesday in the Premiership WHICH WE ARE ACTUALLY CHALLENGING FOR. The high line was exposed once again as Berbatov (suspiciously offside) went clean through. Convert that and it was game over, but his low driven effort ricocheted off the outside of the post and we lived to fight another day. In fact we had a decent chance straightaway from a set-piece; a free-kick close to the byline was flicked on by Sagna at the near post but tipped over by Cerny. For the rest of the half nothing really came off for us. Bendtner was dropping deep thereby allowing Theo to run in behind but it didn’t really happen, on another day it might. Maybe Newcastle this weekend?

And then the second-half, which I’ve already outlined above, albeit briefly. Again we were caught out with our high line, and again the goal came early in the half. Like I’ve said, Bendtner struck the woodwork straight after, had that gone then it would’ve been a completely different game. They went up the other and sealed the deal through Lennon, and the Gooners began chanting for Ade. He came on and duly came up with the goods, continuing his excellent run against Totteringham. Had we grabbed another one right after that it would have given Spurs the heebie-jeebies, but even with Fabregas prompting and Diaby driving from the middle we could not manufacture many clear-cut chances. In all honesty Spurs parked the bus and looked to catch us on the break, a tactic they had every right to adopt as it had yielded four goals already. We kept probing in vain, and then Spurs raised one more cheer in injury time with a goal at the end. Over the two legs, only the most rose-tinted of Arsenal fans would say they didn’t deserve to go through.

Scant consolation comes in the fact that we didn’t pick up any injuries to our key players (hopefully Denilson is okay) and that no-one got any silly red cards like they did against Chelsea in the final last year. For those of you who couldn’t catch the game and expected a blow-by-blow account of the 90 minutes in this match review, I apologise. I’m slightly at a loss for words, whilst another part of me can’t bring myself to trawl through each minute. For those of you disheartened, don’t be. Shit happens. Every dog has its day. And if it is to happen, at least it does away from home and in the tournament at the bottom of our priorities. We won’t be wearing a yellow ribbon in the merry month of February, but let’s hope the boys bounce back in the FA Cup against the Barcodes on Saturday so we can don that ribbon in May. Thanks for reading, keep the faith, and remember that 27 times 2 equals 54 (if you dunno what I mean, check out the Premiership table).

UPDATE: Just got off the phone to DJ, he told me that after the game Theo, Cesc, Flam and Ade came and applauded our fans. Cesc had his hands clasped in prayer, almost begging for forgiveness. He needn’t apologise. It shows how much the defeat meant to him – his passport may be Spanish, but he is a Gooner through and through. Cesc – you are forgiven, of course – and if you can use the memory of this defeat as the springboard to greater things, then this night will be forgotten too.