After my column last week belittling Arsenal and their title prospects, Arsene Wenger reportedly stormed into training the next day and pinned the article on the wall of the dressing room.

“Listen up,” he screamed, as tears flooded the wrinkly crevices of his ancient face.

“I know it is tradition to have a disgusting start to the season, but this Palace fan doesn’t seem to like us. Prove him wrong.”

So Mesut Ozil found his way out of Reece Oxford’s pocket, Alexis Sanchez rolled his shorts up another inch and, annoyingly, Arsenal played Palace off the park.

Some of their passing and link-up play was phenomenal, and if they play like that for the rest of the campaign I genuinely believe that they have a good chance of avoiding relegation.

They should have been out of sight by half-time, but passionate and determined defending meant ultimately it took an own goal to separate the sides.

It could have been a much different game, but clearly Jason Puncheon and Lee Chung-yong seemed to have left their shooting boots in the same place as Lee Mason’s cards.

Despite the what-ifs, it was a spirited performance and one that we need to replicate against Aston Villa this weekend.

I’ll admit, in my youth I had a bit of a soft spot for Villa.

Palace were struggling in Championship mid-table obscurity and I was weak.

I saw them as a way out – my Premier League haven, my claret and blue ‘bit on the side’.

They teased me with their exciting, young British team and I know I should never have cheated, but I was naïve and impressionable.

My dad took me to see them the day they relegated Newcastle and while I enjoyed myself, I couldn’t help feeling dirty.

The guilt throughout the summer was overwhelming, so I came clean and returned to Palace.

Life was difficult at first when they punished me with administration and George Burley.

It was certainly touch and go for a while but we pulled through and now we’re the happiest we’ve been in ages.

I haven’t even thought about Aston Villa for more than six years.

It’s certainly hard to feel anything but aversion towards them while Tim Sherwood is in charge.

Having finally seen Yohan Cabaye grace the Selhurst Park turf, I have come to the conclusion that I LOVE HIM.

His first touch and vision are just incredible, while his consistent delivery from set pieces will make us a real threat from dead balls throughout the season.

Everything he does appears so effortless yet exquisite.

He seems like the coolest man in the world, our very own Andrea Pirlo.

If I walked in on Cabaye in bed with my girlfriend, I’d apologise to him and make him a cup of tea.

It’s early days, but if any of our other new signings have even half the impact that Cabaye seems to be having, we’re in for a really promising season.

Follow @NewsShopperSprt for live updates from Palace v Villa on Saturday.