Arsenal fans have explained how they cope with defeats like the one to Watford on Saturday, given the nature of yet another embarrassing loss.

A Reddit thread asked fans how they deal with days like Saturday, with a number of supporters revealing their methods. The top response was: “I tell people I’m an Arsenal women’s supporter”.

This isn’t a bad tactic. Arsenal Women have just won their most recent cup match 7-0, and earlier in the year they beat Spurs by 10 goals. Fans of the men’s team would give anything to watch either of those things happen for the men.

No Özil/Alexis contract issues, no falling apart to Stoke and Watford, and a footballing world where Manchester United don’t even exist. Sign me up.

Other ideas include: “Vigorously deny that you ever even liked football anyway”.

More than one fan admitted that they use alcohol to numb the pain.

Alternatively, you can pretend you still live in 2003/04, as another supporter suggested. Travel back 14 years and we’ve just come off the back of a win over Liverpool at Anfield, and managed a draw at Old Trafford and a win away to Manchester City already this season.

Coming up next is a win over Chelsea at home.

One user recommended avoiding social media and websites like Reddit, explaining: “I know football is an emotional sport, but what goes on here whenever we lose is beyond good and evil. This sub turns on the team within seconds whenever something goes wrong. Of course not all criticism is warranted, but the toxicity is just too much. If you just leave the sub and come back the next day, you’ll see that the world goes on.”

But that’s far too sensible.

Methods that involve arguing with everyone and anyone, on every form of social media, are clearly the way to go.