Hold your nerve and back against capital gains

WE may have doubted the Gunners, but Arsene Wenger has had the last laugh.

“We had the nerve and the mental strength that has been questioned recently,” stormed Wenger after Saturday’s effortless and classy demolition of Wigan in the FA Cup.

Certainly the four players who went forward to take penalties had plenty of nerve, though even they probably couldn’t believe that Uwe Rosler decided to double bluff even his own team by putting up a quartet of penalty takers who looked like they’d never kicked a football before in their lives.

I reckon the kitman and the mascot would have got the nod before Jordi Gomez (the team’s actual penalty taker).

But there you have it – mental strength by the bucketload at the Emirates.

We had absolutely no right to question the mental strength of a side hit for six by Chelsea and played off the park by Everton because, as you can see, it was all part of a cunning plan that would eventually lead to them beating Wigan on penalties after the most desperate of 1-1 draws.

That’s why they call him Le Professeur.

Up until a few weeks ago they used to call Sam Allardyce a name beginning with P at Upton Park, but he’s another man who knew that abject capitulations against teams like Nottingham Forest and Manchester City would indeed be a gateway to Premier League survival and, doubtless, a crack at the Champions League next season.

Why do we ever doubt these people?

Sam predicts that Arsenal will be tired after their efforts on Saturday – you see, the Hammers chief is worth every penny with that level of knowledge – and who am I to disagree?

In the both teams to score market I am on no when West Ham travel to Arsenal on Tuesday, especially if Yaya Sanogo keeps his place.