Some would have you believe that our season is over already, and are already going through the process of deciding who we should buy and sell in the summer. Hang on a second. We’re three points off the pace in the Premiership – we have plenty left to play for. Isn’t the summer madness long and painful enough without starting a month early?

I haven’t done one of these lists for a while, but I decided to because a) they don’t actually take that long and I’m pushed for time tonight, and b) I wanted to remind people why there are plenty of reasons to stay positive. Here we go.

1) We got as far in the Champions League as any English club, further than Chelsea and miles beyond Liverpool.

2) We may have been ultimately outclassed by Barcelona, but we gave them a scare, which is more than most, and we did it by playing football, not by using underhand tactics. They are the likely, and deserving, champions.

3) On Wednesday, we could celebrate St Totteringham’s Day at White Hart Lane. Having won the league there a few years back, it would be another reason to chuckle at the expense of our neighbours.

4) We have had more injuries than last season, yet have improved domestically. What does that say about those that stayed fit? How much have they improved?

5) We have a manager with class. Tony Pulis can continue his personal vendetta by spouting all sorts of nonsense in the press, but his team are filled with players who break legs and fight with each other, so what kind of moral code do you expect? Wenger, rightly, is keeping quiet and letting our football do the talking.

6) No matter how bad things get, put yourself in Liverpool’s shoes. Having spent far more than we have, they are sixth in the Premiership, they lost in the League Cup to our kids, to a Championship side at home in the FA Cup, went out of the Champions League in the group stage, and have warring owners. Oh, and a manager who is probably off in the summer.

7) Van Persie, Djourou and Gibbs may all play before the end of the season.

8) We are signing a player in the summer who keeps scoring crucial goals for Bordeaux, both domestically and in crucial European games. And we aren’t paying a penny for him.

9) Our financial approach is sustainable, and our debt manageable, unlike the rest of the Premiership’s top brass.

10) We have a team spirit this season that hasn’t been matched in some years, largely because certain negative influences (here’s looking at you Adebayor) have gone. The fight is there for all to see.

No-one is pretending that everything is perfect. I know certain things have to change, and my guess is that Wenger does too. But the way some people are talking, you would think that we were tenth in the league, not in with a chance of lifting the title. I guess some people prefer to moan than look at the obvious evidence in front of them that says we’ve improved dramatically in a year.

Stay happy. We’ve got Spurs to teach a lesson to on Wednesday.

Italia 90 was my first World Cup, and I remember the old format – groups of four with one qualifier, groups of five with two, and since there was a lack of genuine minnows (no San Marinos back then), all the games were tough. France, Denmark and, ironically, Portugal failed to qualify despite having far better records against far tougher opposition than the Portuguese have managed this time around.

2. If the European system is bad, then the South American is a joke. Argentina lost six games and still qualified. How can a small nation possibly overachieve for eighteen games and qualify?

3. Argentina might have qualified, but under Maradona they are no threat for the World Cup itself. They look utterly disjointed, lacking in any tactical plan, and reliant on a couple of individuals to fire them through. Look at their team on Wednesday – some of it was excellent (Messi, Mascherano, Higuain), but the rest aren’t likely to scare anyone. Romero, Otamedi, and di Maria are all inexperienced, Veron will be 35 in March, and Guiterrez is hardly lighting up the Championship with Newcastle. And with Maradona in charge, there is always scope for crazy selections – Aguero wasn’t even on the bench.

4. David Beckham looks like an idiot. Seriously, what is with the caveman look?

5. Mind you, he can still play a bit, and will surely go to South Africa. But giving him the man of the match award for a half an hour appearance is a slap in the face for the rest of the players.

6. What has happened to Romania? Once a force in world football, they ended fifth in their group, sandwiched in between Lithuania and the Faroes, having been hammered 5-0 by Serbia at the weekend. Gheorghe Hagi must be despairing.

7. Croatia have fallen a long way since Euro 2008 too, where they were seconds away from the semi final. Ukraine’s inevitable victory over Andorra put them out, and to add insult to injury, neighbours Serbia won France’s group and even Bosnia have made the playoffs.

8. Egypt are doing their best to continue their woeful qualifying record – they haven’t played in the competition since 1990, despite winning the African Nations Cup three times since (twice, ironically, in the year of World Cups they failed to reach – 1998 and 2006). They must now beat Algeria, their undefeated group leaders, by three goals in the final match to qualify. A two goal victory would actually see both sides finish with identical records, and a 3-1 victory would cancel out the scoreline Algeria won their first meeting by, and would result in the drawing of lots.

9. The FIFA World Rankings are a joke. Looking at the top 25 to see who had surprisingly failed to qualify, you’ll find Croatia in ninth, which is a fair reflection of their recent success, the Czechs in 18th after a woeful campaign, Bulgaria in 19th, and then, in 22nd, Israel. Israel??? Fourth behind Switzerland, Greece and Latvia (who are, incidentally, way down in 47th, two places behind Gabon) in the current group, they also came fourth in qualifying for Euro 2008, and haven’t played in a major tournament since their one and only appearance in the World Cup in 1970. Why are they up in 22nd?

10. International fortnights stretch on painfully. Okay, we already knew that one.

At last, it is over, and from tomorrow, the real football returns. I’ll be previewing that later. Until then, enjoy your Friday.

1. Eboue to Inter Milan. Starting with one that the media are blameless for, we have Eboue, having a terrible season but apparently coveted by Inter. Now, all Mourinho probably remembers Eboue for is breaking John Terry’s foot, and that alone isn’t likely to appeal. This seems to be a classic case of an agent making a player believe he is a lot better/more desired than he really is.

2. Yaya Toure from Barcelona. Brother already at the club – check. Plays in a position we’re short in – check. Perfect story! Except for the fact that if Wenger had ever wanted the younger Toure, he would already have him. He’s had plenty of chances to sign Yaya, including a trial a few years ago, and this story is just pure media laziness.

3. Charles N’Zogbia from Newcastle. “It’s my dream to play for Arsenal”. Big whoop, it’s mine too, but unfortunately, I’m a bit rubbish, and so are you, Charles.

4. Tevez from MSI. If United don’t intend to buy Tevez, some are saying he’ll leave in January. First off, why would he leave in January when his loan runs until the summer? And secondly, if United don’t want to pay 32 million for him, there’s no way we will.

5. Cesc and RVP to Barcelona for 45m. Another classic media syndrome – when journalists continue to out do each other until the lie is so fanciful it is reported as a ’story’. Snore.

6. Diaby to Inter. Another apparent exit as part of the ‘crisis exodus’, Arsenal are apparently going to sell a man they are currently showing a lot of faith in. Okay then.

7. David Villa from Valencia. Yes, they’re in financial trouble, and yes, they probably will sell. But not until the summer.

8. Walcott anywhere. There are various rumours flying around that Walcott will walk at the end of the season for free, so will instead be sold early. This is frankly ridiculous.

9. Wenger to Real Madrid. What genius keeps thinking of this one? Wenger loves the stability and backing at Arsenal, and constantly says how managing Real would not be for him. So why the constant rumours?

10. Okay, so there are only nine.

I was sorely tempted to add Arshavin in as number ten, because I find myself having serious doubts as to whether we’re actually that interested. I wouldn’t be surprised if Spurs or Man City came in with 18m-20m and snapped him up, and I’m not even entirely sure Wenger would be that fussed.

But as for the rest, it strikes me that the press can’t even be bothered to make up new stories anymore. I’m slightly surprised we haven’t had more stories about Frey, Given, Buffon and Trezeguet.

February can’t come soon enough.

2. Despite many predicting that Villa will break the Big Four hold, they actually only managed 58 points in 2008, far fewer than the big teams, because they amassed only 20 points in 18 games at the end of last season. Given that their squad is no bigger this time around, and that their European interest is still strong, it would not be a surprise for history to repeat itself and their challenge to fade.

3. Statistics would actually point to Everton being the closest challengers to the big teams this season, after amassing 64 points in 2008. They’ve done it before, back in 2005, but have to come from behind to do it this time, unlike that season.

4. We have kept clean sheets in only fourteen of 38 games, only around a third, which is plainly not good enough. Proportionally however, we managed the same in the first half of 2008 as the second half, which actually suggests that the oft-mooted reason of Flamini leaving in the summer may not be the whole story.

5. We have failed to score four times in 2008, against Wigan last season, and Fulham, Villa and Man City this. Four in 38 is not too bad, but the opposition the shut outs have come against have been a surprise.

6. Fourteen times in 2008 we scored in a Premiership match but didn’t win it. On three of those occasions we managed two goals without winning, while that match against Spurs saw our four goals still not bring the points home.

7. Of the fourteen matches we scored in but did not win, we actually led in nine of them, but could not hold on to the advantage. No other big side lets leads slip as often as us.

8. The often spoken points target of 40 points to avoid relegation is now a myth. Last season six clubs failed to reach the magic number, while 36 was enough to save Fulham. This season should be similar, with Bolton 11th and still only heading for 43 points. 36-37 should be enough once again in the closest relegation battle in years.

9. Perhaps the biggest unheralded success story of 2008 has been Wigan. In the drop zone this time last year, they have managed 52 points in the calendar year and in only 37 games. If they keep that up they’ll be in Europe next term.

10. Arsenal finally managed to win again at Stamford Bridge, and mirrored the 2003/04 success by coming from behind to triumph 2-1. And that season’s team did okay, really…

1. If you play the ball past an opponent and run into them, they will get a yellow card irrespective of whether they moved to block your path, or simply stood their ground, as they are permitted to do.

2. Once added on time has been announced, it can only be increased by serious injuries. Any goals (which should add an additional minute) or substitutions (which should add thirty seconds) after the announcements will not increase the total.

3. Speaking of injury time, there can only be whole minutes of it. ‘There will be a minimum of three minutes’ does not mean there could be 3:15, 3:40 or even 3:59 of added time, it means precisely three minutes.

4. The ‘Sensible Soccer’ rule: The full time whistle can only be blown when the ball is in the middle third of the pitch, preferably after a defensive clearance.

5. If the ball strikes you on the hand anywhere on the pitch, it is always a free kick. But if you are inside your own penalty area, it has to have been deliberate, otherwise the award of a penalty is deemed ‘harsh’.

6. You cannot be booked twice in the same incident. You can use this to your advantage if you have committed a foul you know you’ll be booked for, by riling the other player into reacting. Even if your reactions are equal, they will receive a yellow card for it and you will only get the yellow for the initial foul.

7. For the first 85 minutes of the game, you can take twenty seconds preparing to take a throw in, and if losing or drawing, that continues. But if you are winning by a single goal and in the final five minutes, make sure you take the throw in within five seconds or you’ll be booked for timewasting. This is especially the case if you are the underdog and under the cosh away from home.

8. You may be penalised for raising your foot too high if you take the ball above waist height. But overhead kicks are fine, even if the ball is an inch from the defender’s nose when you strike it.

9. And on the topic of being penalised for a raised foot, if two players go for the same high ball, the one who wins the ball will always be the one who gives away the free kick.

10. To get a free kick for a shirt pull while chasing after the ball, all you have to do is stop running and shrug in frustration towards the referee. This works even if it was you doing the shirt pulling.

Feel free to add your own…

1. Robinho. Consistently linked, you have to imagine that if Wenger really wanted to sign him for a considerable fee, he would have done so already. He has gone on record to say he admires the Brazilian, but the fees that are being suggested are simply out of the question.

2. Roque Santa Cruz .Adebayor scored thirty goals last season, Van Persie can score twenty five if fit. Walcott is beginning to shine, Bendtner is waiting in the wings and Vela will be used as a squad striker. Plus Eduardo is on the mend. Sure, not many of these are established, but you can’t become established until given the chance, much like Ade this season. Wenger will not sign a striker this summer.

3. Mauro Zarate. Nothing like a few good games to suddenly get the media salivating. Zarate, on loan from Qatar club Al Saad (where he’d been dropped), produced the odd moment of magic for Birmingham, but was inconsistent, and didn’t convince McLeish to regularly start him. Now, apparently, Arsenal are interested in paying over 10 million for him. I think not.

4. Yaya Toure. Kolo’s little brother can be as interested as he wants in joining him at Arsenal, but he has had trials here before, and Wenger had plenty of opportunities to sign him. He chose not to, and I see no reason why he would now.

5. David Villa. Another who is interested in coming, but Wenger isn’t interested in signing. He is an excellent striker, but we’re stocked in that department.

6. Sebastien Frey. Another summer, another link to Frey. Watch for the links to Buffon, I’m sure those equally unfounded stories will crop up in time.

7. Alberto Aquilani. Classic agent garbage – “Aquilani is speaking to Arsenal. We will have to see if Roma will be able to match his demands.” Watch him sign a new contract in the coming weeks, earning his agent a nice fat paycheck.

8. Lillian Thuram. Seriously, when was the last time Wenger signed a 36 year old?

9. Thierry Henry. Wenger sold him, he hasn’t looked that great since, is now more injury prone than ever and the wrong side of thirty. Plus Wenger never re-signs players he has previously sold. He’ll always be a legend, but he isn’t coming back.

10. David Dein. No matter what he plants in newspapers, no matter what he says or does now, he isn’t returning, at least while the current board are in charge. Edelman may have gone, but he was far from Dein’s only enemy, and the orange one’s actions over the past year make this utterly impossible.

1. Chelsea are in the final

It is a truly sickening sentence. They scratched around in a group containing the superpowers of Schalke and Rosenborg. They were poor against Valencia, who are 15th in La Liga. They made Olympiakos look half decent before losing to Fenerbahce. They deserved to lose the first leg of the semi final and didn’t deserve to win the second. And yet, despite all that, they’re in the bloody final.

2. Essien’s card waving

Last week it was Deco, this week Essien. After Carvalho had executed a perfect sliding tackle which took ball and then man, Essien ran full pelt over to the referee, brandishing an imaginary card and telling him to book Torres (I believe) for a non existent dive. The ref ignored him. Then Arbeloa came over to tell the ref to book Essien for telling him to book Torres, and received a yellow for his complaints. You’ve got the love the consistency.

3. Barcelona were rubbish

The United-Barca semi final was supposed to be a classic. But United didn’t play very well, and once they’d scored they realised that despite all the supposed attacking talent of their opposition, they were pretty toothless, Messi apart. So they double teamed Messi and killed the game. Nothing wrong with that, it was a good tactic. But Barcelona were simply awful at actually creating chances – they were like a worse version of the frustrating Arsenal play of last season – all the possession and no cutting edge.

4. Didier Drogba

He was in last week’s list, and he’s back for more. Benitez mentioned before the game that Drogba dives, which he does. But a note to Didier – you can’t score, run over to the Liverpool bench, pointedly do a celebratory dive in front of the opposing manager, and then accuse himof a lack of class after the game. Besides, Benitez was right to say what he said, he just got the timing all wrong. Wait until after the game to fire up your opposition’s top striker, you muppet.

5. It’s now all about United and Chelsea

If you arrived into the season at this point, you’d never know that anyone other that Chelsea or United ever had a chance of winning honours. It seems cruel that Arsenal contributed so much to this season and now have to watch as those two slug it out for the league and Champions League. Football is a game of such fine lines.

Silver lining – although it means supporting United for the next three games, we are left with the amusing possibility that Chelsea might win nothing, and come second in three trophies this season. That would actually be hilarious.

We all knew Liverpool-Chelsea wasn’t going to be a classic, but even that snorefest produced more chances and goals than the complete non-event that was Barcelona-United. There was Ronaldo’s early penalty miss, and then there was…er…nothing. Yawn. I thought these were supposed to be two of Europe’s premier attacking teams?

2. None of the teams even looked that impressive

Liverpool never looked like scoring against Chelsea unless they made a horrible mistake (which they did), Chelsea never looked like scoring against Liverpool unless they made a horrible mistake (which they did), Barcelona never looked like scoring against United unless they made a horrible mistake (which they didn’t), and United never looked…..you get the picture.

3. Benitez’s reaction to the ref

“I was very disappointed with the officials. And it’s not the first time, it’s really disappointing.”

Said without a touch of irony, despite Liverpool’s last four Champions League games featuring a ludicrous red card for Materazzi, another harsh red card in the second leg, a penalty on Hleb that should’ve been given, and a penalty for Babel that shouldn’t.

And he’s moaning about the standard of refereeing in their matches? He knows that very standard may be the only reason they’re still in it, right?

4. Didier Drogba

I’d forgotten how utterly infuriating Drogba could be when he has one of his play acting days. Diving, throwing himself around at every opportunity, feigning injury, sulking, the works. Didier, you’re 6 ft 4, built, and you’re actually a good player when you set your mind to it. Grow up.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo

Almost the same, although he at least doesn’t sulk and stay out of the game as a result. He sulks and then gets back on with it. But he still seems to think the world is against him every time he doesn’t get the latest soft free kick he’s after, appealing to the ref as he’s going down (he does have an uncanny ability to tumble while looking straight at the official). He should’ve had a second penalty though.

6. The ITV commentary team’s blatant bias

We all know how one sided they can be when an English club is playing against continental opposition, but their pro-Liverpool commentary on Tuesday night was painful to listen to at times. Every time Drogba went down easily, they adamantly cried ‘he dived’, every time Torres or Gerrard did the same, they reluctantly conceded ‘there perhaps wasn’t that much in that’. The excitement was there to hear when Liverpool scored, the disappointment even more so when Chelsea equalised. Standards, people.

7. Deco and his imaginary card waving

Come on folks, I thought we’d cut this behaviour out long ago, as we don’t seem to see it so much these days. But it is still a mandatory yellow card, so why the ref only denied Deco’s requests rather than booking the little weasel, I’ll never know.

In fact, I don’t see any reason this shouldn’t become a red card offence, as it clear gross unsportsmanship. It isn’t like a dive, where the referee can get it wrong, there is simply no mistaking the act of waving the imaginary card, so no risk in increasing the punishment. Why not make it a sending off offence? Maybe they’d stop doing it.

8. Chelsea’s luck

They played appallingly for 94 minutes, and then with seconds left Riise decided to head a ball a few inches from the ground instead of hoofing it away with his foot, gifting them an away goal they never deserved. The thought of them winning the Champions League makes me want to be sick.

9. Samuel Eto’o

Was there a more disinterested player on the pitch last night? Strange to think so many want him to go to Arsenal, his laziness is surely not helping his popularity over in Barca.

10. Ferguson’s gum chewing

The Spanish coverage like their little montages, showing images of key players in turn, their emotions, and then cutting to the touchline to do the same with the managers. All very dramatic, until you see Ferguson and his masticated Wrigley’s, his red face chomping furiously on what must be at least two whole packets at once. Is there a more disgusting sight in football, now that Sam Allardyce is out of a job?

1. We are better than Liverpool

That might seem like a strange thing to say after not beating them in four matches this season, but it isn’t sour grapes to say that was purely down to extraordinarily bad luck. We dominated the league game at Anfield before Christmas, hitting the post twice, dominated the Champions League first leg, being denied by a referee and a less than balletic teammate, before two much closer matches. The league doesn’t lie – two years ago Liverpool were better than us (briefly), but not any more.

2. Luck has to change

I was going to write a piece on how since the Birmingham game, we’ve had goals wrongly ruled out, goals against us wrongly allowed, dodgy penalty calls at both ends, and a stream of bad luck, but Goodplaya’s beaten me to it, and put it better than I could, so I suggest you have a read.

They say luck evens out in the end, so next season should be a cracker.

3. Theo Walcott’s a bit good

Witness the terrified Liverpool players the moment he came on the pitch. See the directness of his running, as if he’s cottoned on to his greatest asset. See the determination in his fight for a first team place. And he’s only just 19. Anyone think the criticism of him this season was premature?

4. We’re coming higher in the league and we’ve gone further in the Champions League than last year

Last season we came a distant fourth, 21 points off the pace, and got deservedly knocked out in an appalling display against PSV in the last 16. This season, we’re fifteen points closer to United, got a round further in Europe, and at least put up a decent fight against Liverpool.

5. We’ve proved the media wrong

They said Wenger was wrong to sell Henry, as no-one could step in and score 20 goals, let alone the 25 Adebayor has. They said Cesc couldn’t score. They said we’d drop out of the top four. They were wrong, oh so very very wrong.

6. Cesc Fabregas is still only 20

Hard to believe, isn’t it, that our midfield talisman is younger than Nani, Babel, and so many more of the ‘up and coming’ players at other clubs. Even better than that, he’s a true Gooner, who dislikes United, Ferguson, Hughes, Savage and Chelsea. The man has good taste – how long before he’s captain?

7. Wenger has money to spend

That doesn’t mean he’ll spend it, of course, more that he isn’t restricted by it. He’ll bide his time, go for the targets he wants, but he isn’t financially constrained any more. If he thinks 10-15m is a bargain for a player, he can pay it.

8. We have the happiest hierarchy in the top four

Chelsea have trigger happy Abramovich, a manager who the fans can’t stand, and Peter Kenyon playing the role of the weasel. United have the ever-popular Glazers, who are currently surviving financially thanks to their on field success but are relying on that a little too heavily, while Liverpool’s board room battles are the stuff of playground legend. Meanwhile, Wenger has the time and space to work his long term magic by his English, and Arsenal attached, board, who are resisting the foreign invasion with everything they have. The heritage of this club is secure.

9. Robin Van Persie will play some football next season

Oh yes he will. Don’t forget what a talent the man is. Clichy had to bide his time to prove it. Van Persie will too.

10. Tottenham and the top four

August is a month of brave and stupid predictions, and last summer’s common theme was Spurs finishing ahead of us and reaching the top four. If that isn’t something to chuckle at, I don’t know what is.

Keep smiling, Gooners.