Quinn: My Arsenal penance

Sky Sports expert Niall Quinn admits he was guilty of criticising Arsenal in the early weeks of the season, but is looking for penance after watching them beat Sunderland on Saturday…

Before the man from the FBI points it out for no apparent reason, I am coming out with my hands up.

My emails and other records, which I don’t know how to delete, will reveal the following:

When Arsenal conceded four home goals to a happy-clappy looking Liverpool team on the opening day of the season I tut-tutted loudly in capital letters.

When Arsenal drew away to Leicester on their next outing, I shook my head sadly, rolled my eyes and asked where was the response? The backlash? The bit of pride? My texts reflected disappointment more than anger. Players hate that.

When Arsene Wenger showed no sign of taking my advice and signing Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez before transfer deadline day, yes, I may have said or at least thought that there is no fool like an old fool and there is no old fool like an old French fool who achieved everything years ago.

On Saturday at Sunderland, I began my penance.

It hurt to be in the Stadium of Light watching Arsenal dismantle the local heroes. It’s easier to speak about what I saw in Arsenal’s performance than what I learned about Sunderland.

Since that strange opening game against Liverpool and all the fun of the fiesta as we beat Wenger like a lanky piñata, Arsenal have drawn three games and won eleven.

Against all odds, it has to be said. Jack Wilshere, the smoking hot young messiah, has left the Arsenal physio room to play actual football at Bournemouth. Aaron Ramsey has hardly played at all. Olivier Giroud has been injured without being snowed under with get well cards.

I may yet be impeached for doubting Arsene, but my defence will be that everybody was at it. And with good reason.

So far, this has been an odd year at Arsenal and I wonder if their campaign might have received a boost from the fact that the big top atmosphere of English football has been ramped up with Pep and Jose in Manchester, Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool and Big Sam in purgatory.

There just hasn’t been any time to seriously study what is happening at Arsenal or for pundits to lay down big predictions about just when Arsenal will crack and why.

Watching Arsenal against Sunderland on Saturday, I think it was possible to see a difference between this year’s team and those Fancy Dans who have settled for an acceptable level of failure for so many seasons in the past.

Theo Walcott was missing. This season, he has given …

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