With my head hanged low, my shoulders down, my steps checked, my mind pondering and my gesture downcasted, I walked home from a viewing centre in the suburbs of downtown Lagos.

I had finished a thanksgiving service and have boycotted the presence of a loved one to watch arsenal but i was disappointed for the umpteenth time by a team i have loved since i knew football other than Nigeria’s footballing exploits.

After numerous permutation, combination, speculation and prediction, the 1st North London Derby of 2013 kicked off at the White Hart Lane. The gunners started brightly but failed to convert as Bale and Lennon stung the reds in the 1st half.

Even with 2 goals down I still had hope, banking on some odd stats that doesnt favour the team that scores first in the North London Derby. In 2012, Arsenal spanked Spurs twice but both had a twing of comebacks. I had predicted a 4-2 win for the wenger boys.

Metersacker seem to have done what he did in the 1st derby of the season (start a comeback) but the spurs backline marshalled by Vertoghen were equal to the task. It hurts to remember that the Belgian was close to signing for us but the deal never materialized.

I enjoyed the game though for its end-to-end neck-break speed but the under-utilisation of the gunner’s chances were emphasized by the clinical strikes by spurs. Even Chelsea would have preferred an arsenal win. Going home a looser wasnt in my books but “eggs on my face”

So we are 7 points from Tottenham Hotspurs at third and 4 points from the coveted 4th spot. We have celebrated St. Totteringham day for over 20 years and the divide has grown to a mere spider-web line. We have 10 matches to go. Can we overtake?

We have ample time to catch up and overtake. We have done it before and can do it again. We may need some backroom cooks at the lane to tweak the spurs diet in our favour or we can fill the news trend and speculate that AVB is the best candidate for the “vacant” England job. Martin Jol and Harry Redknap would testify.

With hope, I look forward to when and who would bail the gunner, and the much awaited Munich miracle.

Au Revior.

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