Wenger appears to have abandoned the 4-3-3 formation which, inspired by the success Barcelona enjoyed with a similar system, he adopted last season. Against AC Milan his side lined up in a more conventional 4-4-2 formation with new signing Marouane Chamakh leading the line alongside Andrei Arshavin. The Russian playmaker was the slightly more withdrawn of the two forwards, sitting a little deeper than Chamakh and looking to provide the link between defence and attack.

Arshavin was in too advanced a role to be considered a midfielder meaning that Arsenal effectively played with only two central midfielders for the first time in over a year. Emmanual Frimpong anchored the midfield with Tomas Rosicky just in front of him while Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere occupied the wide roles.

Such is the speed with which Arsenal break that only Frimpong’s role at the base of the midfield is really set in stone. The other three midfielders are allowed to get forward at every available opportunity with Frimpong sitting further back in a role which is likely to be occupied by Alex Song once the season starts.

Injuries forced Wenger to use Arshavin as an auxiliary striker all too often last season. With the wingers playing in a slightly more withdrawn role this time round he might feel that Arshavin could be more gainfully employed as one of the two attackers.

Rosicky, Wilshere and Nasri can all play anywhere across the midfield but today Rosicky was preferred in the central position which will eventually be occupied by Cesc Fabregas. Historically Wenger has often introduced central players to the team in wide roles as part of the induction process. Wilshere started out wide but moved inside at the start of the second half and Wenger may well see the Englishman as the long term successor to Barcelona bound midfielder Cesc Fabregas in the central role.

Wenger did not spring too many defensive surprises. Another arrival at centre back might well be in the pipeline but Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny will definitely start the season as the first choice pairing. Emmanuel Eboue has often been found playing on the wing or even occasionally in central midfield in recent seasons but was back where most feel that he belongs at right back. The highly regarded Kieran Gibbs started the game at left back while the slightly less popular Lucas Fabianski was in goal.

It was business as usual for Arsenal who put together a display of fluid attacking football before conceding a highly unnecessary equalizer from a harmless looking free kick. The problem for Wenger’s side in recent seasons has been precisely this; they may be able to play finer football than arguably any other team in the country but they simply do not outscore their opponents as effectively or consistently as either Chelsea or Manchester United. For all of the positives to be drawn from this display, and there were plenty, the manner in which AC Milan were needlessly allowed back in the game will be serious cause for concern at the Emirates.

First and foremost amongst the positives were the performances of pre season signings Chamakh and Koscielny. The latter looked solid alongside Vermealen at the heart of the defence, while the former showed some touches of real class and rounded off an impressive display with a well taken goal.

Arshavin put in the type of performance which he has always been capable of but has been unable to deliver with sufficient frequency in Arsenal colours. It was his dynamic run which made the goal as he effortlessly brushed aside legendary midfield enforcer Gennaro Gattuso and ran straight at the AC Milan defence before slotting his strike partner through on goal.

Nasri’s exclusion from the French world cup squad came as a major surprise to those who regularly watched the tricky midfielder last season and he provided a serious threat cutting inside from the right flank.

Wilshere was a little more quiet on the left but combined with Gibbs to good effect. The left back showed a refreshing willingness to make overlapping runs and will be looking to make a real impression on the first team this season. Emmanuel Frimpong did not impress to quite the same extent, although it is difficult to catch the eye playing in a midfield role which is primarily defensive.

Fabianski looked fairly competent but old doubts will have resurfaced when he attempted an audacious and highly risky trick turn under pressure in his own area before scuffing an unconvincing clearance.

With the departure of Eduardo and the potential reversion to the use of two central strikers Carlos Vela will be hoping for a choice to shine this season.

He gave a tantalizing glimpse of his undeniable ability in this game when he received the ball wide on the left and cut inside, getting the better of three AC Milan defenders before curling a shot narrowly wide. Theo Walcott also looked lively after coming on although he looked far more comfortable on the wing then when asked to operate as one of the two strikers.

Injury has severely restricted Johan Djorou’s involvement in recent seasons but it was interesting that when Wenger did bring on the tall centre back it was in a defensive midfield role.

There were a number of first choice players missing from the side and the Arsenal line up in the season opener against Liverpool will be substantially different from the team which took to the field against AC Milan. The formation is likely to remain the same though and it will be interesting to see what effect this will have on the performances.

Offensively Arsenal are up there with the best, it is defensive frailties that have hindered the club’s recent quest for silverware. Arsenal fans accustomed to seeing their side dominate matches only to allow the opposition back into the game with a late defensive lapse will not have been encouraged by this particular performance. It may be a brand new season but on today’s evidence it is the same old Arsenal.

Despite defeats in recent Champions League and Carling Cup finals, as well as numerous scrapes with the dominant forces of Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the Barclays Premier League, Arsenal remain potless since their 2005 FA Cup triumph.

And as with every season since that now faded glory, the nations red tops and broadsheets will seek to top up the pressure on Wenger’s young side with the tips of their biro’s, yearning to see the Frenchman squirm in a shameless pursuit of sleek and shiny headlines.

Well, perhaps it’s time that Wenger used this to his advantage.

Jose Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, famously instilled the ‘it’s us against the world’ mentality into his talented but underachieving side, which, albeit with heavy investment, stormed the Premier League for back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

Perhaps this would be the flame, which finally sparks the likes of midfield duo Denilson and Abou Diaby into fulfilling their undoubted potential on the big stage.

Don’t get me wrong, they’ve both had their moments, but are yet to fully convince the fans who flock to the Emirates week-in-week-out, that they are supremely worthy of donning the famous red and white in the same way which Patrick Vieira did at the heart of the Gunners engine room.

The arrival of towering centre half Laurent Koscielny from French side Lorient appears to be a trademark Wenger signing: unknown, and at the age of twenty-four, youthful.

With the departure of William Gallas though, this could be the perfect signing to compliment Thomas Vermaelen, and see the formation of the Gunners first real long term solution at centre half since Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure patrolled the back line for the 2004 ‘Invincibles’.

The Belgian earned rave reviews during his first season in English football; the Emirates faithful will just be praying that he doesn’t suffer from the dreaded ‘second season syndrome’.

Wenger acknowledges that there is still much work to do at centre half though, admitting that he is still in the market for another combative signing, thought to be Everton’s Phil Jagielka.

Le Professeur appears to have pulled off a real coup with the signing of Moroccan hit man Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer from Bordeaux. He could be the perfect compliment to a fully fit and injury-free Robin van Persie, who is likely to be slow out of the blocks after the Netherlands charge to the World Cup Final.

Sadly, the arrival of Chamakh also signalled the end for Eduardo, the Croatian international striker, who clearly struggled for fitness after the shattered ankle which so nearly ended his career in early 2008.

The Brazilian-born 27-year old swapped north London for Shakhtar Donetsk in a £6million deal which, sentiment aside, left everybody happy; Dudu can now rest assured of first team football, whilst the Gunners were able to recoup a large chunk of the £10million paid to Dinamo Zagreb for his services.

Many a fan will be on bended knee, praying that the Frenchman finally ‘cures’ his apparent blind spot, by investing this money in an experienced and assured presence between the sticks.

Manuel Alumina is a decent goalkeeper but not Championship class, whilst Lukasz Fabianski, his Polish understudy, looks like he could use a loan spell to increase his confidence.

Potential signings banded around include Maarten Stekelenburg of Ajax and Igor Akinfeev of CSKA Moscow. But it appears the Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer is the more likely arrival, with Wenger hoping that Fabianski, or his compatriot Wojciech Szczesny, will be ready to make the step up by the time the 37-year old Australian calls time on his career.

Speculation linking captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona may have hampered the Gunners pre-season preparations, but no matter the outcome of this pathetic and undignified pursuit by his boyhood club, every cloud has a silver lining.

Should the Spaniard decide to plant his flag in the centre circle of the Emirates stadium for one more year, it maintains the fulcrum of Wenger’s side, which is inspirational to both teammate and fan alike.

But should the diminutive midfield puppeteer up sticks for his hometown; the potential emergence of the exciting, young English talent Jack Wilshere is hardly such a bad afterthought, is it?

One bright light on the horizon of trophyless seasons has been the development of the plethora of young talent at the club, with the likes of Kieran Gibbs, the young left back, Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri, the French playmaker, all set for breakout years.

However, whether Aaron Ramsey, the prodigious Welsh midfielder can do what Eduardo couldn’t, and make a full recovery from a career threatening injury remains to be seen.

They will begin the season, again, as underdogs. The smart money will once again be on Manchester United and Chelsea, along with big spending Manchester City.

But don’t be surprised to see a more complete challenge from the Wenger Boys this season, because it’s them against the world, right?

With influential captain Cesc Fabregas reportedly finally informing his manager Arsène Wenger this week that he would like to make his much expected return to his boyhood club Barcelona, the bright future which Wenger predicted for his Arsenal side could be dwindling.

Already regarded worldwide as one of the top footballers in the world at the still young age of 23, Francesc Soler Fabregas was born and raised in the Catalan capital, attending his first game at the age of nine months. He had been a part of their youth academy, alongside current Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, before moving to England with Arsenal shortly after his 16th birthday. These childhood links appear to be the driving force behind his desire for a move back home.

As well as this reason, Arsenal’s failure to capture any major silverware since the FA Cup back in 2005 is worrying Fabregas. The incentive so move will be greater as he watched Barcelona lift the Spanish League last weekend, their 6 trophy in two seasons. Arsenal have none in 5. As Cesc begins to move into the prime of his playing career, he will want something to show for his immense talent beside plaudits.

Skipper Fabregas has been an inspiration for Arsenal in recent seasons

The Spanish international may also feel that he has repaid Arsène Wenger and the Gunners fans for all their faith shown in him and getting him to where he is today by his commitment to the side since his debut against Rotherham back in 2003, as well as his consistently brilliant performances which have been a major factor in Arsenal’s ability to retain their status as a top 4 team in England despite the fact that they simply cannot compete with the other big sides financially, following their expensive stadium move to the Emirates in 2006, meaning the North London club is currently attempting to manage some £360 million worth of debt.

However, with the Barca system of 3 midfielders already occupied by a defensive player, either Ivorian Yaya Toure or Spaniard Sergio Busquets (Fabregas is not a defensive player) and world class, home-grown favourites Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, their doesn’t appear to be a space for Cesc in the Barca line up.

The lure of the Camp Nou will be hard for Fabregas to turn down

There have been musings that Iniesta could maybe be shunted out on the left of the three-man attack along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Messi that Barca employ, but with the purchase only this week of the prolific Spanish international striker David Villa, this would now seem very unlikely. Messi will surely not be dropped, as he is currently the FIFA player of the year and regarded to be one of the greats of the modern game, and Ibrahimovic also would seem be beyond dropping, as he is a £60 million signing last summer.

Manager Pep Guardiola could try on move the tall Swede on, as Ibrahimovic has been made to sit on the bench for the last few games of the season, but in selling him they would want to recoup most of the money spent, and few teams would want to match his £6 million a year wages, given his disappointing previous season.

As well as this, the timing of this interest from Barcelona comes at the same time as the elections for the new Barcelona president occur; so the promise to sign such a player as Fabregas could be the deciding factor in many voters choice. This could be seen as a move for political reasons, rather than footballing ones, which could put Fabregas off.

This may be unlikely however, as the emotional pull for Cesc to return to his boyhood club will be a great one, as well as the motive to become one of the greats by winning trophies in Spain. He will trust his ability to become a first team regular also.

Wenger will have much to ponder should Fabregas move on

Should Fabregas’ desire to leave remain, Wenger will allow his talisman to leave, albeit with a heavy heart, as he has previously stated that holding a player at a club against his will is fruitless, as the player is not fully committed. Wenger’s resolve will also be tested to its limit with an offer of at least £30 million, plus Yaya Toure. This money could ease the huge debts about the club, as well as provide Wenger with some much need money for transfers. By selling one player in Fabregas, Arsenal could end up with a few class acts, if the money is spent wisely.

Many fear for Arsenal that their captain’s heart will rule, and he will make the somewhat inevitable trip back to his first football love. If this should happen, the Premier League would most definitely be the worse for it.

More of my writing can be found at http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/davidroberts192

With influential captain Cesc Fabregas reportedly finally informing his manager Arsène Wenger this week that he would like to make his much expected return to his boyhood club Barcelona, the bright future which Wenger predicted for his Arsenal side could be dwindling.

Already regarded worldwide as one of the top footballers in the world at the still young age of 23, Francesc Soler Fabregas was born and raised in the Catalan capital, attending his first game at the age of nine months. He had been a part of their youth academy, alongside current Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, before moving to England with Arsenal shortly after his 16th birthday. These childhood links appear to be the driving force behind his desire for a move back home.

As well as this reason, Arsenal’s failure to capture any major silverware since the FA Cup back in 2005 is worrying Fabregas. The incentive so move will be greater as he watched Barcelona lift the Spanish League last weekend, their 6 trophy in two seasons. Arsenal have none in 5. As Cesc begins to move into the prime of his playing career, he will want something to show for his immense talent beside plaudits.

Skipper Fabregas has been an inspiration for Arsenal in recent seasons

The Spanish international may also feel that he has repaid Arsène Wenger and the Gunners fans for all their faith shown in him and getting him to where he is today by his commitment to the side since his debut against Rotherham back in 2003, as well as his consistently brilliant performances which have been a major factor in Arsenal’s ability to retain their status as a top 4 team in England despite the fact that they simply cannot compete with the other big sides financially, following their expensive stadium move to the Emirates in 2006, meaning the North London club is currently attempting to manage some £360 million worth of debt.

However, with the Barca system of 3 midfielders already occupied by a defensive player, either Ivorian Yaya Toure or Spaniard Sergio Busquets (Fabregas is not a defensive player) and world class, home-grown favourites Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, their doesn’t appear to be a space for Cesc in the Barca line up.

The lure of the Camp Nou will be hard for Fabregas to turn down

There have been musings that Iniesta could maybe be shunted out on the left of the three-man attack along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Messi that Barca employ, but with the purchase only this week of the prolific Spanish international striker David Villa, this would now seem very unlikely. Messi will surely not be dropped, as he is currently the FIFA player of the year and regarded to be one of the greats of the modern game, and Ibrahimovic also would seem be beyond dropping, as he is a £60 million signing last summer.

Manager Pep Guardiola could try on move the tall Swede on, as Ibrahimovic has been made to sit on the bench for the last few games of the season, but in selling him they would want to recoup most of the money spent, and few teams would want to match his £6 million a year wages, given his disappointing previous season.

As well as this, the timing of this interest from Barcelona comes at the same time as the elections for the new Barcelona president occur; so the promise to sign such a player as Fabregas could be the deciding factor in many voters choice. This could be seen as a move for political reasons, rather than footballing ones, which could put Fabregas off.

This may be unlikely however, as the emotional pull for Cesc to return to his boyhood club will be a great one, as well as the motive to become one of the greats by winning trophies in Spain. He will trust his ability to become a first team regular also.

Wenger will have much to ponder should his talisman move on

Should Fabregas’ desire to leave remain, Wenger will allow his talisman to leave, albeit with a heavy heart, as he has previously stated that holding a player at a club against his will is fruitless, as the player is not fully committed. Wenger’s resolve will also be tested to its limit with an offer of at least £30 million, plus Yaya Toure. This money could ease the huge debts about the club, as well as provide Wenger with some much need money for transfers. By selling one player in Fabregas, Arsenal could end up with a few class acts, if the money is spent wisely.

Many fear for Arsenal that their captain’s heart will rule, and he will make the somewhat inevitable trip back to his first football love. If this should happen, the Premier League would most definitely be the worse for it.

More of my writing can be found at http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/davidroberts192

In a match shorn of goal-scoring opportunities, the most notable moments in the match were Emmanuel Adebayor’s introduction to the game to a chorus of boos, and an injury suffered to Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given.

The Republic of Ireland international was stretched off with a suspected dislocated shoulder, and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. The injury was a result of falling awkwardly when saving Abou Diaby’s low drive from outside the area, one of the few decent goal-attempts in an otherwise drab game.

City ‘keeper Given requires oxygen as he leaves the field following his injury.

In an especially poor first half, Given was only called into action once, as Robin van Persie, back in the Arsenal starting line-up for the first time since his long-lay off through an ankle injury, fed Samir Nasri, whose shot from a tight angle was easily saved by the Irishman. This was one more save than Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski had to make in the first half however.

Carlos Tevez was left isolated, with any balls up towards the Argentine being easily dealt with by the excellent Sol Campbell, rolling back the years to put in a solid display, including making a brilliant last-ditch challenge to deny ex-gunner captain Patrick Vieira a goal on his return to North London.

Kolo Toure, another ex-Arsenal player, marshalled the City defence brilliantly as captain, frustrating the Arsenal forward line who couldn’t break through the stubborn defence despite dominating possession.

City’s only other moment came in the second half, when Toure’s low cross was put behind his own goal by Sol Campbell, seemingly off the Arsenal player’s arm, but the awarding of a penalty would have been a very harsh decision by referee Mike Dean.

The one time Arsenal did manage to get in-behind the City defence, Samir Nasri was incorrectly ruled offside from van Persie’s excellent through ball.

Such was City’s ineptitude going forward, that manager Roberto Mancini turned to Adebayor just 6 minutes into the second half. He came on for Vieira, who left the field to a standing ovation, while Adebayor’s arrival was greeted with a chorus of boos ringing around the Emirates.

Cheer for Vieira, boos for Adebayor

The Togolese striker had little impact on the game however, as in the second half it was still the home side who looked most likely to break the dead-lock, although van Persie’s free kick just missed the angle of post and bar, and substitute Nicklas Bendtner fired straight at Faroe Islands keeper Gunnar Nielsen, who came on for his City debut to replace in injured Given.

The match highlighted City main falling-down in their chase for the final Champions League place; their overly cautious nature led to a spectacle in which they never looked likely to get the win they needed to put themselves above Tottenham Hotspur in the league, and now sit a point behind.

It also showed Arsenal’s inability to break down stubborn defences who are just content to sit, and their poor form of April which manager Arsène Wenger believed lost his side the title, with defeats at Wigan, Tottenham, and also the defeat in the Camp Nou to Barcelona ended their hopes for both the Premier League and Champions League.

The game was summed up during the 8 minutes of injury time; such an amount was played due to the lengthy break because of the injury to Given. In such a game as this, where both sides need a win, City most direly, as Arsenal’s title challenge had all but gone anyway, such little ambition was shown by the side from the North West, whereas 8 minutes of stoppage time should have been a frenetic time, where the ball was being pinged from end to end as both sides desperately tried to find the crucial winning goal.

It was indicative of the match, however, that this didn’t materialise. Arsenal will have to wait another year to end their long wait for a trophy.

ARSENAL 0

Team: Fabianski, Sagna, Campbell, Silvestre, Clichy, Diaby, Rosicky (Eboue 68), Nasri, Walcott (Bendtner 68), Song, van Persie

Unused Subs: Mannone, Traore, Eastmond, Vela, Eduardo

Booked: Diaby, van Persie, Silvestre, Song    

MANCHESTER CITY 0

Team: Given (Nielson 73), Bridge (Richards 27), Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Johnson, Barry, Vieira (Adebayor 52), De Jong, Tevez, Bellamy

Unused Subs: Onuoha, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Santa Cruz

Booked: Zabaleta, Bellamy

Dave Whelan and Roberto Martinez, the Wigan Chairman and manager respectively, looked as though they could hardly believe it themselves as referee Lee Mason blew the full time whistle, and as the Lactics claimed three points which could prove invaluable in the relegation run-in.

Arsène Wenger on the other hand, was left seething after watching his team blow their already slim title hopes after being in complete control of the encounter, and described the result has Arsenal’s ‘most disappointing of the season.’

Wenger has much to think about after another devestating defeat

Arsenal had taken a two goal lead thanks to strikes from Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre, but late efforts first from Ben Watson, and later Titus Bramble and finally Charles N’Zogbia.

The Gunners also looked completely in control of proceedings and could have had more goals, as Abou Diaby and Walcott both missed openings with only Chris Kirkland, the Wigan goalkeeper, to beat. Walcott also flashed a well-struck effort just past the far post towards the end of the first half, and Sol Campbell couldn’t direct his header in from Walcott’s free kick.

However, Wenger’s side failed to expel the common criticism of them that they can’t see out victories when they need to by not closing out the match despite their dominance in possession, and they failed to take heed of the warning shot from Wigan. N’Zogbia was sent clean through on Arsenal ‘keeper Lukasz Fabianski, but his weak finish made for a comfortable save for the Polish keeper, who celebrated his 25^th birthday today.

Wenger’s side started slowly, but as the first half wore on they began to assert their dominance but couldn’t find many gaps in a stubborn Wigan defence. The first was from an excellent Diaby through ball played in behind Manuel Figueroa for Walcott who found himself with only Kirkland to beat, but opted instead to try and cut the ball back for a teammate when there were no obvious options open to him.

The young England winger made up for this towards the end of the first half though, as a fine pass from Dane Nicklas Bendtner slit open the Lactic’s defence for the 21 year old Walcott to slide past the onrushing Kirkland for only in second goal in his previous 19 games for Arsenal, in what has been a season of frustration for him.

Theo Walcott gives Arsenal their first half goal at the DW Stadium.

The second period started at a much more frenetic pace, with Ben Watson having a penalty claim turned down by Mason, and Arsenal, almost immediately, going up the other end to double their lead.

A simple goal, the corner was whipped into the Wigan area by Samir Nasri for veteran defender Silvestre to nod in his first goal for Arsenal since the corresponding fixture last season.

Following the second goal, the game became slower as both sides clearly thought the result was now beyond doubt, as did the crowd, as the noise levels were not boisterous.

Martinez obviously disagreed, as he threw caution to the winds and brought on January signing Victor Moses, who added a spark to Wigan’s attacks to start the comeback going.

The entire complexion of the match was changed when Moses galloped down the left wing to cut the ball back for Watson to score his first goal of the season on his first start; suddenly the DW Stadium sensed there might be something here for them.

Ben Watson starts the comeback

The goal also seemed to rock Arsenal, who could no longer hold on to the ball, and inviting more pressure on themselves, leading to the evitable equaliser with two minutes on the clock.

A corner was swung in by N’Zogbia, and Fabianski failed to gather the ball convincingly, managing only to set it for centre-back Bramble to tap in to draw his side level.

Clearly shocked by what he was seeing, Wenger sent on star-striker Robin van Persie to try and rescue all three points for the Gunners, but the Dutchman didn’t touch the ball in the remaining few minutes as Wigan now had the momentum and pushed forward to claim the most unlikely of victories, through a goal fit to win any game.

Deep into stoppage time, Gael Clichy fail to deal with an ariel ball which instead fell for the left foot of N’Zogbia, who drove towards the Arsenal goal diagonally from the right wing on to his favoured left foot. Campbell and Silvestre surrounded the young Frenchman, who wasn’t put off by the pressure on his shoulders, and proceeded to evade the defenders before arrowing a fizzing drive off his left boot into the Arsenal goal off the post.

Diame and Bramble celebrate their win in front of a dejected Emmanuel Eboue.

The win left Wigan in an excellent position, and favourites to stay in the Premier League now, but left Arsenal’s title ambitions very much in tatters, with the Gunner’s faithful having again to look forward to next season.

    WIGAN 3 (Watson 80, Bramble 89, N’Zogbia 90+1)

Team: Kirkland, Gohouri, Bramble, Melchiot, Figueroa, Watson (Scharner 90+2), N’Zogbia, McCarthy, Diame, Moreno (Moses 62), Rodallega

Unused Subs: Stojkovic, Boyce, Gomez, Sinclair, Scotland

Booked: Bramble, Diame    

ARSENAL 2 (Walcott 41, Silvestre 48)

Team: Fabianski, Sagna, Campbell, Silvestre, Clichy, Eastmond (van Persie 90), Rosicky (Merida 81), Diaby, Walcott (Eboue 81), Nasri, Bendtner

Unused Subs: Mannone, Traore, Henderson, Vela

Booked: Nasri

Arsenal have had a rich heritage of top-class keepers, including the likes of Bob Wilson, Pat Jennings, and David Seaman.

However, many argue that Arsenal have never entirely replaced the legendary Seaman, even though his replacement, Jens Lehmann, managed to keep goal for a side which won the Premier League without suffering a league defeat the whole campaign.

The man currently between the sticks for Arsenal is Spaniard Manuel Almunia, who has still yet to win over large sections of the Emirates crowd as to whether he possesses the ability to be keepers for the standard of team Arsenal aspire to be, as at vital times Almunia seems to frequently let in goals he shouldn’t. He also looks extremely nervous and tense when coming for high balls, as shown when defending the infamous Rory Delap throw-in; the 32 year old looks like a frightened rabbit in the head lights of an oncoming lorry when the ball is fizzed into the danger area.

What frustrates Gunners fans most, however, is that Almunia has shown on occasion that he does have the ability to pull off astounding saves, as he did when keeping Arsenal in the contest in the Champions League semi-final last year at Old Trafford, and this season in the first half against the constant waves of attacks from a liquid Barcelona.

It was in this match against Barcelona that Almunia was to, in essence, sum himself up within a game. In the first half, sensational saves to deny Xavi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic amongst others were forgotten by a tentative display in the second half, where his indecision about whether to come out and close down the giant Swede Ibrahimovic cost Arsenal two goals, as first he left Zlatan with a gaping hole behind him as he went back on his decision to close the striker down (a cardinal sin for any keeper) for Zlatan to lob him, and then committing the same crime later on as Ibrahimovic instead drove the ball powerfully into the top corner. The finishes were brilliant and well taken, but Almunia made it as easy as possible for him, quite the opposite of his job description.

Is Almunia good enough to win top honours for Arsenal?

Of course, Almunia is not helped by a less than organised defence sitting in front of him, but one of the hallmarks of great goalkeepers is their ability to marshal a defence into becoming rigid. Almunia has never particularly shown many great leadership qualities, despite being Arsenal’s current vice-captain, as this is a squad thin of real leaders; Wenger tends to chose his captain on time at the club, and Almunia has been a faithful servant to the club for many years now, which is very much to his credit.

The other choices available to Wenger consist of Pole Lukasz Fabianski, and Italian Vito Mannone.

Fabianski especially has been gifted with more than one chance to prove himself worthy to take the reins as number one at the Emirates, but has been guilty of similar errors as Almunia and greater, his most notable blunder being the howler of an own-goal he scored away to Porto in the Champions League, where the 25 year old contrived to nudge a cross which was fizzing across his six-yard box into the Arsenal net as he made an effort to catch it. Wenger and Bob Wilson have both gone on record however about how Fabianski is one of the best young keepers they have ever seen, and 25 is still a young age for a goalkeeper, as they tend not to hit their prime until at least their early 30s, so his chance is most certainly not gone.

25 year old Fabianski has time to improve

The same can be said of the 22 year old Mannone, whose one chance at having a regular stab in the first team came earlier this season when both Almunia and Fabianski were unavailable through injury. Mannone, for a player who had not played at such a level before, did himself no harm, apart from a dodgy experience against Blackburn Rovers where he was lobbed from a header, but did have an excellent game away to Fulham, far from an easy place to go.

Italian Mannone played well when called upon this season.

As much potential as both these back-up options seem to have however, can they really be more reliable than the unreliable Almunia to consistently perform at the top level of club football? It would be overly optimistic to think so, and although a keeper must first get experience to be seen as reliable, Wenger would be taking a huge gamble to thrust one of these young men into the centre of the action when they have shown nerves and immaturity to play well when needed to.

All the options point towards a new signing in goal, most likely to replace Almunia if the two young keepers have as much talent as Wenger makes out. This may seem unlikely though, as Wenger obviously likes and trusts the Spaniard, as placing him as vice-captain shows, so he most certainly would think twice before replacing him or putting him up for sale and trusting one of the deputies.

He will, of course, eventually have to choose between them, as they will both be coming into their primes at similar times, and it is very unlikely the other will be content with kicking their heels on the bench during the best years of their career when they could be playing every week for another club.

One thing is for certain, something must change in this area. The problem with being a goalkeeper is that any tiny mistake can be fatal to match hopes, especially in the Premier and Champions Leagues. Even more so if the side in question want to be winning some of these trophies come may, and so as the current first choice doesn’t seem able to deliver in this area, Wenger may be forced to act.

Rose was a surprise inclusion in the squad, Redknapp showed great faith in the 19 year old by giving him his first Premier League start in a game of this magnitude, and the youngster did not disappoint.

After just 9 minutes, a Tottenham corner was punched clear well by Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, but Rose ran on to the dipping ball 30 yards out from goal to rocket the ball back past the despairing Spaniard. It was Rose’s first goal for Tottenham, and he may never strike a ball sweeter in his career, in which he was already amassed 11 caps for Stuart Pearce’s England U-21.

Rose stuns the Arsenal faithful with his first Spurs goal.

Although Arsenal monopolised possession for the vast majority of the game, they failed to build upon it and create any clear cut chances until Robin van Persie’s reintroduction after a 6 month lay-off. The Dutchman immediately gave Arsenal the cutting edge they had been missing for the rest of the match, creating openings for his teammates and producing two fine saves from Tottenham goalkeeper Gomes.

After admitting prior to the game that nothing less than a win would do, Wenger was disappointed with his sides inability to put away their chances; even within the last ten minutes along with Gomes’ fantastic saves from van Persie, one from an excellent volley and the other from a well-struck free-kick, ex-spurs centre-back Sol Campbell had a header cleared off the line and Bendtner drew another great save from the Brazilian Gomes.

Both sides will have also seen this game as an opportunity to put their respective cup heartbreaks behind them: Tottenham losing to Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final in extra time, Arsenal being blown away by Lionel Messi’s genius in the Champions League quarter-final.

The shock which befell Spurs was also only four days prior to the derby encounter, whereas the gunners had eight days to prepare for the trip across North London, but it was the home side who started with the greater intensity and desire, closing down the Arsenal midfield as they controlled the possession, but we unable to penetrate the stubborn Spurs defence, marshalled by the thoroughly excellent Ledley King and Michael Dawson.

This high pressing game allowed spurs to earn the corner from which Almunia punched fatefully on to the left foot of Rose, who was very much a surprise inclusion into the starting line-up, most of all on the right side of midfield, as Rose as previously lined up on the left.

After Rose’s wonder goal, Arsenal’s position only worsened as their important and influential centre-back Thomas Vermaelen had to be withdrawn due to a calf injury, and was replaced by former French international Mikael Silvestre and partnered Campbell for the remainder of the match.

                Campbell put in a fine performance despite constant abuse from Tottenham fans

As ever on his return to White Heart Lane, Campbell endured much abuse from the home crowd, but the 35 year old excelled even do, putting in a masterful display to keep the Tottenham attacks out almost singlehandedly at times, as many of the Arsenal team kept up with their reputation of being defensively suspect for the majority of the game.

Despite this effort from Campbell, Tottenham had chances of their own to further extend their lead, with Almunia thwarted Luka Modric bravely before Defoe’s snap-shot slammed into the body of the Spanish goalkeeper as Spurs pressed for a second goal.

And only one minute into the second half Spurs stunned Wenger’s title-chasing side.

Defoe rode two challenges before splitting the Gunners’ defence with a diagonal ball to the edge of the six-yard box where Bale, being played onside by Bacary Sagna who was horribly out of position, stroked the ball home with ease.

Arsenal recovered well however, to create a number of chances to test Gomes reflexes. The best of his saves was from van Persie, the Dutchman took the ball on his chest expertly on the penalty spot and swivelled quickly to crash a volley towards goal but Gomes instinctively palmed the effort over the bar.

The solid Dawson celebrates with the man of the match Gomes

Constant possession and pressure from a desperate Arsenal eventually led to the Tottenham legs tiring, and, after wave after wave of Arsenal attacks, van Persie found young England winger Theo Walcott in space down the right to cut a low cross back for Bendtner to tuck home into the unguarded Spurs net for what proved to be merely a consolation goal.

This goal have Wenger’s side renewed hope, but despite persistent pressure from his team, Tottenham held on for an impressive and crucial victory in their chase for the much sought-after 4^th spot in the league, and a final crushing, possibly fatal blow for Arsenal’s title ambitions.

TOTTENHAM 2 (Rose 10, Bale 47)

Team: Gomes, Kaboul, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto, Rose (Bentley 46), Huddlestone, Modric, Bale, Pavlyuchenko (Crouch 88), Defoe (Gudjohnsen 67)

Unused Subs: Alnwick, Bassong, Walker, Livermore

Booked: Kaboul, Dawson, Modric

ARSENAL 1 (Bendtner 85)

Team: Almunia, Sagna (Walcott 52), Campbell, Vermaelen (Silvestre 20), Clichy, Eboue, Denilson (van Persie 68), Diaby, Rosicky, Nasri, Bendtner

Unused Subs: Fabianski, Eastmond, Merida, Eduardo

Booked: Denilson

To start with the full-backs, Arsenal have had a fine recent history of excellent attacking quality. The latest in a long line which has included such players as Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Lauren, and, although most now dislike him, Ashley Cole was and still is a left-back to the absolute highest quality, Frenchmen Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy have both had some fine recent seasons, and although Clichy has found himself hindered by injury this term, he has started to pick his form back up again in time for the vital end-of-season title run-in.

Both quick, Clichy especially so, very good going forward and very competent in defence, both have proved themselves two of the top players in their position in the league, possibly the continent. In both players’ cases, their crossing has been very inconsistent, but as Arsenal are not particularly a side who often delve into this side of the game, it may not be the most needed of qualities needed. Instead, those qualities it could be argued which are more important are athleticism and the general excellent technique required to play the kind of football which Arsenal are so proud to play, qualities both players possess.

Sagna has been excellent since signing from Auxerre in 2007

In the way of back up, Emmanuel Eboue has been a player who has both bemused and delighted the Emirates crowd, but his few performances of real class have been too few and far between for him to regarded as a consistently reliable alternative, although he does have top-class experience both at Arsenal and internationally, as well as a great deal of natural ability, making him an acceptable back-up. At left-back, Kieran Gibbs had shown much promise both this season and certainly towards the end of last, all the coaches who worked with Kieran commented on how well he recovered from his early left which let Ji-Sung Park in for the first Manchester United goal in the Champions League semi-final last year, showing that as well as the natural technical and physical qualities needed to make it at the top, he also has the mental strength to succeed.

As well as Gibbs, Arsenal have the less accomplished but still decent back-up in Armand Traore, another full-back with blinding pace, who may never be first choice, but will always give his all for the squad, certainly a very acceptable 3^rd choice in this position. Due to the fact that Eboue is often also played in midfield and occasionally even more forward, and his inconsistency, another natural right-back to act as Sagna’s understudy maybe wouldn’t go amiss.

The full backs haven’t been the issue for the Gunners, however; the topic which really frustrates the fans more frequently is that of the centre-backs and goalkeeper.

In the way of central defenders, Belgian Thomas Vermaelen and Frenchman William Gallas are widely considered to be Arsenal’s first choice pairing when the full compliment of players are available to Wenger. Gallas, the captain of the side before his infamous outburst at the press, is a player of international experience and experience of winning trophies with Chelsea and in France, and as well as being a defensively sound player, is also excellently composed on the ball. Vermaelen, a star of the season and an fantastic signing for Arsenal at only £10 million, a pittance these days, is tough and uncompromising in the tackle, dominant in the air despite not reaching 6ft, and is also a fine player on the ball himself, scoring many goals of real quality this season. He is also the Belgian captain, and is still young and so will only improve as a player.

Belgian skipper Vermaelen has added steel to the Arsenal line-up

For many years now though, this area seems to have been crying out for a defender who was tall and strong, able to cope with strikers such as Drogba, who have traditionally bullied Arsenal in the past. As has already been said, although Vermaelen may be a more aggressive defender who is very strong in the tackle, he doesn’t stand at 6ft, and so can get beaten in the air more easily than a world class defender maybe should. Gallas, out of contract in the summer, has been linked with a move away from the London club in the summer, as well as many of the back-up players, such as Sol Campbell, Mikael Silvestre and Philippe Senderous.

Senderous, also out of contract in the summer and currently on loan at Everton, is thought to have an extremely small chance of still plying his trade at the Emirates next season, and Sol Campbell was considered to be a ‘plug’ as it were, to fill the gap at centre-back due to injuries to many defenders, but because of his age, 36 next season, and his short contract, he has a similar chance of still being under contract at Arsenal come the new season. Doubts have also been cast over the future of Silvestre, who has endured some torrid times, the pinnacle of which being watching the brilliant argentine Lionel Messi’s shadow run rings round him.

It would seem that Wenger is desperate to keep Gallas, shown by Wenger’s willingness to break his own personal rule to offer the 32-year-old Frenchman a 2-year deal; Wenger usually will not offer any player aged 30 or over anything longer than one additional year. This would appear sensible, especially in the face of three other central defenders possibly leaving the club in the summer, as the player still has top-class ability, and senior experience earnt of many years playing at the top, something which is not frequent through the Arsenal squad.

Will Gallas still be at the Emirates next season?

Next year, young Swiss defender Johan Djourou will also return from his serious knee injury which has kept him out of the whole of this season. Djourou does fill the mould of tall (6ft3), strong, and quick, and showed maturity on the ball in recent games, making his injury all the more frustrating at a time where he seemed to be showing signs of developing into the kind of defender that Arsenal have been calling out for.

Therefore, it would appear that an acquisition in this area would be needed for Arsenal to challenge on a number of front as they have to ambition to, as without Silvestre, Senderous and Campbell the squad would consist of just three central defenders, Vermaelen, Gallas and Djourou, surely not the numbers required to win the league title, although Alexandre Song has proved himself a really excellent alternative in this position if none other are available. Another signing is needed, preferably a player of physical dominance, as well as the decent technical ability required to play at a club such as Arsenal.

Although attack is the best form of defence, a good defence is essential for Arsenal’s achievements to match their ambition, and to finally win a trophy that their fine football merits.

As well as this, the Gunner’s midfield can often fail to provide sufficient cover for the fragile defence; the best sides find it too easy to bypass the midfield and then have an easy run on goal or the defence, which is sometimes also weakened by full backs, or occasionally even central defenders marauding upfield in search of a goal, sides this season such as Barcelona and Manchester United, who both dealt Arsenal embarrassingly large defeats for a side as ambitious as Arsenal.

The problem would, therefore, seem to lie in the defensive side of the midfield. Playing a 4-3-3 system this season means one defensive midfielder and two central, more attack minded players ahead of him in the middle of the park. The player who has been set the role of a sort of midfield-anchor this term has been Cameroon international Alexandre Song, a player who has improved immensely over the last two seasons from a player whose second touch always seemed to be a tackle (and a bad one at that) because his first touch was so bad, into an accomplished and composed figure in the middle, who can not only break up play, but start attacking moves off himself, and is starting to show an increased flair for moving forward with some impressive passes and dribbles.

                 Gunner’s midfielder Alexandre song has had an impressive season

So if Arsenal have a midfielder in the shape of Song who is quickly becoming a real top class defensive midfielder, what is the problem?

The problem may lie in two areas: number one, the rest of the midfield isn’t providing the required cover. Football, more often than not, involves more than one player working in a specific way; Song can’t stop all the attacks from midfield on his own. If so many players are upfield, the threat of the counterattack will be too great. Secondly, Song himself is not yet the finished article, and can be caught out of position, either not picking up his man properly, or is occasionally on a run of his own upfield.

A task of Wenger’s would seem to be to purchase another quality holding midfielder in the summer, as also there is very little back up in this area when Song is not playing or, ehem, not on song. The back up in this area at the moment is Denilson, who still manages to split opinion amongst the Arsenal faithful. A player with good passing capabilities, he also strikes the ball extremely well, and has scored some impressive goals from distance in his time at Arsenal, including a scorcher from distance against Newcastle two seasons ago. However, his tackling is somewhat infrequent and weak for such a vital role, and doesn’t have too muscular a build; he often finds himself bullied out of some 50:50 situations. It also seems as though the defensive midfield role is not his preferred one, which is instead the more forward positions occupied this term more regularly by Frenchman Abou Diaby and captain Cesc Fabregas. The other options in this holding role are youngsters, such as Craig Eastmond, who, although has shown promise to be an excellent player possibly in the future, can certainly not be relied upon for the next couple of season to turn out consistenly top class performances in such a competitive league as this.

The players who can play the more forward positions in the midfield are much greater in numbers; as well as the previously mentioned Diaby and Fabregas, both of whom have had great seasons in which they have both scored vital goals in big games, Wenger also has the likes of Tomas Rosicky, the afore mentioned Denilson, Aaron Ramsey (who will recover from his broken leg in time for the new season reports now suggest), Fran Merida, Samir Nasri, and even Emmanuel Eboue can do a job in this role, although he lacks a certain level of disciple in his positioning. These players seem to be great enough in number, but are they in quality?

Fabregas, widely thought to be the most accomplished central midfielder in England this season, and is now making a claim to have that said of him on the continent, is a player the team greatly relies upon for goals, assists, and inspiration. The most vital cog in the whole system, the 22-year-old belies his years with consistenly mature and world-class performances which leave the Gunner’s fans on the edges of their seats.

Cesc Fabregas – world class

Diaby has proved excelled foil for Fabregas this season, acting as more of a physical presence on the field, creating chances and destroying opponents attacks, as well as scoring some big goals, most notably netting the winner at home to Liverpool. Czech captain Rosicky provides a great amount of experience and creativity, as well as the odd remarkable goal, scoring the goal which proved to be the catalyst for Arsenal’s remarkable come-back from the brink when 2-0 down at home to Bolton earlier in the campaign. Nasri also provides this, as well as more support in attack, and Eboue in also an experienced international who has the potential to create something out of nothing which a clever pass or jinky run through a tight defence, although a real lack of consistency can be the Ivorian’s foe as he struggles to come up with the big performances week in week out; the same can often be said of Denilson. Merida and Ramsey are ones for the future, immensely talented, Ramsey especially has proved himself a player of vast potential with some fantastic displays before horrendously breaking his leg in the away league game to Stoke.

Aaron Ramsey has shown great promise this season

Again however, the problem seems to lie not with the technical quality of these players, but with the physical strength of them, which is often questioned. However, this term has seen wins home and away to Stoke and Bolton, while last season Arsenal managed to win at Stamford Bridge, so maybe their incredible technical abilities can see them though past their slight builds. This would certainly seem the case when in possession, as they can keep the ball away from the opposition which their quick, incisive passing, but when they don’t have the ball, it can be harder to win it back again.

For the biggest prizes, strength in depth is required, and so more than one defensively minded player in the midfield will be essential for challenge on all fronts next year. The merge of beauty and the beast is what is need, but the beauty is certainly there.