ARSENAL is a bleak place to go at the moment. The Christmas trees are up at the stadium and their vast hospitality halls might be decked with boughs of holly but nobody is feeling very cheerful.

A dismal patch of form has taken the Gunners nine matches without a victory in all competitions, their worst run since 1977. The top four is now almost out of the question as they sit 10 points off the pace, but with just four points between them and the relegation spots, it throws into stark reality the importance of a result in tomorrow night’s trip to West Ham.

Most damming is the fact that this evening’s clash brings to a close their easiest run of games all season, having managed only seven points in their last eight games since meeting another “top-six” side.