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 It was looking like one of those days again, who was going to score? Van Persie’s injury just before half – time answered that question, there was no choice but to bring on Henry. On 65 minutes Walcott replaced the Beast, who had a quiet game. Henry said he didn’t know where the goal was at the Emirates (he means with his eyes shut), fortunately he remembered after being fouled on the direct route to goal. The position of Taylor’s foul, just outside the box, could have justified a red, but the referee gave a yellow, and a free kick. Cometh the hour cometh the man, Henry knew he had to score and he did - taking one step before bending the ball over the wall and in off the underside of the bar. Watching all that snooker is paying off.

Now it was same old same old, as the Arsenal lay siege to the Newcastle goal, shot after shot, save after save, corner after corner, but it was not going to go in. Arsenal only do two results at the Emirates, 3 – 0 or 1-1. Today it was 1-1’s turn. That’s four one-ones, and three 3-0s. There is nothing mystical about this sequence of results; it is simple, teams who try to play us are slaughtered, those that defend and frustrate get a draw.

Arsenal’s Premiership hopes hang on a thread, not quite written off yet, but much more of this and they will be. Managers about to be sacked, or on a bad run must rub their hands in glee when the Arsenal fixture come up, they know they are about to be let off the hook. Next club on a bad run is Bolton, who can’t win for love or money. I bet Big Sam is rubbing his podgy fingers right now. It also means the team has had a far tougher game than it needed before Tuesday.

Robert Mitchum once described his acting role as big man who walks down the road and is set upon by half a dozen thugs, left unconscious he recovers gets up, walks down the road and is set upon by half a dozen thugs, left unconscious he recovers gets up …………………..

After the match Wenger sounded just like the great Mitchum as he described Arsenal as a team that plays great for 20 minutes, concedes a goal and then spends the rest of the match trying to recover. It’s a pattern that is becoming all too regular. However Mitchum rarely changed his game, however Wenger has made it clear that he intends to solve sloppy goal syndrome and that the defence must learn the error of its ways. No disrespect to Newcastle, they fought hard for their point, but to beat Man U and Liverpool, and then drop two points against teams in the bottom reaches is just not good enough.

Wenger also thanked the French National Football Association for its help and support, and especially their special relationship.