By Randy Osae

Robin van Persie staying fit

Van Persie had always been upbeat about his injury problems prior to every season but when questioned about his health’s hopes in pre-season 2008/09, the Dutchman was somehow pessimistic for once, stressing; “nothing had changed about his fitness”.

An act of sarcasm (if he knew anything better than us) or an act to avoid jinx, you may insist, but we all can testify what this man staying on his feet has done for us.

November/ Decmeber/ January was his deadline, but RVP was still racking up the minutes and at some point before Arshavin arrived and Fabregas and co returned from lay-offs, everything sprung through the flying Dutchman.

The Rome Job

It was something you had never seen these ‘kids’ go through before. That’s penalties. Never mind under the intimidation of Rome.

This team have always liked to do it the hard way, but that was just the tough way. Play out a tedious 130 minutes, let Roma take the momentum in a Champions League tie and still decide matters in your favor. Ironic.

What was really ironic? Denilson, yes Denilson, Diaby, yes Diaby, Walcott, Nasri, Sagna and Toure all emerging with kicks right on the money.

It took some character we had never seen before.

Villa run out of luck

Oh Villa. Remember when opponents guided the ball home for them, referees insured them winning penalties and they scored goals with their hands?

Aston Villa were running these one-goal margin victories luck by luck, much so to my irritation that I once questioned whether Santa Clause would ever let them alone.

The Villans would get their time indeed and I would get my answer from Santa Clause after all.

They would drop points for once at home to Wigan, but Arsenal were not making them pay. They would lose for once at home to Chelsea, but Arsenal were still not making them pay.

But from that day they gifted a 2-0 win to share the spoils with a spirited Stoke and spurn the chance for an unassailable 8-point lead over Arsenal, the Gunners finally hit payback gear.

Villa’s pitiful March form returned a more ordinary look for Martin O’Neill’s men as they relinquished their fourth place lead on the day Andrey Arshavin registered his first Arsenal goal against Blackburn. After that match, Martin was left smarting while Eboue was boogeying.

The corner had been turned and it would remain that way.

Arsene spends in January

What a decision it has proven to be.

Wenger, for the past two years has kept one pocket firmly shut and the other well accessible for business.

Once some much-eyed summer transfers failed to fall through, we left all projects for January. You would still count on a familiar wholesale from the boss this winter but from whatever persuasion Ivan Gazidis piled on the stingy Frenchman, it worked.

Arsene decided to recruit in January…surprise, surprise. And to wet more pants, he splashed the cash like never before.

It was all worth every penny though, a Messiah would be captured in Andrey Arshavin.

Being FA Cup and UCL semi-finalists

Since Arsene’s latest class of youngsters took over in 2006, all we have witnessed are exploits in the Carling Cup and occasional seriousness in 2007/08’s title race.

That’s why reaching the semi-finals of this season’s other cup competitions was a move of scaling new heights for the kids.

We kept rolling our dice stage by stage, but I for one, was still baffled by how close we actually got to scooping those un-facied trophies.

Big thanks to scum duo Chelsea and Manchester United for ending the fairytale there.