A is for

Away days

If the dedication of Arsenal’s away fans was ever called into question (which it wasn’t) then this season smashed all doubt.

It took real dedication to keep turning up to away matches knowing that the end result was likely to be defeat and a miserable journey back home.

But turn up in their thousands every week they did.

B is for

Bricks for hands

Hopefully this is also the last season at Arsenal for David Ospina, who has done remarkably to make it to the top level despite having bricks for hands.

Perhaps a new goalkeeping coach would make a difference, one able to coach out incompetence rather than specialising in embedding it.

But I’d much rather a parting of the ways.

[Yes, I know Ospina made a worldie of a save at the end of the Huddersfield game, but I’m pretty sure, by that point, the footballing gods had taken over the controller to make sure Arsenal didn’t mess up Arsene Wenger’s final game.]

C is for

Cazorla and Cech

Santi Cazorla managed to be one of the brightest lights in a dark season despite not playing a single second of competitive football.

His unexpected appearance on the pitch prior to the first leg of the Europa League semi-final lifted the hearts of Arsenal fans around the world who genuinely feared we would never see the tiny magician play football again.

He still hasn’t taken to the pitch and it’s easy to get carried away, but to even have hope restored that he might possibly play again is a thing of beauty, much like Santi himself on a football pitch.

Petr Cech, meanwhile, continued his slow decline although he did astound us all by finally saving a penalty.

Even though he was capable of making as many errors as David Opsina, somehow just having him play felt more reassuring.

His contract expires next season, he turns 36 soon but wants to play til he’s 40. He might be able to do that and I’d be happy for him to stay at Arsenal, but as no more than number two, perhaps with a look at moving him into the coaching department.