Happy post Interlull day to you. At least I think it is because most of the European fixtures – playoffs and friendlies – were played yesterday and so I suspect players will be returning back to their clubs from today to get back in to training for tomorrow. 

As you all know by now I don’t really hold much stock in international football, but if there’s a chance that anything can positively impact arsenal then of course I’ll give it my blessing, so waking up to the news that we had some scorers and assisters last night was pleasing to hear.

A brace for Alex Iwobi, an assist for Özil and another couple of goals by Lacazette, means that we have a front line of attacking players who will all go back to London Conley with a bit more of a spring in their step. Let’s hope that remains the case come Saturday lunchtime. 

I guess you could counter that by saying that Eriksen managed a hat trick, so will be on cloud nine for the Spuds, but that is just an unfortunate situation that we have to deal with.

I can already feel the nerves swelling up inside me for Saturday. We’ve got two more days of this before matchday as well. It’s uncomfortable. It’s a numbing thought and given we haven’t beaten them in five games in the league, it’s an even more sobering prospect when we all know that Mike Dean is going to ref the game.

I mean seriously, shouldn’t they have retired him by now, given the shockers he had last season and his propensity for Arsenal players to get red cards and penalties to be delivered to the Totts?

I thought we were past the Mike Dean era but clearly not. With him in the Tottenham ranks it’ll make the game doubly hard for us. Still, at least we’ve had some pics released of the players in training and it looks like we’ve got a Kolasinac, Monreal, Welbeck, Bellerin, Alexis, Per and Jack who have all had a full week of training and will be ready for the North London Derby. The more players we have who have had a bit of rest the better and particularly in the case of Alexis, who we’re used to seeing disappear off to South America each time, it’s good to see him in those training pictures. 

If we’re going to have any chance of beating the scum then he will need to be part of a front line attack that will need to be on it.

It’s games like this that I always think back to matches I’ve seen over the years. More than any other game. It has more of a historic feel to it. I remember being on the North Bank when we won 2-0 and Bobby Pires scored. I was with my Spurs supporting cousin who had been given tickets because of the refereeing he did for kids football on a Sunday. I remember both the 5-2s. I remember them going one up through Andy Sinton and Bergkamp equalising before we went on to win 3-1. I remember the Adebayor strike at their ground as part of a victory. But I also remember the 4-4. The Gareth Bale inspired 3-2. I remember last season’s Harry Kane show and I feel each goal conceded like a crushing blow to the chest like a school bully. 

These games have so many positive memories but also so many horrendous ones, but both positive and negative burn so much more brightly than any other game.

Consequently they also mean more worry than any other game. At times I just want it to be over so we can get on with the next match if I’m honest with you. 

But we are where we are and we have to deal with the build up, game, as well as the aftermath. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that it’s a positive one.

Righto folks, it’s time to be off, to spend the day pondering and worrying about what’s going to happen on Saturday.

Laters.