Thank you Heurelho. Thank you for your cack-handedness and thank you for your shot-stopperness. Without you, who knows what the score would have been, and whether Arsenal would have been handed as close to a perfect run-up to the biggest game of the season as they could have hoped for.

A 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane means that Arsenal go to Old Trafford with very little indeed to lose. Yes, a defeat might hand United further initiative but they are already in the box seat and, barring a real shellacking, the worst place Arsenal will be come Tuesday is second.

Chelsea’s continued misfortune – makes a change from the outrageous fortune they have enjoyed down the years – and Spurs’ failure to take advantage means that only City would really capitalise if Arsenal slip up in their second hardest game of the season.

A defeat seems the most likely outcome, truth be told. But it is less likely and less damaging now that Chelsea have failed to leapfrog the club into first place.

And victory could be huge; a true momentum swinger that could tee the club up into the Amen corner of the season, the months of Champions’ League hiatus.

It is difficult to predict what City will do this season but the fact is this should have been the weekend we were counting them into the title race rather than wondering whether the wheels are about to dramatically fall off.

Tevez will most likely stay for the remainder of the season at least, and will mostly likely continue to carry the team himself if he needs to, but what does it say about a club that their captain behaves like such a prat mid-season.

If they muster a title charge, or even win the bloody thing, then we should all raise our glasses to Roberto Mancini, no matter what money has been spent.

But that’s one for the future, and until then, I’m raising mine to Heurelho.