There are some amazing things happening at the bottom of the Premier League, of which the most recent is that Owen Coyle, who managed Burnley into the PL from the Championship and now has them sitting at 14th (though only two points clear of the relegation zone), has been talking to Bolton Wanderers who sacked their manager last week. I can only imagine it's some kind of negotiation strategy in which Coyle tries to get more resources from the club, because Bolton are 18th and firmly in the relegation zone. Does he have a plan to work miracles on the BW and get himself a job with Liverpool next year? Benitez is clearly on the ropes and the speed at which managers change is accelerating lately. Who knows, Fergie might have to retire before long (and what a bloody whinger he is too!).

The rule seems to be that if you come up from the Championship, you can stay up for two years and then you go back down again. Or you can just go down again.

The FA cup draw is unfair. Arsenal now have to go to Stoke for the next round. The only one of the top teams that has to play another PL club, twice in a row. I have no faith in my team (even with Fabregas and Arshavin back in action).

I'm so pleased that Man U got knocked out by Leeds United. The Leeds manager is now genius of the month, probably until they lose to Spurs.

First I had to wait till 3 am for the match to start. Second I had to survive the first (sleepless) half of Liverpool dominance. Then, having given up, I fell asleep and woke up to find Arsenal in front and the match almost over. After that I stayed awake. I still had to get through 20 minutes and I had to keep checking that it wasn't a dream.

Meanwhile, the night before, arch enemies Chelsea (at home) could only draw against Everton and ManU (also at home) went down to Villa. Which just goes to show that anything is possible, even if you have spent 100 million on a bunch of athletic dickheads.

So we are third and we could be ahead of United by the end of the week if everything holds together. Big IF. We have to play Burnley away and Hull at home. Could easily lose both, but especially the first one! The return of Diaby from injury is hopeful.

I see that on Wednesday, while Arsenal are in Burnley, Spurs are hosting Man City. I used to like City - mainly because it was the underdog in Manchester. But now they've joined the group that expects to win matches by hiring millionaires. I feel a bit sorry for Adebayor - price 15 million pounds or was it 25?, who started the season with 5 goals in 5 matches, but was overcome by emotion in the 5th match and has never been the same since (he now has 6 goals in 14 matches). Last year he was a beautiful hero (at Highbury), but now he belongs to the Silvio Berlusconi League of Really Pathetic Men. Redknapp, on the other hand, is the epitome of the Ugly Englishman (who, unlike the Ugly American, always stayed at home - possibly as a result of being legless). Maths tell me to support City. Heart tells me Spurs. In addition, it would be really nice if Wolves/Sunderland could beat or draw with United/Villa. </dreams>

Instead of going out walking on the weekend, I did a lot of work on a paper that I have to present on 6 January. Also it was pretty hot outdoors. Today, of course, it was cool again.

81% of the state is already drought-declared and a new El Nino is forming. My mother called yesterday to have a rant about her geriatric friends who told her the scientists are wrong and Senator Minchin knows what he's talking about. They have grandchildren too.

1) New Zealand sauvignon blancs are a lot fruitier than Australian ones.

2) Walking home from the bottle shop I was overtaken by a bunch of youthful 'Mexicans' off to a party for the end of Movember at Luna Park. Struck me that Movember, as a thing to do in November, is worthier than Nanowrimo.

3) In the late morning there was a drizzle of rain that set off those wonderful earth odours. Later on, when I walked over to the shopping centre, I was hit, in the middle of the median strip, by a strong smell of lemon-scented gums.

4) I stocked up (not that I needed to) on whodunnits and Australian fiction at the 3 for 2 stand in Borders. You can get Miles Franklin winners at the 3 for 2 stand :(

5) Finally replaced my Swiss Army knife - lost somewhere on the way back from Adelaide in May. This one is the first I've had that is made not by Victorinox, but by Wenger. It has some features that seem better than the Victorinox one - notably a more sturdy spring in the scissors - although in all other respects it is the same. I have had a Swiss Army knife, and carried it everywhere, pretty much continuously for the last 25 years - this is my third - and I've long considered it the most useful purchase I've ever made.

6) Speaking of Wenger, he really has to rethink how he puts a team together. Last night was unbearable. Arsenal had well over half the possession and the BBC commentator was raving about their play in the second half, but they couldn't score (except for the other side in the case of Vermaelen) and F...g Chelsea got 3. He very publicly told them that now was the moment they had to step up, and they didn't. They already know how to play football, now they need to learn how to kill. On Wednesday night they have to play Man City in the League Cup. The form of the latter has not been great recently (not since the Adebayor misbehaviour at Eastlands), but this match is also at Eastlands and Adebayor will be there.

7) The good news from the middle of the night was Barca's victory over the Royal Madrilenos.

8) Joe Hockey is being put forward and possibly is putting himself forward as a leader who can unify the Liberal Party. That's what they said about Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull before they were elected. You can't unify a party that has an excitable minority hell-bent on self-destruction. They are filibustering in the Senate at this moment. Hockey is my local member. He is a rugger bugger with an interest in politics. The idea of Joe Hockey as prime minister is only slightly less hilarious than the idea of Tony Abbott as PM. Nelson, bad as he was, and Turnbull, arrogant as he is, at least have grey matter inside their skulls.

Standard Liege 2-3 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiakos
AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Arsenal (AZ goal in 93rd minute. Aargh!)

Saturday, 24 April 2010. I wonder if Hughes will dare to put Adebayor on the field. I don't imagine he'll be safe there, the little prick.

(Used to be my favourite footballer!)

I rather fancy Flackwell Heath and Billingham Synthonia in the FA Cup preliminary rounds. And I hope Chertsey Town beats the Met Police.

On Saturday there are 156 matches and it's a bit hard to choose, but I'm kind of intrigued by Bamber Bridge v Runcorn Linnets and Chester Le Street v Norton & Stockton Ancient. I like Kirby Muxloe to beat Barton Town; and Nostell Miners Welfare to beat Chorley and the Stone Dominoes to defeat Market Drayton Town. Also I wouldn't think it was fair for Moneyfields to beat Hungerford Town and I don't much fancy the chances of Corinthian Casuals against VCD Athletic.

All of this is a distraction from my extreme nervousness about Saturday's match at Old Trafford.

Arsenal 6 - Everton 1 on Saturday night.

Everton were in the Cup final and 5th in the Premier League last season. Man City only scored 2 goals against lowly Blackburn and only their goalkeeper saved them from the Rovers' attacks.

OK, so my short football season has come to an end. I think Arsenal will stay right where they are in 4th. They're 4th in everything - the Premier League, the FA Cup and now the European Champions League.

I hope Barca win the last of those three. That's all - probably until about February next year.

My boss, who was born and raised in London, informed me tonight that he has been a Chelsea supporter since he was 4.

I hate Chelsea. Always have. Always will.

I feel sorry for Fabianski, who celebrated his 24th by letting in two cheap goals. Not a birthday he'll want to remember.

Arsenal scraped through into the quarter finals by winning a penalty shootout.