The victory is especially meaningful given that many critics had written off Arsenal’s title ambitions during the pre-season. Adebayor and Kolo Toure, were offloaded to Man City for a total of £41m and the only player recruited was Thomas Vermaelen frrom Ajax.

Arsene Wenger stood by his principle of not signing star players to bolster his depleted squad. He defended his philosophy of cultivating raw talents, saying: “Other clubs have more money. At Arsenal we try to go a different way that, for me, is respectable. When you buy all the time, it becomes a trap. The team we have now gets there, and by that I mean it wins the championship.”

You can include some of Wenger’s own players as disbelievers of that statement. Few people can understand why Wenger refuses to spend even as there is surplus cash in the transfer budget. They have a right to be worried about how the “lightweight” Arsenal can challenge the mighty European champions Barcelona and the ambitious Real Madrid? Manchester City’s aggressive buying spree has also intensified the battle for a top four position in the Premier League and Champions League qualification.

Alex Ferguson even wrote off Arsenal’s chances, preferring to single out Chelsea as the main threat to their Premier League title. He has also ridiculed Manchester City’s spending spree and remarked that Liverpool have had their best season in twenty years and will be hard to improve. Mind games will come in handy, maybe in Christmas, but for now, Ferguson’s gambit in unsettling opponents has misfired.

With Manchester United floundering against Birmingham City and Burnley, Alex Ferguson will do well to stay focused on getting a positive response from his team rather than being a football pundit and expound on the strength and weakness of his competitors. If Manchester United continue with their insipid performances, they could lose not only the Premier League title but struggle with relegation.

Instead of talking up their chances like Manchester United, Arsenal kept a low profile during pre-season and pefer to let their feet do the talking. They have also kept their feet firmly on the ground despite some remarkable results – hammering Everton 6-1 (their orst home defeat since 1958) and being the first English team in 26 years to defeat Celtic at their home ground.

Indeed, many critics had waited for Arsenal to fall flat on their face against Celtic. Emmanuel Adebayor clearly has little love lost for his former club when he piled on the pressure by highlighting that Cesc Fabregas and some of the senior players will leave if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Still, Arsenal were too much of a class act for Celtic. The Gunners started the match with their usual fluid and intricate passing and had the best chances while Celtic can only lay claim to ruggedness and fighting spirit, egged on by the vociferous home fans.

Last season, Arsenal may have been outmuscled but this time, the physical game failed to stem the tide of attacks. To be sure, there was an element of luck to Arsenal’s 2-0 victory. After all, it is not often that a goal is scored via a deflection off the back of a player but William Gallas did just that.

Celtic survived an early scare when an unmarked Andrei Arshavin swept the ball into the net but the assistant referee has raised his flag for offside. While Arshavin is still a joy to watch with his sublime runs and beautiful touches, his impact thus far has not been as eye-catching as his debut season. Arshavin’s match fitness is also suspect as his contributions faded off substantially in the second half.

Arsene Wenger was right to replace Arshavin with Abou Diaby who lend a sharper impetus to the front line. But it is too early to lambast Arshavin. He has the knack of turning the game on its head in a moment of brilliance. Maybe a goal will boost his confidence and he will regain his pivotal playmaker role.

Arsenal had to wait till three minutes from half time before breaking the duck and it was a fluke shot. Van Persie tapped a free kick to Fabregas who aimed a screamer at Boruc but somehow the ball struck Gallas on the back and swerved to the other corner, leaving Boruc stranded.

After the break, Celtic did not improve on their potshots and stray passes but they certainly stepped up on their physical game. Arsenal’s defense and midfield held up well under the harsh treatment and the front line continue to camp in Celtic’s half, edging closer to goal with successive efforts.

The introduction of Diaby was a shrewd move as the lad integrated quickly into the team and he made an important contribution by releasing Clichy to cross which Gary Caldwell inadvertently directed into his own goal.

Arsenal showed a collective resolve. Arsenal for their part looked better when playing the short passing game we have come to expect, long passes typically overhit. When the Gunners lost possession, they breathed down the neck of their opponent and afforded them little space and time on the ball.

Celtic were forced to surrender possession cheaply with stray passes. But the high tempo game was not the only killer, Celtic’s own lack of creativity meant they could not strike back after falling behind. Almunia had an easy night, he could have kept his gloves clean, had he not intervened in the only threat – a swerving shot from a corner which William Gallas had blocked.

The only saving grace for Celtic was their determination to put up a fight. “It was a fierce battle,” said Wenger. “There were some bad fouls and the referee took some time to intervene. We got some harsh treatment.”

Wenger also had particular praise for former captain Gallas, who he said was playing his best football for two years. The good form of new signing Thomas Vermaelen has also pleasantly surprised Wenger and he believes that the left-footed Belgian has added balance to the team.

Overall, it was a credible team performance with lots of hard work and one-touch passing. The understanding, focus and camaraderie bodes well for the success of an arduous season which is interspersed with the distractions of World Cup qualifying rounds.

Van Persie and Bendtner were well-marked yet both still caused problems for the defenders, putting them under constant pressure. Denilson and Song were also brilliant with the latter impressing with his creativity and industry which have adequately compensated for the loss of Mathieu Flamini.

Cesc Fabregas, The Midfield Engine

However, there is no mistaking the engine driving this Arsenal team -Cesc Fabregas. He has always created chances with his pinpoint passes and astute reading of the game. This season, Arsene Wenger has an added responsibility for Fabregas which is to bang in the goals.

If Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are scoring goals from midfield, there is no reason why Fabregas should be deprived of this license to go forward. He is now 22 years old, the right age to develop into a scoring machine, according to Arsene Wenger.

Fabregas has already shown what he can do by running 50 yards and unleashing a blitzer from outside the box to score against Everton. If Fabregras choose to be more selfish by firing long range missiles, taking free-kicks and penalties, or going on solo runs instead of passing the ball, he will certainly get twenty goals a season and give Arsenal’s title campaign a boost. But this will have to come at the expense of the strikers and the way the team operates.

With main strikers Robin van Persie and Arshavin not hitting the groove and scoring goals, Fabregas’s influence on the game is timely for Arsene Wenger. However, as the season progresses, Arsene Wenger will have to manage carefully the discontent from strikers, team structure as well as an over-reliance on Cesc Fabregas since he now has a dual responsibility to pull the strings in midfield and to score goals.

The downfall of Arsenal in previous campaigns had often coincided with the burnout or injuries of Cesc Fabregas. It is unclear if the Spainard has peaked too early and will be reduced to underwhelming performances by March. The more influence Fabregas has on a game, the more roughing up he can expect. To emulate Cristiano Ronaldo’s role for Manchester United is not just about sharpening finishing prowess and accuracy but also to improve on fitness.

Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo can feature in virtually every game because of their extraordinary fitness and ability to sustain hard knocks. In terms of technical ability, Fabregas is a shoo-in for personal accolades like Footballer of The Year awards but he cannot achieve his full potential if he cannot withstand the ordeals of a gruelling season.

Arsene Wenger also need to fend off the temptations from aboard which have prised away proteges like Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry. Barcelona is interested in Fabregas and the rumor mill is in overdrive that Arsenal’s captain will arrive next summer in a £30m deal.

Arsenal have furiously denied any such agreement has been struck or that they have even had any contact with the Spanish giants, but given that the presidency of Barcelona Football Club is up for grabs next year, the deal may just happen.

Arsene Wenger has reminded his players that integrity is defined by a person’s commitment to a contract and Fabregas, who is midway through a seven year contract, owes his loyalty to the club who polished his skills and gave him a platform to shine.

Fabregas is non-committal about his future but he has admitted that he wants to go back to his native Spain one day. I believe Arsenal’s flying start matters little to the Spainard as he may be intent on leaving in 1 or 2 years time. If Arsenal clinch titles, Fabregas will want to seek fresh challenges and if Arsenal fails, he will be convinced that Arsenal are just not ambitious or capable enough.

Thomas Vermaelen Stabilizes Shaky Defense

Thomas Vermaelen has proven to be another shrewd acquisition by Arsene Wenger. How did such a talent slip under the radar of top clubs and emerged on Arsenal’s shopping list with a price tag of only £10m?

To be sure, even this £10m was spent carefully. Arsene Wenger’s scouting team watched Vermaelen play for Ajax and Belgium on more than 30 occasions. So far, the research has paid off as Wenger is suitably impressed by the assurance of Vermaelen’s performances. Vermaelen has also found his way into the hearts of Arsenal fans but more importantly, he earned the respect of his peers in just two competitive matches.

Usually, the debut season is the hardest, because of the expectations and the need to adapt quickly to a different management, culture, egos, and playing style. However, Thomas Vermaelen had transitioned into English football so seamlessly, it put some of the seniors to shame.

“Thomas looks like he’s been at the club for more than a few months,” said the goalkeeper Manuel Almunia after the play-off first-leg victory at Celtic. “He’s a very calm player, very relaxed, and that makes the defenders around relaxed as well, not only William [Gallas] but me, Gaël and Bacary. We have confidence about this player.”

You can count on Almunia’s words because the defensive wall in front of him is extremely important to his livelihood. The central pairing of Vermaelen and Gallas cover each other well and were rarely caught out of position. In fact, the stability has prompted Arsene Wenger to comment that William Gallas is enjoying his best form in the last 2 years.

Clichy and Sagna constitute the other components of the bulwark and it is nice to see all of them functioning as a unit without any discords or engaging in blame games (at least not yet).

Vermaelen’s characteristics of a typical British centre-half – toughness and fearlessness have probably made his transition easier. He is strong in the air and has a great left foot but it is his attacking instincts which have surprised me. Vermaelen likes to surge out of defense with the ball at his feet or to join the attack in dead ball situations but he is no slacker in tracking back to cover the gaping defensive hole when the opponent counter-attacked.

That is a taxing act to follow but being young and eager, Vermaelen edged out his predecessor Kolo Toure as a more useful asset. The test for Vermaelen will come if he puts a foot wrong and Gallas starts criticizing him. Will he react positively or his confidence will be affected badly? Vermaelen also needs to prove his versatility if Wenger rotates Gallas with an inexperienced Djourou or a much slower Silvestre.

Arsenal’s New Found Team Spirit

Much has been said about the character of Arsenal’s young squad, even in previous seasons. Granted they had the self belief and fighting spirit but young players bring with them a high degree of unpredictability, immaturity and silly conflicts. It is difficult to select a leader from this class who can win everybody’s respect and motivate the team in its darkest hours, much like what Patrick Viera did.

Have they finally put their differences aside and incorporated Wenger’s mantras about mental strength? I believe there is a good chance of seeing a more united Arsenal after Adebayor and Toure moved on. Sometimes, clearing dead wood is essential for a manager. Pep Guardiola was vindicated in his decision to sell Deco and Ronaldinho and then leading Barcelona to an unprecedented Spanish treble.

Arsenal showed their confidence and desire to win when they refused to relax even as Everton wilted under the pressure from all the passing and goals conceded. Against Celtic, they did not back down from the physical challenges and their fans’ incessant vitriol.

Besides the obvious quality of the youngsters, there is a desire to contribute and win. Everybody in Arsenal squad likes to go forward which can be a nightmare for opponents. This is exemplified by Denilson and Song who are not only roaming comfortably in midfield but also aiming to get on the score sheet.

Nicklas Bendtner has played and with more confidence now that Adebayor has departed. Robin van Persie who was unsettled previously has recently exhorted the new found team spirit: “I think we showed in both that we really want to fight for each other and if we can produce that every three or four days, we can make a big step forward.”

However, team spirit is easy to play up when times are good. Last season, Arsenal had a 21 game unbeaten run but they lost the plot after a petulant act by captain William Gallas who sat on the ground at St Andrews in protest. As events unfolded, it soon became obvious that the team spirit in Arsenal squad is broken with players splitting into different camps. The conflicts – who should wear the armband and which players should be in the first XI – eroded Arsenal’s competitiveness.

It is only in adversity that we get the measure of a man. When staring at a string of defeats, will the blame be pushed around or the squad close ranks and shoulder the collective responsibility of turning draws and losses into wins?

William Gallas’s behavior will be under intense scrutiny, especially at Old Trafford where the Red Devils are sure to put the fight of their life against their old nemesis. Defensively, it will be more challenging as few teams can counter the attacking verve of the current Premier League champion, when their engine is lubricated fully.

I am not sure if the fragmented pieces in Arsenal have finally gelled together but so far, I like the new camaraderie in Arsenal squad. The Gunners are supportive of William Gallas and if he doesn’t self-destruct and alienate himself again, then Arsenal stand a good chance of ending their trophy drought.

Injury List And Misfiring Strikers

The 2009 season has just started only but Arsenal’s injury list is already a troubling issue. The good news is that after two games, the list has not got any longer.

Theo Walcott still hasn’t recovered from a back injury, but Wenger said it was a matter of days not weeks. Nasri, Djourou, Rosicky, and Fabianski are all still out, while Eduardo has recovered from a tight hammy that kept him out of the Celtic match.

If all the players are fit for selection throughout the nine month quest, Arsenal is a sure bet for trophies but a full squad is a tough ask, given that harsh treatments will escalate in the coming weeks as every team wants a shot at tripping up the league leader.

Arsene Wenger should also look into why Bendtner, van Persie,and Arshavin who have started up front in a 4-3-3 formation against Everton and Celtic left their scoring boots at home. Even though goals are in abundance currently, it is not healthy to depend on defenders and midfielders to score goals. They should be supplying the assists and not gunning for glory, else van Persie may have to find another job elsewhere.

Time To Deliver The Goods

The objective is to win the Premier League title and possibly land the Champions League but I believe the fans will still accept a top four finish and allow Arsene Wenger more time to build his team. But even the professor feels that there should be no more excuses and goods must be delivered soon.

Wenger said: “At 22 or 23 I think a team is mature enough to deliver, and this is a massively important year for our club. To talk of winning the league is an audacious statement, but I built this team, and I want to deliver with this team.”

I believe the Gunners are already very hungry for success and they are due some luck too. Arsenal hasn’t won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2005 and they last won the league in 2004. The Gunners finished fourth in the Premier League last season, spending several weeks in fifth place and nearly lost out on Champions League qualification, if not for Aston Villa suffering a near cataclysmic collapse.

Arsenal have started off brightly before, only to end up with their hopes in tatters but this time, they may just defy the odds as the underdog. The squad is a year older and wiser and hungrier, and when you put your egos, feuds and differences aside, miraculous things can happen.

Barcelona achieved unprecedented honor with virtually the same squad before Pep Guardiola stepped into his debut managerial appointment. There is little technical skills he can teach the players which they do not know already so his job is not to impart knowledge but to get the players to function as a unit, the way he wants it.

Man-management skills take precedence and the fact that he has been a player in a successful Barcelona team helps. Guardiola knows what the players want and can channel their desires for silverware to selfless and hard work in training and competitive matches.

I believe Arsene Wenger can coax this team to rise to the occasion and punch above their weight. If Arsenal pass the tests at Manchester United and Manchester City with flying colors and continue to stay cautious, focused and motivated, they could very well end their five year trophy drought.

As further testimony to Chelsea manager Guss Hiddink’s positive vibes, the Blues prevailed in a 2-1 victory and kept on track for the Treble. Arsenal were no pushovers though. The Gunners started the match brightly and their movement and passing were eye candy to football fans.

In the 18th minute, Theo Walcott put the Gunners ahead. Emmanuel Adebayor started the move on the left and passed to Kieran Gibbs who crossed for an unmarked Walcott at the far post. The latter hit a soft volley which took a deflection off Ashley Cole and left Petr Cech stranded.

However, Arsenal’s happiness was short-lived as Florent Malouda drew level in the 32nd minute. Frank Lampard delivered a superb pass to Malouda who trapped the ball nicely and fired accurately into the net. Arsenal had narrowly escaped earlier when Malouda blasted a shot that skimmed under goalkeeper Lukazs Fabianski before flashing across goal.

Having equalized, Chelsea grew in confidence. Nicolas Anelka struck the far post with a fine left-footed shot. Abou Diaby was to blame for the slack defending when he gave the ball away on the edge of the box and could only appeal vainly for a foul.

Arsenal’s front line was not pulling their weight either. Robin van Persie, one of the crown jewels in Wenger’s ensemble, failed to turn up any magic. He wasted a crucial opportunity when an acrobatic clearance by Alex denied Walcott, but the ball fell nicely for him… only to be blasted disappointingly into no man’s land.

Though Arsenal outplayed Chelsea with a more fluid game in midfield, they presented little threat in the opponent’s goal box due to the tight marking and poor link-up to Adebayor, who holds the key in Wenger’s 4-2-3-1 formation. While Chelsea’s backline was at least functioning, Arsenal’s incompetent defense made Chelsea appear menacing and likely to score whenever they pressed forward.

Indeed, Fabianski was kept extremely busy by the relentless Chelsea bombardment. Anelka missed a header narrowly, before Lampard volleyed an excellent chance wide from Drogba’s cross. Drogba then screamed for a penalty when Mikaël Silvestre held him and handled the ball. It is a wonder the scoreline was kept respectable for so long.

With the match drawing to a close, the epic battle was still locked in a stalemate. However, Didier Drogba changed the script single-handedly in the final six minutes. Frank Lampard lobbed the ball from deep in his own half and Drogba latched on quickly by shrugging off Mikael Silvestre. The Ivorian exemplified exquisite balance and control by skipping past the on-rushing Fabianski before steering the ball into the empty net.

Arsene Wenger factored in a sub-standard Wembley pitch for a defeat which destroyed their most realistic hope of a trophy. “Building a stadium with that kind of money and having no pitch is laughable,” he said. But that is no excuse as the pitch affect both teams equally.

And Arsenal had no reason for feeling jaded as Chelsea had eliminated Liverpool 4-4 in a gruelling Champions League quarter-finals (7-5 agg) while the Gunners cruised past Villarreal in a 3-0 victory (4-1 agg).

Keeper Fabianski did not have a memorable birthday as nobody were in the mood for celebrations after he gift-wrapped presents for his opponents. He was a constant bundle of nerves, yet he shows a propensity for charging out of the box when the danger should normally be cleared by defenders. While I don’t think he is engaged in showboating, I am still perplexed by his heroics.

If Fabianski wants to take on the striker, he has to win the ball in a strong and decisive manner, instead of attempting half-hearted challenges, else it will be a safer bet to just defend his line. To be fair to the shaken Fabianski, Manuel Almunia did not perform any better in dealing with Didier Drogba, though the Spaniard has shown better judgment and composure in big games.

Fabianski was unable to settle down even when Arsenal went ahead. I don’t blame him as the defense often left him exposed. The main culprits were Emmanuel Eboue and Michel Sivestre who felt like strangers and and were too slow to react.

Due to injuries to William Gallas and Johan Djourou, Wenger took a risk by placing Silvestre in the center of defence but it didn’t pay off as Silvestre’s best days are clearly behind him. The lack of first choice full backs will persist for a while and Wenger has to solve this porous defense soon, else there will be more “cheap goals” to come.

Mindful of the defensive malaise, Wenger said: “It was a game where any mistake in the end could be costly. It is disappointing because we had a good start and after we dropped off. The game looked as through it would finish as a draw – I felt we gave two cheap goals away.”

Arsene Wenger have also tweaked the side which demolished Villlarreal, dropping Alex Song and Samir Nasri to the bench and playing Denilson and Abou Diaby alongside Casc Fabregas in the centre of midfield, with Robin van Persie moving out to the left flank.

It may be wise to field fresh legs in the face of a hectic schedule but one cannot afford to take chances against a rejuventated Drogba and the best team must play. I believe Wenger erred by leaving Arshavin out of the starting XI. By the time Arshavin came on for van Persie, he could not influence the outcome, though his late effort which was deflected to safety by Alex was commendable.

This FA Cup defeat may have far-reaching implications for Arsenal in terms of filling the cabinet with silverware this season. Arsenal’s winning streak has ended and it usually takes time for Wenger to nurse the team’s fragile confidence and steer the ship back on course.

This disruption in momentum could be a boon for Manchester United in the Champions League. Already, wresting the Premier League title is highly unlikely unless all three top teams collapse in unison, and given Arsenal’s dismal track record in the European competition, the Gunners have lost their most realistic chance of a trophy.

The bright spark for Arsenal was Theo Walcott. He was the live-wire in this match and Arsenal looked dangerous whenever he charged down the flanks with the ball. The England winger has been excellent since his return from his latest injury and enjoyed a compelling duel with Cole all game. His goal was well deserved.

As for Guss Hiddink, it is no surprise he is a happy and contented man these days. He said: “It’s very nice to work with these guys. They always deliver.” Hiddink has repeatedly stressed that he is in charge until the end of the season, after which he remains as full-time coach of Russia’s national team.

Nevertheless, if he achieves the Treble, I believe Abramovich will impose his will and sign him on a long term contract. It will be a great folly to release a manger who can win trophies and more importantly, galvanize the players into a solid team which respond and execute his strategies.

Player politics is a major distraction in Chelsea’s dressing room and if Didier Drogba, who has repeatedly expressed a desire to leave Chelsea, is now rallying the troops forward, you know the manager has ironed out major differences, injected faith and gained mutual respect with his footballing philosophy.

In this match, I will say Frank Lampard was not at his dominant best in midfield. But once again, he proved his worth by supplying two crucial long range passes which led to the goals. I prefer to rate Droga and Essien highly for Chelsea’s revival.

Much has been made about the battle of midfield between Essien and Fabregas. Both are midfield inspirations and have returned from long injuries but they possess different characteristics. Essien is more physical and powerful than Fabregas but the latter has greater technique, wider range of passes and is tactically better.

Fabregas only come into the Arsenal side on April 4 after three and a half months out. But his match fitness was not compromised – setting up a string of goals for his resurgent side. Similarly, Essien has been Chelsea’s driving force since returning from a cruciate injury.

However, with Cesc Fabregas failing to stamp his class, it was Essien whose effervescent energy and brutal power shone brightest. Fabregas can seek solace that Steven Gerrard also lost the midfield battle to Essien. That is the danger of teams which rely heavily on a single playmaker, who no matter how talented, can be a burden to the team when their creative spark fizzles out.

Up front, there is also a determined hunter in Didier Drogba who steps up a gear whenever he is pitted against the Gunners. Drogba loves to score against Arsenal and his brace in the bad-tempered Carling Cup 2007 final must still be fresh in Arsenal fans’ memories.

Before the match, Wenger highlighted that the key to stopping Chelsea was preventing Drogba getting up a full head of steam. He is right on the money by pinpointing Arsenal’s Achilles heel as the powerful Ivorian is on song since Guus Hiddink’s arrival. For the record, Drogba has now racked up his eighth goal in nine games against Arsenal.

Already a nightmare for the first choice Arsenal defence, the makeshift defense clearly has no chance against Drogba’s potent strength and pace. Wenger said: “We made it a little bit too easy for him at times, and that was true of the winning goal.”

Chelsea are on a roll after eliminating Liverpool and Arsenal. Hiddink has applied the right strategy in a physical and intimidating play – Branislav Ivanovic and Michael Ballack were both cautioned for aggressive tackles, the first on Van Persie, the second on Fabregas. Arsenal were lulled into complacency with uninterrupted quick passes while the Blues search, destroy and strike where it matters.

I believe Hiddink will continue with the midfield triumvirate of Lampard-Essien-Ballack which has been in slumber at times but effective when given a jolt in the dressing room. His biggest worry must be Petr Cech. Having conceded seven goals in its last two games, Cech’s blunders have contributed to the team’s struggle to beat Bolton 4-3 and the pulsating 4-4 draw with Liverpool.

Without fail, Petr Cech conceded yet another goal, though in dubious circumstances. Deflections are always tricky and Ashely Cole could have done a better job of shackling Walcott and preventing the shot. The Cech of three years ago might have coped adequately, but when confidence is low, schoolboy errors start to crop up.

Chelsea are looking stable in a 4-3-3 formation but in the Champions League, they may find Barcelona to be a different proposition. Theo Walcott has pace and but not much creativity, yet Ashley Cole struggled to contain the youngster. The intelligent and technically gifted Lionel Messi who has been terrorizing defenses in La Liga for fun will relish giving Ashley Cole a few more footballing lessons.

Chelsea are now into the final, where they will meet either Manchester United or Everton on May 30. This may turn out to be a grand showdown for the Treble which features two of the most successful Premier League teams in recent years. Stay tuned.

The following was guest blogged by Nick Walsh from Betfair.

There’s a well-worn maxim that behind every good man is a good woman and January signing Andrei Arshavin was quick to single out his better half after he finally announced himself as an Arsenal player in the 4-0 mauling of Blackburn at the Emirates on Saturday.

The enigmatic Russian, who was cup-tied for the sudden death victory against Roma in the Champions League, recovered from a deep wound in his foot that required stitches at half-time to turn this game on its head with a mixture of craft and commitment.

The 27-year-old, a winter arrival from Zenit St Petersburg, unnerved Andre Ooijer into putting through his own net after just two minutes and was a bag of tricks for most parts before he finally got his reward after the restart.

Arshavin left Danny Simpson in knots before drilling the ball past Paul Robinson to set Arsenal on their way to a one-sided victory against Sam Allardyce’s decimated squad.

Blackburn’s miserable afternoon was compounded when the much-maligned Emmanuel Eboue, on as an 83rd-minute substitute, scored two late goals, including a penalty.

This was Arsenal back to their free-flowing best with players sweeping forward from all angles.

Yet for all the positives, Arsenal supporters continued to show their disdain for Nicklas Bendtner, who wasted five clear-cut chances to make the scoreline more emphatic.

Arsene Wenger insisted the Dane will win over his detractors and was pleased Arshavin grabbed his first goal in Arsenal colours, adding that the Russian international could have a significant impact in the race for Champions League qualification.

He said: “Arshavin has lots of talent – his intelligence, vision and finishing are top quality.”

The boss added: “We were convincing and this team goes from strength to strength.”

So tarnished was their aura of invincibility, the relief for Arsenal fans was palpable when their beloved team broke the duck within four minutes of kick-off. Despite West Brom equalizing two minutes later, the Gunners found their range with two goals, a fair reward for superior possession and enterprising play.

Though the match was already sewn up in the first half, Arsenal continued to run riot after the break and were were unlucky not to add to the scoreline. West Brom had been most helpful with their porous defense, naivete and lack of technical skills.

The improvement coincided with refreshing changes to a jaded team which was held to four consecutive goalless draws. Robin van Persie, Carlos Vela, Abou Diaby and the injured William Gallas were replaced with Johan Djourou, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue.

Andrei Arshavin was another ace up the sleeve for Wenger. The Russian had been impressive since his arrival. Though he missed three gilt-edged chances to score his first Arsenal goal, he created an assist for Kolo Toure. For now, he is already repaying Wenger’s faith with his creativity and exquisite passing.

However, special mention goes to Nicklas Bendtner, the player who has been vehemently abused. Bendtner was a vital cog in the dominant strikeforce and it was a gamble which paid off for Arsene Wenger. I doubt Arsenal fans will forgive his decision to leave out top scorer van Persie while the club sought its first league goal since January 28.

Bendtner is adjusting to life on the left wing, so there will be no Robert Pires’s silky movements, defense splitting passes and goals for the time being. For a 20 year old, it is unfair to expect Bendtner to be the main goal threat and lead Arsenal to glory but given time and and Wenger’s guidance, he may yet develop into a world class player.

His 11 goals this season is not a disaster either as compared to a senior striker like Adebayor who only managed 12. Not surprisingly, Arsene Wenger stood behind Bendtner, saying: “Nicklas has shown tonight that he has the talent to play for Arsenal. I liked his presence, his determined attitude and the way he took people on. That shows he has matured.”

This result is certainly a confidence booster and Arsenal again has the coveted top four within sights. Aston Villa’s failure to keep up the pressure by stumbling 2-0 to Manchester City and being held 2-2 by a late Stoke rally could be their undoing, once Arsenal snowball their run of victories.

Over the past weeks, I have watched with disdain at the behavior of the Anti-Wenger Brigade which called for Wenger’s head and some even branded him as a liar. Now, I understand Wenger’s post match interviews have been grating on the ears. He is ignoring the facts when he said the team is only 1-2% away from perfection, and his lads are full of potential and spirit.

But what do the fans actually expect? Arsene Wenger cannot raise morale by lambasting the players, or blaming the opponents, pitch, match officials, media, etc. Any reprimand has to be done behind closed doors. Wenger needs his charges to believe in themselves, at least until the end of the season.

I believe most of the unappeased fans are relatively new to the scene and have not gone through the eighties when the pace was slower, their club was languishing, and commercial interests were not pervasive. The Premier League fans today are accustomed to crazy-money, either from leverage or sugar-daddies (think $100 million pounds for a player) and desire instant gratification.

After having their appetite whetted by initial successes, they cannot tolerate poor results. Coming in third or fourth is unacceptable and they demand to spend their way to the championships by purchasing star players. And if that approach fails, then the manager is at fault and must be sacked. Such a mentality has claimed countless worthy managers in the Premier League.

A case in point is Juande Ramos who revived his career at Real Madrid and has whittled Barcelona’s lead to four points in the La Liga. Ramos’s fate at Tottenham couldn’t be more different. After winning the Carling Cup, he went on a run of 13 games without victory and was eventually dismissed. A manager of his calibre does not become a dud overnight, the players, fans and directors have a role to play in a club’s success too.

So far, I am skeptical of the support given by the Arsenal board. They have raised fans’ expectations by making statements like, “we have 30 million pounds to spend,” but actions count louder than words. Xabi Alonso was snatched from under Arsenal’s nose because they haggled over a few million dollars and the Arshavin deal was nearly botched in a similar manner.

The power struggle is apparent when the board took everyone by surprise by sacking former Managing Director, Keith Edelman, and keeping Arsene Wenger in the dark. As outsiders, we cannot be sure who is doing the penny-pinching. The money is definitely there as the club has been making huge profits and is now the fifth richest in the world in terms of revenue.

Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine that Arsene Wenger will help the club save money and compromise the quality of his squad unless he has some profit sharing involved. If Rafael Benitez had been in charge, I am sure he will have raised a stinky ruckus in the media when the transfer budget is not forthcoming.

I do not encourage Arsenal to go on a spending spree though. The financially prudent approach is laudable. Signing expensive players is good while it lasted, but football prestige built on this foundation is illusory. Without constant silverware and new influx of funds, clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and to a lesser extent, Liverpool, could implode under the weight of debts, ala Leeds United.

Arsene Wenger is on a sustainable course by sticking to his philosophy of nurturing young talents, integrating them into the team and then selling them for profits if better candidates come along. For that, he has been viewed as a selfish, stubborn and self-aggrandizing man.

Wenger has always taken pride in his keen eye for raw talents and developing them into established players. But this time, the anti-Wengers feared their manager has carried things a little too far. Wenger may be deriving greater satisfaction from building great teams than winning titles, else why will he persist in doing things the hard way by reducing his squad for profits rather than retaining his best assets through making exceptions for higher wages.

By sticking to his principle and refusing huge contracts to players such as Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Hleb and Diarra, Wenger may have inadvertently hurt the club’s interest. On the surface, Arsenal are not held at ransom to players’ demands but negative emotions are being bottled up.

Flamini was a key reason for Arsenal leading the Premier League table until the final third of last season. His presence added tenacity in midfield, without which the mouth-watering football is often stopped in its track by physical opponents. He did not shy from challenges and constantly fought for possession by harrassing opponents into making stray passes. Maybe he carried the fighting spirit a little too far into the contract negotiations.

Flamini’s presence also freed Fabregas from his defensive duties and the latter was able to roam up further to exploit defensive gaps. As for Alexander Hleb, he may not have scored loads of goals but his telepathic understanding with Fabregas and Adebayor created turmoil in opponents’ defenses. This season, Hleb’s technical ability and vision were solely missed as Adebayor is impotent in front of goal and van Persie, despite being a shining light, struggles to attain his full potential of winning the Golden Boot.

If AC Milan deem it fit to double Flamni’s wages while limiting his match appearances, then Wenger must wake up to the workings of the free market. Being adamant on his wage strategy because he is worried about club’s debt on the Emirates stadium is not going to cut it with the players.

Yes, they appreciate and respect the manager’s achievements but they also need him to show ambitions by buying and retaining key talents. If a player has proven his worth and the club is raking in the cash, they expect to be paid their dues – loyalty works only for a select few.

I admire Wenger’s beautiful vision of how football should be played and his team has always been able to pass teams into submission. But his current squad has difficulty keeping possession and Wenger cannot be absolved of responsibility for inadequate replacements after releasing Diarra, Alexander Hleb, Flamini, and Gilberto.

Arsenal are also sorely lacking in natural leaders and winners. Though Gilberto and Flamini tried their best, none can replace effectively Patrick Vieria’s leadership, competitiveness, motivation in going the extra mile, and resilience under pressure. The team spirit is in fact impaired by William Gallas’s captaincy.

Too often, when the going gets tough, fissures appear and the team doesn’t stick together as a unit. There is nobody who commands enough respect to sort things out – Gallas is too much of a big mouth and hot-headed for that. If his outstanding performances for Chelsea and France did gain him any stature, he destroyed all that goodwill with his inappropriate outburst at St Andrew’s.

Wenger continued to turn a blind eye to Gallas’s poor leadership but when Gallas aired dirty linen, his captaincy was finally withdrawn. Nevertheless, bad blood remains and Gallas behaved like an outcast (his best friends are in Chelsea) and not performing consistently. I suspect his open conflict with van Persie will see either one of them leaving soon.

The injury crisis has been another hallmark of Arsenal’s season. After the departure of the legendary “Invincibles” of the 2004-2005 season (featuring the likes of Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Pires, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Reyes, Vieira, Edu, Henry, Bergkamp), Wenger has struggled to put his first XI for any extended period of time.

His new generation of players are too soft and could not endure the ordeals of a long season without spending time on the injury list. Cesc Fabregas is the heartbeat of the team but is often missing in action when the matches start piling up. The loss of Tomas Rosicky, Eduardo, Walcott and Bacary Sagna had also been crucial.

Though the injuries are not Wenger’s fault, the thin squad is his responsibility. He has done well to infuse new blood to quickly replace the aging “Invincibles” and Arsenal remain virtually unbeatable (in the domestic league and Europe) whenever they field their best eleven. However, when the first XI is tampered with, it is a different ball game.

For a top four club, injuries should be the least of its concerns as compared to a lower division club operating on a shoe-string budget. It is the manager’s job to ensure the squad is still good after the first eleven players. Denilson, Song, Bendtner, Diaby and Djourou have shown glimpses of quality but cannot be expected to carry a team in the top flight or Champions League qualifications. Aaron Ramsey and Amaury Bischoff are simply not ready to even step in as substitutions.

While Arsene Wenger has some questionable judgment calls, I feel he does not deserve to be booed. I believe Wenger has suffered in silence as a victim of circumstances and his own success. From reaching the pinnacle of 2004 when Arsenal swept the Double with an army of “Invincibles,” their form have faltered drastically.

Arsenal currently lie in fifth spot, three points behind Aston Villa and four ahead of Everton. Their Premier League record is 13 wins, 10 draws and 5 defeats. They have taken only 8 points from their last 16 and could not find the net in 4 consecutive league games. To be sure, that is not sizzling form deserving of a Premier League title, especially with 10 league games left.

However, Arsene Wenger can take heart from Manchester United’s success. The present Manchester United squad may be all-conquering but they went trophyless in the 2004-2005 season and only reclaimed the Premier League title in 2007. Back then, their recruitment policy was a disaster.

Youngsters like Quinton Fortune, David Bellion, Diego Forlan, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson were not breaking through the ranks convincingly. As for the senior players like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Scholes, Gabriel Heinze, and Ryan Giggs, they were either injured or a pale shadow of their stellar form when they returned to the pitch.

Alex Ferguson was whiplashed from all quarters and under pressure to resign but fortunately, sanity prevailed. I have to credit Ferguson for overhauling the squad successfully while Manchester United struggled with a change of ownership, massive debts and lack of quality signings.

Opportunistic clubs jacked up the prices when the Red Devils came calling or players simply refuse to come under the wings of Ferguson who “lost” his touch for winning titles. Luckily, the return of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as well as the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo steadied the ship.

At full-strength, Arsenal boast a fearful offensive lineup comprising Cesc Fabregas, Rosicky, Nasri, Arshavin, Walcott, Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Eduardo and Bendtner. If they stay clear of injuries, and purchase quality centre backs and defensive midfield cover, I have little doubt Wenger will mount a serious assault on the Premier League crown next season.

Every club goes through rough patches, and sometimes it can stretch for years. So long as the board perseveres with good management while allowing time for the situation to turnaround, no crisis is insurmountable.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are still in contention for the quarter-finals of the FA cup and the Champions League, so their season could yet end on a high note. If I were the manager of the top four, despite whatever misgivings, I will not discount Arsene Wenger as a formidable enemy. The fans are certainly running the risk of forcing Arsene Wenger out of the club at their own loss.

It has been 12 years since an unknown Frenchman walked in through the doors into the marble hallway of Highbury and began a revolution that has changed the face of not only Arsenal but the whole of the Premier League.

In that time Arsenal have won three league titles and four FA Cup’s, as well as establishing themselves as one of the best teams in Europe despite failing to claim a European title in Arsene Wenger’s time in charge.

In that time Arsenal have had few problems compared to some clubs, the biggest coming in trying to replace ‘the invincibles’ from 2003-04. Some would say that was a puzzle with no solution but now the Gunners find themselves in the midst of a true crisis.

In the time Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal, there have been rumblings of discontent at the club but never have such things come out into the press like they have done with William Gallas. There is no doubt that things are not right with Arsenal at this moment in time, the testimony to that coming on Saturday when they were well and truly beaten by Manchester City 3-0.

Whether the current unrest is totally down to Gallas is a matter for debate but the former Chelsea man is certainly an outspoken figure. That was evident in the way he tried to leave the Blues by threatening to score own goals if the club refused to let him leave back in 2006.

For me, when Gallas did eventually join Arsenal in-exchange for Ashley Cole plus a healthy cash amount for the Gunners it looked like another smart bit of business on Wenger’s behalf. Despite failing to win a trophy and suffering a series of injuries Gallas formed a solid defensive partnership with Kolo Toure.

The French international wasn’t afraid to throw his wait around, demanding the captaincy after Thierry Henry left and then questioning the clubs title credentials at the start of the 2007-8 season when the club failed to sign any big name players in the summer transfer window.

However these matters were seemingly resolved when the Gunners made an excellent start to last season. Things only started to unravel when a late penalty cost Arsenal all three points at Birmingham in February. The pictures of Gallas sat on the St Andrews pitch, sulking after the final whistle, have now become infamous as it seemed to spell the end of Arsenal’s title challenge.

The Gunners fell away in the closing months of the season and were again left empty handed when the trophies were handed out. Arsenal lost a number of quality players in the off season with Mathieu Flamini, Alex Hleb and Gilberto Silva all leaving the club.

Since then Arsenal have not looked the same side, Cesc Fabregas doesn’t seem the same player as last season while the players brought in to replace the trio who left have been unable to match last seasons heights.

The Arsenal fans have been very patient with Wenger while he has ‘rebuilt’ the squad after ‘the invincibles’ went their separate ways. However this season the frustration of falling further behind the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United has begun to show amongst some sectors of the Emirates crowd.

Some have argued that despite the current crop of youngsters coming through the ranks Wenger needs to invest in some star name players now if the club want to win something in the coming seasons.

It seems as though the frustration has spread from the crowd to the players with William Gallas’ latest outburst summing up how some of the Arsenal fans have been feeling. However the overriding factor seems to be that you can’t come out and criticize the club you are currently the captain of.

I would certainly agree with this statement because whilst we all know the team requires a bit more steel down the spin of it there is no need for Gallas to shout it out across the media.

What was even more uncalled for was for William Gallas to launder the clubs in house disputes out in the public. We already knew that there was a furious argument after the 4-4 draw with Tottenham in the dressing room. All has not been well inside the Arsenal dressing room since Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Adebayor decided to have a fight on the pitch during the Gunners 5-1 humiliation against Spurs again.

Thus Wenger has been left in a desperate situation with players fighting amongst themselves and some of the supporters beginning to turn on the Arsenal manager.

There seems to be no easy way out for Wenger because he looked like he had turned things around after the 2-1 victory over Man Utd. However since then Arsenal’s Premier League odds have all but been extinguished after two successive defeats.

It’s obvious that things aren’t working at Arsenal at the minute and that something needs to change. Arsene Wenger has started to do that by naming Cesc Fabregas as the new club captain. However to place even more emphasis on the shoulders of a 21-year-old who the Gunners already heavily rely on may be too much for Wenger to ask for.

How else could Wenger appoint though? The current squad lacks any leaders apart from Gallas and with half the squad unwillingly to follow him there has to be a new captain. Whether Fabregas is the right man for that job remains to be seen.

It really does surprise me that some are calling for Wenger to step down, suggesting that he has taken the club as far as he can. However to those people I would ask who out there could do a better job than the one Wenger has done?

Whilst Wenger is still the man for the job at the Emirates there is no doubt the Frenchman needs to change some of his ways. Firstly he needs to get a grip on the changing room, the players seem to be disjointed on and off the pitch. Wenger needs to some how pick up some of his squad whilst bringing them together

Perhaps now is the time to test some of the youngsters that have impressed in the Carling Cup. Not against Chelsea this Sunday arguable because the situation could overwhelm some of the teenagers, after all it is a bit different from playing in the League Cup.

Finally I believe it is time for Wenger to get his cheque book out and bring in some current talent because whilst the future looks bright the here and now is decidable gloomy. Two or three players in January might be enough for Arsenal to win something with the Premier League now seemingly out of reach.

There is no doubt that for the time beginning Arsenal and Arsene Wenger will have to get by with what they have got and hope they can turn things around, starting with an ‘easy’ trip to Chelsea on Sunday.

To ramp up the challenge, Arsenal’s youth team demolished Sheffield United 6-0 in a breathtaking display of attacking football midweek in the Carling Cup. With such prowess and deep reserves, a victory should never be in doubt, only the margin.

Arsene Wenger was also keen to put Hull quickly in their place. He made eleven changes to the victorious Carling Cup team, essentially fielding his first XI. Inflicting maximum damage was imperative to restoring respectability to the league standings, since by some mysterious twist of fate, Hull City happened to be only a few places adrift of Arsenal’s fourth spot in the Premier League table.

Arsenal did not disappoint as they came into the match firing on all cylinders. In the 15th minute, Emmanuel Adebayor had the ball in the net – only for referee Alan Wiley to disqualify the goal for a foul on McShane while rising to meet the header.

Hull barely heaved a sigh of relief before coming under pressure again as Theo Walcott advanced menacingly. Fortunately, left-back Dawson came in with a brilliant tackle just as the England winger was about to fire a scorcher.

Hull City also had the assistant referee’s flag to thank, on at least three occasions, but as the minutes ticked away, full credit has to go to their resilient and disciplined defense as they held up well under Arsenal’s persistent attacks.

For the first half hour, Arsenal’s slick passing and movement allowed them an overwhelming possession as well as several glit-edged chances. Cesc Fabregas was a constant thorn for Hull City with his intelligent runs and defense-splitting passes. However, the fact that Arsenal were still empty-handed imbued Hull with confidence and increased the difficulties in breaching the defense.

Emmanuel Eboue fluffed an excellent chance with a deflected right-foot shot on the edge of the 18-yard box, while Michael Turner thwarted Adebayor with yet another well-timed challenge. Arsenal finally calmed their frayed nerves when Walcott’s cross bounced off Adebayor into the path of Fabregas, whose effort was bundled over the goal-line by a desperate McShane.

The Gunners continued to surge forward in numbers, trying hard to press home their one-goal advantage. Adebayor and Robin van Persie could have wrapped up the match effortlessly and headed for an early shower but both left their scoring boots at home.

Arsenal finally paid for their profligacy when Hull drew level in the 61st minute. Geovanni cleverly avoided a challenge before drifting into the box and smashing a sensational shot from 25 yards into the top corner of Manuel Almunia’s net.

It was the Brazilian’s first goal for Hull since joining in the summer from Manchester City, and boy, is it one of the most important of his career. Cousin put the icing on the cake when he rose majestically above Arsenal’s defenders to head Dawson’s corner into the net.

The countdown was on and Arsene Wenger sprung into action. With 25 minutes left to share the spoils, Wenger switched to an attacking 4-2-4 formation, with Nicklas Bendtner replacing Eboue and Carlos Vela on for Walcott.

Arsenal’s attacking instinct was sharpened and in the 80th minute, Van Persie’s strike missed Myhill’s right-hand post by a whisker. Gallas clattered the crossbar with a powerful header in the final five minutes, and when Vela miscued the rebound, you can sense that a famous upset is on the way.

Much to the consternation of Hull City, Arsenal was given an extended lifeline with four minutes of injury time. Goalkeeper Myhill turned hero of the moment by producing an outstanding parry to deny Fabregas’s powerful 20-yard strike and earn Hull their first victory against Arsenal.

With this result, Hull City climbed to sixth spot in the Premier League and if they continue to churn out such performances, they could turn out to be the surprise package of this season. Manager Phil Brown made two crucial changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Everton last week, recalling midfielders George Boateng and Geovanni who were instrumental in the victory.

Even if Hull missed out on a Uefa Cup qualification spot at the end of the season, they have already written a chapter in their history for claiming Arsenal’s scalp. As it is, their fairy tale involves another three points to match Derby’s 11 points from the whole of the last campaign. That will be sufficient to prove that Championship play-off winners are not in the Premier League to make up the numbers.

Judging by the deathly silence that descended on Emirates Stadium at the final whistle, Arsenal fans were shell-shocked that their mighty team has fallen, twice already this season. Once again, the aura of invincibility for Arsenal was pierced and at their own home ground, to boot. In all fairness, Arsenal were far superior technically but were let down by wasteful finishing.

Hull deserve full points for their commitment. Well, you simply have to, against a world class team like Arsenal. So long as you play harder or even take the game to the Gunners through a physical approach, it is a level playing field. Indeed, Hull City fought tooth and nail and refuse to concede ground in defense; in the end, they were rewarded for their efforts.

Wenger said: “It’s a good lesson for us because the commitment was on their side. We know from these kind of games that when your attitude from the start is not good enough you risk losing the game.”

“I think we had 25 crosses today, their keeper and defenders did a great job. After we were 1-0 up and that’s when we were a bit careless. Instead of pushing on and scoring a second goal, we gave too much room to Hull and in the end we were caught.”

That is about as frank an assessment you can get from Wenger and you can sense his displeasure even as he refuses to dwell on individual performances. The consequences of this defeat is not dire yet but Arsenal may just rue this opportunity to top the table and consolidate their position.

I believe Arsene Wenger is depressed with the way his team conceded soft corners which are proving to be a major chinks in Arsenal’s armor. Training cannot compensate for the concentration, positioning and willingness to fight for every loose ball.

Wenger was right to pinpoint his players on ball-watching and slipshod defending, saying: “You can work for hours on the training ground but if you don’t attack the ball on the day of the game it will cost you.”

With plenty of preparation to be done after this defeat, nobody was in the mood to celebrate Wenger’s 12 year anniversary of being in charge. A highly competitive match against Porto in the Champions League awaits Arsenal on Tuesday. Porto cannot be underestimated after defeating Fenerbahce handily.

In the Champions League, I believe the Gunners will not take things easy but they have to get over their disappointment and rebuild their confidence. They had already paid the price for complacency.

This defeat should serve only as a wake-up call and not throw the entire squad into disarray or conflicts. Wenger is an old hand in rallying his troops so Porto has to get ready for a backlash.

There is no doubt this young team of Gunners is bustling with talents but to lay their hands on the long-awaited Premier League and the ever-elusive Champions League, they have to draw upon mental strength rather than technical capabilities. While the young Turks may be inconsistent now, I believe in another season or so, they will be a fearful proposition.

Wenger and Platini were embroiled in a bitter feud again this week, thanks to an interview Platini gave to Dauphine Libere. Let’s look at the comments which Platini raged about.

1. “I like to talk about football, him (Wenger) about business. We must stop with Wenger and all that.”

2. “It would make me happy that Arsene Wenger never sees it (video assistance).”

3. When asked about his thoughts on Romanian side CFR Cluj’s unexpected victory over Roma in the Champions League last week, Platini said: “That is what makes football so great. It is what people like Wenger do not want, little clubs beating the big clubs, because they want their business.”

Arsene Wenger responded promptly and indicates his shock at being swiped by the president of football’s governing body in Europe.

“I am stunned by the aggressive content of Platini’s words. I am effectively a supporter of video assistance for referees, like all coaches, and I believe UEFA have an important role to play in this. I am for sporting justice and UEFA must be the guarantor of it. I am a supporter of good management of clubs, for financial equilibrium.

“And UEFA must equally support this idea. I am fighting for the future of the game and of football. I don’t see why UEFA should take umbrage at ideas that are different from their own.”

During his reign, Michael Platini was not shy to engage in controversial issues but he was often way off the mark. This latest attack on Arsene Wenger came as a surprise to me, not for its hollowness, but for its ferocity on a fellow countryman.

While I beg to differ with Wenger’s football philosophy at times, especially his selective blindness and reluctance to develop England players en-route to achieving honors for Arsenal; in this instance, I feel Wenger is hard done by.

One minute Platini is lamenting that football clubs neglect their financial affairs, the next, he attacks Wenger for caring only “about business.” Double standards in his concern on football’s developments, indeed.

Why berate about the disparity between the rich and poor in football? The salary scale of super stars is not something new. It was prevalent in Spain and Italy since the 80s, but of late, has taken on mammoth proportions in the Premier League due to the influx of money from foreign owners.

Arsene Wenger is not solely responsible for such trends in football. If anything, he regularly loses his best players to poachers from bigger clubs.

Let’s be clear that I have a healthy respect for Michael Platini’s achievements as a world-class footballer. As captain of the French national team, he steered his country to the 1984 European Championship, where he shone as the best player and top goalscorer. In fact, he holds the record for most goals (9) scored in European Championship despite only featuring once in this competition.

Donning the jersey of Juventus, Platini blitzed Serie A as top scorer for three consecutive seasons (1982 to 1985) and won a hat-trick of European Footballer of the Year awards (1983 through 1985). In his prime, his passing, finishing and free-kicks were legendary. Bobby Charlton once commented: “What a playmaker. He could thread the ball through the eye of a needle as well as finish.”

However, in Platini’s current role as Uefa President, I feel he should help himself preserve a shred of dignity by talking less. It is unbecoming of a football supremo to single out a manager and interfere so ostensibly in his job. Platini has been accused of being a complacent man who is out of touch with reality and his vitriol only serves to reinforce that image.

I suspect a tinge of jealousy in Platini from the way Arsene Wenger has blossomed from a mediocre player into a high-flying manager. Conversely, Michael Platini’s best days are now behind him.

His achievements on the pitch are undisputed, but since his retirement as a player, he has yet to taste the same adulation and fame. The title of Uefa President may seem prestigious but praises don’t come easily in this capacity. To put it simply, holding high office is a different ball game.

Be a leader who sleeps on the job or presses for tough reforms which could alienate the governing body from the fans, clubs and football associations. In either case, getting recognition is a tough act. I believe Platini will like to distinguish himself from past presidents but so far, he has not accomplished anything noteworthy.

Actually, if Platini is intent on gaining respect from his peers, there are several topics which he can champion. The excesses of clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United and now Manchester City have pumped up transfer prices to a ludicrous level.

If football clubs are self-sufficient and have the resources to splurge, then by all means, but one should tread carefully when heavy leverage and foreign owners are the passport to bulging transfer budgets. What happen to the clubs when the sugar daddies are gone or when gate receipts, merchandise sales, Champions League prospects fall short? Just think Leeds United.

Then, there are issues of racism against players like Emile Heskey, vicious insults hurled on Sol Campbell which affected his mental stability, and the regular outbreaks of violence in the Serie A. If manipulated skilfully and effective steps taken to eradicate these abhorrent behavior, Platini stands to gain significant political mileage.

And not to forget, the plethora of ugly fouls, dubious goals and offside which are clearly at the mercy of subjective judgments from match officials. A revolutionary introduction of video technology and replays may cut down on human errors and prevent teams from being unfairly penalized. Arsenal are not the cleanest players on the pitch, so when they are in support of video technology, the world should give Wenger a thumbs up.

As Mark Twain says, it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. From now on, Platini should shut his mouth up or at least choose his war judiciously.

What do you guys think of the Michael Platini’s feud against Arsene Wenger?

In the 4th minute, debutante Samir Nasri scored to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead with a cool sidefoot finish after West Brom’s defense were exposed by sleek passing and an excellent Denilson’s cut-back proved decisive. Arsene Wenger fielded a youthful team, bereft of Cesc Fabregas and Kolo Toure but still outplayed West Brom handily.

Just when it seems the Baggies may accept their fate meekly, the second half presented a different scenario. Arsenal’s confidence gave way to nervy defending and a counter-attack strategy. If not for a double clearance off the line five minutes into the second half, West Bromwich could have sneaked an unexpected point.

Arsenal’s unconvincing performance mirrored an earlier 2-0 victory in the Champions League qualifier against FC Twente and indicates a worrying lack of killer instinct and tactical awareness in the young Gunners.

Wenger said: “I don’t think we were sharp enough to finish what we created. I know we are not making headlines with big names but it is what we produce on the pitch which is important.”

In case anybody thought West Brom will be the whipping boys, they clinched the Championship title with style last season, winning most matches and scoring most goals. Under Tony Mowbray, West Brom favored attacking football backed by an effective passing game. Mowbray even declared his ambitions by rejecting a 17th spot (barely avoiding relegation) as a failure, words which newly promoted managers will hesitate to utter.

Just as well that the youthful Arsenal team got a taste of what is to come in this competitive season and whether their pre-season preparations will stand them in good stead.

At the moment, the elusive fourth Premier League title doesn’t seem ready to make its way back to the Emirates Stadium. Will Arsenal fans accept another season of being a bridesmaid while the other Big Four members opened up the gap? The past two years had already been disappointments when they languished in 4th and 3rd place respectively.

The manner in which Arsenal surrendered their superior lead in March this year has been excruciating for their fans but nobody bayed for Arsene Wenger’s blood knowing that a cruel combination of luck, injuries and inexperience had undone their title charge.

In all fairness, it was an acceptable report card, as the Gunners conceded three games, finished 4 points behind champions Manchester United and reached the Champions League quarter finals where Liverpool eliminated them, despite Arsenal playing the better football.

I believe the fact that Arsenal’s mental fortitude took flight when it counted will not be lost on other Premier League teams. They know how to hit Arsenal where it hurts and they will dish out more of the same punishment this season. A physical approach and in-your-face defense to limit the Gunners time and space on the ball has yielded positive results for them.

The critical question for Arsene Wenger is whether he can turn his weaknesses into strength and bridge the gap with an even less experienced squad. The golden quartet of Mathieu Flamini, Alexander Hleb, Gilberto Silva and Jens Lehmann had left, while Emmanuel Adebayor’s loyalty wavered for weeks and would certainly do a Thierry Henry if the right conditions prevailed.

Do Arsenal have enough strength in depth to last an arduous campaign instead of crumbling at the run-in? Wenger refused to budge from his policy of recruiting promising young talents rather than established superstars which threaten to break the bank. He did reveal his wish of securing at least one more signing before the transfer window closes.

In the past few weeks, Arsenal have been linked with several targets – Udinese’s £8million-rated Swiss international Gokhan Inler, Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, Xabi Alonso of Liverpool and Yaya Toure, brother of Arsenal defender Kolo.

However, nothing concrete emerged from all the rumors. Throw into the equation the possibility that some potential targets are now cup-tied and would not be available for the Champions League games, the recruitment process become even more tenuous.

Wenger admitted: “It is a concern and something I will consider. I feel the player loses value if he is not eligible for the Champions League. You cannot sell a player at the same price. Every club will consider that. I have a shortlist, but the list was always short.”

After analyzing Arsenal’s recent performances, I believe several experienced players are needed to bolster the squad. The defense could do with an overhaul after conceding weak goals when a demanding season took its toil, and the frontline will also benefit from another established poacher.

Eduardo will be sitting out the better half of this season and Adebayor does not have the Premier League in his long-term plans. Robin van Persie is too injury-prone and other forwards like Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela are more suited to be cast in the supporting role.

Since Wenger abhors any signings in the January transfer window, we can expect no reinforcement to shore up the squad once this transfer window closes. Manchester United are still in the hunt for Dimitar Berbatov and Chelsea are showing a lethal edge under the guidance of Scolari.

To offer any respectable resistance, Arsenal had to open up their wallets to secure the high-profile players fast. Finding diamonds in the rough can be left for other days.