After being on and off the treatment table for the past few years, Abou Diaby had finally got a full pre season under his belt, “for the first time in ages”.

With injuries to other 1st team midfielders and the season fast approaching, Diaby looked set to return to the midfield 3 for the first time in over a year.

With the opening 2 games ending in goalless draws, fans questioned the lack of creativity in the side. These thoughts were echoed by Wenger as he also felt the side weren’t creating enough chances.

Diaby had looked understandably rusty in both games and some started to lose their patience with the France international.

This time last year, Arsenal fans everywhere were wallowing in the cold, salty waters of pessimism, despair, and extreme anger, following an appalling start to the season and a transfer window that saw key players depart, with the gaps seemingly only plugged briefly with a collection of panic buys.

This time last year, the general consensus was that Arsenal would suffer a mid-table finish, with some particularly emphatic prophets of doom forecasting a relegation battle.

One third-place finish and a reasonably successful transfer window/treatment room clearout later, combined with a solid, promising start to the season, Gooners are bathing in the warm Jacuzzi of optimism, with the slight chlorine-y taste of caution, as we all know what happens when we get ahead of ourselves.

In a strange twist of events today, Arsenal Wenger has said he thinks perennial target-misser Nicklas Bendtner has a future at Arsenal, once his loan at Juventus finishes.

This seems rather at odds with his previous statements that Bendtner “will be off elsewhere soon” with a rather dismissive tone.

Indeed, Bendtner has been top of the “deadwood” list for some time, and Arsenal have spent the last two summers trying to offload him, only for his own personal demands to knock back any potential moves.

Because us Gooners have been far too happy of late, what with the whole winning-games-and-looking-quite-solid thing, whatever cruel fates that govern us have brought us an interview with Bacary Sagna.

In it he states that he has “become used” to players moving on, and feels jealous of Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, who left Arsenal for Manchester City and won the Premier League. When asked about Arsenal’s departures he admitted that he was somewhat frustrated in the way that players were sold without explanation, though this could be a personal thing, as he was out injured while the Alex Song saga unfolded.

The thing that worried Gooners the most was when asked about whether he would consider leaving Arsenal,he said “I want to get back playing first, then we will see”. He also said nobody had approached him for a contract extension.

There’s been a lot of mumble about Cesc Fabregas recently. He uncharacteristically spoke out regarding his unhappiness as a bit-part player at Barcelona, leading to a lot of talk about whether he might make a return to Arsenal ( he has said the only club he’d leave Barca for is Arsenal).

There have been those who are desperate for his return, still harbouring love for him, those who despise the man and don’t want him anywhere near Arsenal, and those who are somewhere in-between the two.