This part of the year, the gap between the domestic season and a World Cup when club allegiances are forgotten as best they can be, of course allows us to reflect upon where Arsenal are, and what we have learned about the club and the players over the last nine months. But it is surely also an appropriate time to do likewise for our Premier League opponents - what do we now know about them that will stand us in good stead before the next campaign gets underway?

Well, plenty, if we heed the words of one man. For a start, Man United play anti-football - this is despite them coming so close to a fourth consecutive title and finishing the season as the second-highest scorers in the division. The new, rejuvenated, exuberant Aston Villa, featuring the skilful likes of James Milner, Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, are a long ball team - we know what to expect when Arsenal go to Villa Park and we aren’t disappointed. And Chelsea are just lucky. A seemingly convincing 3-0 win for them at the Grove back in November in actual fact portrayed a “very unfair reflection of the game”. And what, again, does 29-goal Golden Boot winner Didier Drogba actually do?

Arsene Wenger is if nothing else a man of principle, and he doesn’t court friendship. Mark Hughes knows this more than most. He was on the receiving end of a handshake snub after the Carling Cup meeting with Man City. Hughes took exception to Wenger’s blunt statement that “I have nothing to say. I am free to shake hands with whom I want” and Martin O’Neill was justifiably put out by our manager’s negative assessment of his side. Indeed, Wenger attracts a considerable number of run-ins which, it could be argued, can be distracting and understatedly damaging to our campaigns.

With the exception of the loss to Sunderland, the 2-2 draw with Everton, the FA Cup defeat at Stoke and the end of season non-event against Man City, Wenger this season had something to say about the opposition every time Arsenal failed to win - most commonly citing the state of their pitches, their physicality or their style of play. The first is an easy throw-away line. But the latter two not only fuel what is now a misconception that Arsenal are a soft touch, but also alienate the club more and more from the nineteen other clubs we share regular competition with. We as fans complain about anti-Arsenal sentiments and are labelled paranoid. Maybe we are correct but these sentiments are occasionally justified.

What can be said for certain is that it is a lot easier to be successful in an environment surrounded by friends rather than enemies. Jose Mourinho bucks the trend and thrives in animosity, but he has the charisma to carry it off. Alex Ferguson can count Steve Bruce, Alex McLeish and Sam Allardyce as allies (and previously Hughes, Roy Keane and Steve McClaren). He has the respect of the entire division. Who does Arsene Wenger have? Roberto Martinez, maybe? At the start of the season Carlo Ancelotti’s monotone, slow talking interviews made him sound dull, but his stock quickly rose throughout the season and he has established a good rapport with the media. In Arsene Wenger’s last meaningful interaction, he told them to “f*** off”.

Allardyce, Tony Pulis and potentially now O’Neill, set their teams out to play every meeting as a cup final, relish in riling our manager and getting one over him, leading to inevitable bad blood. Arsenal’s philosophies set the club apart and we are targeted for our reputation as a good footballing team - that’s cause enough for opposing managers, players and fans to give everything and more, without the Wenger’s unhesitating criticism of them when we don’t win.

Wenger has stated in the past that his post-match interviews are often geared to protecting his players, which is admirable to a point. On the odd, refreshing occasion this past season, he was publicly critical of the team when they did under-perform. Next season, without sacrificing his morals, he might just do well to repair some unnecessarily broken relationships and see what that a bit more good feeling between parties can do for Arsenal.