Arsenal 3 Nantes 0

Would the real Arsenal Please Stand Up?

If ever a result was better than the performance, then last night’s canter was it. Five days after reaching almost subliminal heights against Middlesborough, Arsenal spent the night scrapping around at the bottom of the barrel apparently looking for motivation, energy and order. Where on Saturday there was YSL, last night we were offered Primark.

Not that everyone was guilty of playing comatose football. Bergkamp, of all players, seemed desperate to make up for previous European debacles and if all the neat touches didn’t quite come off for his own purposes there were some cute, defence opening passes that allowed others to make a hash of things elsewhere.

God knows what the small travelling contingent thought of Highbury but for most of the match the home crowd were as dreamlike as the players. Sitting in the East Stand I could almost hear the Nantes supporters rustle their garlic, or whatever else it is the stereotypical Frenchman has for a pitch-side snack.

Not that it was all depressing, the first and last ten minutes were almost exciting and we witnessed two excellent goals from Winterburn and Bergkamp to compliment the obligatory fragile penalty from Overmars. At least we go to France in two weeks with a healthy lead and there didn’t appear to be anything in the French side to cause us concern apart from their disturbingly coloured shirts and penchant for dodgy haircuts.