How master escapologist Arsene Wenger always manages to dig himself out of trouble

If there’s one thing worse in football than predictability, it’s unpredictable predictability.

Or, in other words, Arsenal Football Club. In particular, their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger. A man who seems to have more lives than the contents of a cattery.

That’s why Gunners fans who will actually bother heading for the Emirates on Thursday night shouldn’t abandon all hope before the turnstiles click.

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This is what their football club and their leader specialises in. Digging himself out of a hole when you don’t fancy their chances is something the under-fire Frenchman has perfected.

Whenever the kitchen starts to get really warm, Wenger’s in-built fire extinguisher comes out to play. Just when the temperature is rising, he pulls something out of a the bag. Always. A result, from nowhere or a signing to get the fans off his back.

That’s when everyone goes back to talking about something else.

For a while, of course. Then Arsenal blow up again, it gets really bad and – you guessed it – he summons something else before the levels of anger crank up another notch.

Eat- sleep, rave, repeat; it’s the Arsenal way.

To beat Manchester City on Thursday night would certainly be unpredictable, even with Wenger’s habit of bailing himself out of a hole just when the banners are being unravelled.

It may or may not happen against the champions-in-waiting, but this year the manager hasn’t got his old friend by his side to hold his hand.

The FA Cup has been Wenger’s main shoulder to cry on over the years, his shelter from the storm and the place he visits for a spot of salvation.

Last season as the pressure was seriously intensifying, Alexis Sanchez’s extra-time winner helped beat Manchester City in the semi-final as they reached their third FA Cup final in four seasons. They of course went on to beat Chelsea in the final, but by then we knew he was staying.

He may not have been in a job had the competition, and again Aaron Ramsey, not come to his rescue in 2014.

The Welshman scored an extra-time winning goal to down Hull City in the final – and it ended the club’s nine-year trophy drought.

If Arsenal can get some revenge on Thursday considering the scale of their Carabao Cup embarrassment then this would be very high up on his list of great escapes.

There’s almost certain to be rows and rows of empty seats at the Emirates, and don’t be fooled into thinking the snow is what is keeping people away.

But those in two minds whether to watch it on TV or head for frozen Islington would do well to remember their manager’s record for pulling a rabbit out of the hat when the Gunners boss really needs to alleviate some pressure on himself.