Arsenal's 4-0 drenching in the Boxing Day encounter with struggling Southampton uncovered the Gunners' soft belly once again.
Arsenal is not a team known for a strong belly. Their last strong outfit went out of fashion with the Invincibles a decade long time ago.
Gifted with the chance of going top of the table following Leicester's own defeat, Arsenal duly spurned the gift!
Perhaps they underestimated the Saints. Perhaps Arsenal were still in the Christmas mood.
Nobody was chasing down the ball.
Nobody was playing with any sense of urgency until it was too late, too late - way beyond any hope of redemption.
Southampton were playing the long balls - that was the only feasible way for them to defeat Arsenal - and the Gunners were unable to deal with those.
(Arsenal themselves hardly tried the long balls - why bother to waste Walcott's pace then?)
Mertesacker waddled like a duck, as his wont. Koscielny, for once, was lost in the pool.
Ozil probably had already wrap-gifted his assists to someone as a Christmas present.
Ramsey, never one of my my favourites, was more a muddle than a midfield maestro.
Giroud was missing.
And even the great Cech was a-floundering at the gate.
In fact, nobody turned up for the game.
Perhaps they were all still a-carolling and a-yohohoing.
Well, jingle bells to Arsenal.
If you want to be the numero uno at the end of the day, you have to wake up from the X'mas reverie!
Christmas gifts don't come everyday.
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