"What I want to really see tonight is whether we have the professionalism and the focus to get a job done in spite of all the spin, the media hype and any other circumstantial issues surrounding the game."
Well, there was precious little doubt that the Arsenal failed big style in this particular area, didn't they?
To me, the issue of our professionalism and ability to focus on the fundamental objective of simply gaining three points and gathering up more momentum was more important going into Wednesday's game than local bragging rights, the hype surrounding Harry Redknapp or the fact that it was a North London derby.
Why? Because, as everyone knows, I have felt for quite a while that particular team were brittle mentally and because of this, we were in for a largely up and down season. And with another Nightmare November looming, this was as good opportunity as any for the team to go some way to proving me wrong.
Of course, when all was said and done, the Arsenal not only failed to do that on Wednesday night, they proved once again categorically that they have not learnt a damn thing from what happened at the back end of last season and in terms of our mentality as a team we are, at present, even worse. Because nowadays, more than ever, we look like a team that are capable of giving games away at any moment on any given day or night.
The comments from Arsene after the game were priceless. It bordered on gibberish. He talked about us passing NEGATIVELY towards the end of the game and having a lack of maturity that wasn't necessarily linked to experience - say what?
Okay, we can look at the current table, see that we lie third only three points behind the PRF and six points off the leaders. But can any Arsenal fan truly put their hand on their hearts right now and say with conviction that we will be in the same situation (or better) by the time we hit December? Even allowing for the fact that I can be a little crazy at times, I know I can't.
The harsh fact is that this team is lacking several ingredients. And for all his regular bullish bluster, Arsene simply doesn't have a team that can back it all up and the only person responsible for this is him.
Read into this what you will but top teams (and you know the sort of teams I'm talking about) would never have coughed up two points in the manner that we did on Wednesday under any circumstances against anyone, anywhere.
And, irrespective of any underlying motives, all I can say is that Arsene, through his actions in the transfer market this summer, has not really given the rest of his existing squad a genuine fighting chance to really compete right at sharp end or at least be seen to competing at the sharp end properly.
As the saying goes you make your bed so you have to lie in it. At this moment in time however, the bed Arsene has made is riddled with more than a few bed bugs, that's for sure.
Now is as good time as any to look forward to our trip to the Britannia Stadium where we will of course face Stoke.
I have to say that I have been pretty impressed overall far by the men from the Potteries so far. Although there is some mileage in the notion that they are the new Bolton, the first rule of engagement, particularly for any club that is newly promoted, is to play their own game and to their own strengths.
Tony Pulis may not be everyone's cup of tea in the football world but is nevertheless a man who has paid his dues and taken his fair share of knocks down the years and I think it's great to see him getting his shot at the big time.
Pulis has certainly got a side which has shown that they can scrap. They did what ManUre couldn't in getting something from their trip to Anfield. But whilst their away form has been indifferent, they have largely been different kettle of fish at home.
The PRF and Everton may have won at the Britannia but they were both given a battle, particularly Everton. But more than that every game they have had at home has also been packed with incidents and talking points and there is no reason to believe it will be any different when we go there on Saturday.
Stoke will be buoyed by the fact that they have won their last two home games in the league and will go into this game knowing that their home form will determine their fate come May.
I believe Stoke are one of those clubs that can really take off in terms of profile if they manage to get an extended stay in the Premier League. They have a large catchment area of fans and they know how to get behind their team.
Without doubt, we have to look at Rory Delap as one of their dangermen but also Ricardo Fuller as well. He is the type of big, bustling centre forward that Arsenal have problems with all too often in recent years.
Whilst this wasn't the first fixture I looked out for in the summer, it was one that I was dreading more than most. And to tell you the truth, my fellow Gooners, I have this feeling that an upset is more than just a possibility.