THERE is an almost artistic endeavour being revealed in recent days and, as a writer of a repetitive column about football one-upmanship, I am almost in awe of the strenuous efforts being made among many opposing fans to paint Arsenal’s season as a miserable failure.

What are you talking about, fellas? I had a great time. Arsenal were brilliant fun to watch each week.

“The worst bottle job of all time”, is the cartoon which is being sketched in front of us, by people who may believe if they say it enough times then others may think it to be true.

The same supporters will often concede that Manchester City have now killed the game, eliminating all competitiveness by adding £100million players every summer.

So how could it possibly be that Arsenal lacked bottle against a team touched with such grotesque riches? Any normal fan would see City’s victory – set against a host of financial fair play allegations – as shallow and meaningless, and hail the team which finished behind these moneyed ogres as the people’s champions.

But, no, they must find a way to say it was all about Arsenal’s ineptitude.

Imagine it this way, remove Arsenal from the picture completely and then look at the table.

If we do that, the unpalatable truth is exposed, City are nearly 20 points ahead of the next team – Newcastle United in third. Without Arsenal, there would have been nothing to watch at all.

The Gunners were in fact the only team to show any bottle against the regime.

We have commentators who scream “and that’s why we love football” at a last minute goal in a semi-meaningful game, but how can anybody really love a league where one team has bought such an advantage and turned each season into a procession.

City’s 4-0 win over Real Madrid, the now outgoing European champions, is just as telling. It’s no longer a fair fight.

Over the next two weeks you will hear the same pundits froth over how good City are, as they no doubt win the first of several trebles.

Isn’t it about time any of them in the studio had a bit of honesty? That they are bored of the same team winning every year.

Deep down, you are too.