So ‘Arsenal haven’t played anyone yet’. Which presumably means there are only six matches a season when they will, at least in the League. Trips to White Hart Lane, Upton Park and Ewood Park have – for Arsenal – never been taken for granted easy matches, and they have claimed seven points from those three trips, which is as good as anyone would have dared hope for at the beginning of August.

Additionally, games like those at home to Bolton – bread and butter fixtures – are where complacency can set in and cheap points dropped. That hasn’t happened this season. Granted, it’s been close. Fulham was pretty much torture and it took an eternity to break down Manchester City. Sunderland were even allowed to claw back a two goal deficit. But the bottom line is that Arsenal invariably look stronger than the opposition as the clock winds down, so they can afford to bide their time and fans won’t usually get impatient.

If there are 32 ‘easy’ fixtures in the Premiership – and that is a nonsense, but let’s go with the argument – there are 96 points to be gained there. Arsenal have dropped two of these so far. So, if some don’t give the team any credit based on the opposition played, I wonder if they would give them any if they ended up taking 94 out of those 96 points and winning the league, even if they lost all of the matches against the other members of the ‘big four’. Of course it isn’t going to happen that way. But it exposes the ridiculous nature of the argument.

And as for Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool, last season augurs well. Honours even in two games with Chelsea, two wins over United and a home win v Liverpool. Anfield was a real nadir, but the team recovered to ensure they stayed in the top four. But for a missed Baptista penalty v Pompey on the final day of the season, the Gunners would have finished third. So there is no need to fear playing ‘somebody’ – and Liverpool and Man Utd are indeed on the near horizon.

Tony Adams was on ‘Goals on Sunday’ and reckoned that Arsenal were the best team that Pompey had played this season. And they have faced all of the top sides. Adams is fairly forthright in his views and I don’t regard his comments as being biased. He tells it as he sees it in his own quirky way. And Arsenal can be judged on their football as well as their position in the table. Certainly, stiffer tests lie ahead very, very soon. The team are in a groove, and although Van Persie is a big loss, fans know they have it in them to raise their game. And even if their unbeaten record goes, as long as they continue winning the matches against the ‘nobodies’, Arsenal have every chance of being in the mix come next May. And then, they might just get some credit from those who think the fixture list has made it easy for them.

PS – Subsequent to my comments on Friday about Peter Hill-Wood not being in a fit state to chair the AGM, the chairman was not in his place in the directors’ box on Saturday. I hope he was either resting or maybe on holiday, and that his health is improving. I do not blame Hill-Wood for his failings last Thursday, rather the rest of the board for allowing him to chair the meet when he obviously wasn’t really up to it.