Published: 24 October, 2013

ARSENAL
QUITE simply, the greatest goal.

The pride among the Arsenal fans for Jack Wilshere’s historic goal against Norwich on Saturday is completely understandable, completely valid.

The thing was a piece of art. 

The ugly jealousy from their most irrational rivals – it was lucky, apparently – is sort of understandable too.

It was the kind of goal that every team wants for their own club, but only one team can say they have actually pulled off. Arsenal. Magical.

In these apparent dog days of the Wenger years, the team has pulled off something that even his invincibles would slobber over.

Never has English football – seriously never – seen such a moment of perfection, such an exquisite example of tika-taka total football.

All teams have long-shot goals and belting shot goals in the back catalogue, a delicate chip and something acrobatic.

But search long and hard through Chelsea’s greatest goals and Frank Lampard’s toe-punt deflections, through Tottenham’s, even through Thierry Henry’s complete set for Arsenal, and you will not find a goal as supreme as Jack Wilshere’s on Saturday. That was history, right there.

And the proof of a wider importance is when people with only a passing interest football say: “Oh, that is a bit good, isn’t it? That is very good.” That test is passed: Cazorla, Giroud and Wilshere (this one-man team didn’t even need Özil for it) produced a goal that even a football-hating football hater could love.

If Barcelona had scored it, we would not have heard the end of it. This was Arselona in full mode….but before we go too overboard: Tottenham have Andros Townsend, wooowee, Tottenham have Andros Townsend.
RICHARD OSLEY

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
WE all have our favourite sayings. In politics David Cameron likes to waffle on about “hard working families”. In the OAP Spurs supporters’ club Gran likes to screech: “Mine’s a Babycham”.

And in football Arsene Wenger likes to moan: “We were naive”. A lot. Over the years he’s bemoaned Arsenal’s naivety, slammed it, labelled it, criticised it.
Don’t believe me? Then check the interweb. Gran did and here’s the list she compiled while waiting for her perm to set.

Losing to Liverpool in 2008. Naive (fact). Drawing with AZ Alkmaar in 2009. Naive. Losing to Man United and Chelsea in 2010. Naive. Losing to Ipswich (ouch) and Man City in 2011. Naive. And losing at home to Borussia Dortmund in 2013?

Yep, naive.

Now don’t get me wrong, we can all be naive.

Gran once thought she’d pulled a Spanish waiter only to find he’d run off with her moped while she was powdering her nose.

And I once tipped Helder Postiga for success at Spurs until I realised he couldn’t hit a cow’s bum with a banjo.

So we can all be a bit wet behind the ears.

But when a team of experienced internationals lose, can you really blame naivety?

Gosh, and there was me thinking toptastic Arsenal had lost on Tuesday because they’d started to think they were better than they really are after having beaten er… Fulham, Sunderland and Norwich.

Good job us Spurs fans don’t worry about such things.

That’s because AVB tells it like it is. Defeat to West Ham was a “wake up call”. On Sunday, Tottenham woke up to beat Aston Villa away for the second time this term. It takes maturity to bounce back. Now it’s time for my favourite saying: “COYS”.
CATHERINE ETOE