Mikel Arteta: Understanding His Value to the Current Arsenal Team

When it was announced that Arsenal had signed Mikel Arteta from Everton I was overjoyed. Here was a player who I’ve always admired and here he was coming to the club I support. But not many fans took to him and there are still some out there who criticize him. A large amount of the criticism stems from the fact that when one compares the statistics of Arteta to that of the last Spanish midfielder who played for Arsenal, a chap by the name Cesc Fabregas, those of the former Everton captain are indeed poor and this is where we are making a mistake. The mistake being? Comparing Arteta and Fabregas.

It’s easy to think that Mikel Arteta was brought into replace Cesc Fabregas. Arteta came in soon after Fabregas left for boyhood club Barcelona and having played in an attacking midfield role for his former club, Everton, many saw him as the successor to Fabregas especially with Jack Wilshere out injured.

But in reality, Arteta hasn’t played in the same position that Fabregas played in but instead he has slotted beside Alex Song, similar to what Wilshere did last season.

And despite that he has come under criticism simply because in the mind of several people he is replacing Fabregas. Comparing him to Fabregas and assuming him to play at the same level would be a huge travesty because it simply undermines the influence and importance of Arteta to this Arsenal side.

Right now when I think of players who are indispensable to the squad, I can think of four, Robin van Persie (obvious isn’t it), Vermaelen, Song and Arteta. His Arsenal career might be only a few months old but the impact he has had on the club and his impact in the club’s tremendous rejuvenation cannot be understated.

It’s easy to fail to notice the hard work and effort of Arteta on the pitch. He lacks the sheer genius of Fabregas and lacks the raw enthusiasm and drive of Wilshere. But what he does possess is experience and bags of it and not to forget his determination.

His performances this season have been that of a player out there to make up for lost time, a player out there to play at the highest level for the first time in his life and a player whose maturity has added new found steel and maturity to this Arsenal side.

The departures of Samir Nasri but more importantly Cesc Fabregas means that man for man, Arsenal have a weaker squad than last season. But spirit and passion? Never!!

This characteristic feature of this side is the will and drive it displays game in and game out. This is the drive that is seeing the Gunners nick games right at the end and this from a team that has shown that not even a 4 goal lead is enough. And at the heart of this is the spirit embodied by the likes of RVP, Arteta, Benayoun and Vermaelen.

Arteta won’t deliver 20 assists a season like Fabregas nor will he score more than 10 goals this season. And neither should he. His role in the team isn’t that of the main playmaker and it isn’t of the goalscorer from midfield.

His role is to provide the link between defense and attack, the link that was missing in the earlier part of the season.

Someone recently mentioned that had Wenger not signed Arteta the team would most probably be in a full blown crisis by now. And I couldn’t agree more. Mario Gotze and Eden Hazard might be the players that every Arsenal fan including I want but they can’t provide the industry and the defensive cover that Arteta provides.

Over the last two years we have seen the meteoric rise of Alex Song as he has become one of the world’s leading defensive midfielders and the driving force behind this change has been the use of a double pivot that Wenger has gone with. Last year it was Wilshere and this year Arteta, Song now has the freedom to venture out forward, knowing very well that he has the presence of Arteta behind him.

For a player who played in an attacking midfield role last at Everton, Arteta’s willingness to play in a more assured role is just further proof of his commitment and class.

Despite his good performances I still see several people comparing him to Denilson, which personally I find shocking because if Denilson was one tenth the player Arteta is, then he would still be at the club. The reason Wenger chose to play Denilson is because he felt the team needed a player who could keep the ball in rotation, someone who was neat and tidy with the ball, someone who could do the simple things properly, something easier said than done. Denilson did it briefly, in the 2009-10 season and after that he regressed at an alarming rate.

In Denilson we had a player who could pass the ball backwards and well that’s about it. He was slow with the ball in his feet, lacked any form of creativity and the only time he was useful was when the team needed someone to slow down the tempo.

Comparing Arteta to Denilson is bordering on the ridiculous to be honest. Signing Arteta a couple of seasons back when the rumors linking him to Arsenal were frequent would have been a fantastic move.

Just imagine a midfield trio of Song, Fabregas and Arteta. The steel and defensive strength of Song, the work rate and link up play of Arteta combined with the vision of Fabregas would have been sheer artistry. It’s too late for that but that doesn’t mean that Arteta can’t still play a vital role for the club.

In Arteta, Arsenal have a player who displays immense calmness when under pressure and one need not look further than the match against Manchester City. In the clash away at Manchester he had the highest passing accuracy among all 22 players on the pitch and this we are talking about a clash in which the players pressed intensely for almost the entire 90 minutes. And it just isn’t a case of that one match. Anyone can see that in the current Arsenal squad there is no player more comfortable on the ball other than Arteta. His passing and movement, effortless and his vision, solid.

And a further glance at some of Arteta’s stats just goes to show how baseless the comparison with Denilson is. With 2.4 key passes a game, he is currently 11^th in the Premier League in that category and with a passing success of 90 % is only bettered by 8 players. In terms of average passes per game, it is Arteta who is topping the charts with 78.5 passes a game, a feat only closely matched by Yaya Toure.

Arteta’s movement and ability to keep the ball ticking under duress is a great boost to an Arsenal side that have surprisingly shown a weakness when their opponents press them, especially in Arsenal’s half.

One trait that was worryingly prevalent in Arsenal’s games against Newcastle, Liverpool, Udinese and Manchester United was the absence of a transition from defense to attack. With Wilshere injured and with Fabregas back in Spain, Wenger chose to play the midfield duo of Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky and it was painfully obvious that it didn’t work. Ramsey was played in a deep lying role and it was evident that he was more suited to the attacking central midfield role.

Whether it was the defeat at Old Trafford or the hammer blow that Wilshere’s return to the team would be delayed but Wenger snapped up Arteta on the last day or rather last minute of the transfer window. And since the arrival of Arsenal there has been far more fluidity in the midfield. The trio of Song, Arteta and Ramsey have formed an impressive understanding and the three of them have been instrumental in Arsenal’s ascent up the table.

Arteta’s ability to keep the ball in motion continuously and his distribution has been hugely impressive. Often he drops deep, sometimes as deep as beside the central defensive pairing and helps to build attacks from the back.

Right now there is no player in the current Arsenal squad who can play in the same position as that of Arteta and manage to give a good account of himself. This is exactly what makes Arteta so vital to the current Arsenal squad. If the Spaniard does indeed get injured, Diaby and Ramsey could fill in but it doesn’t fill me with much confidence. The duo are more suited to a role higher up the pitch especially Ramsey.

And Arteta’s effect has not just been in terms of quality on the pitch, it’s been his attitude and the work rate that he has offered to the squad. He has been willing to do the tireless running, the defensive work and whatever the team needs him to do. With 2.1 tackles and with 2.3 interceptions per game, Arteta perfectly highlights the current squad’s mentality of working as a unit and defending as a team.

Ever since coming to North London, he has played all but ten minutes of the 14 matches he has been a part of the team.

This squad might not be as good as the one of last season and might lack the quality possessed by the previous team and yet despite that this team has shown far more willingness to fight for each other and far more desire to win no matter the what. Their results against Aston Villa, Chelsea, Marseille, Fulham, Everton and performance against City is just indication of the mood within the camp and from an Arsenal standpoint one has to be extremely delighted with what one is seeing.

There is no doubt that the likes of Mertesacker, Benayoun, Arteta has added far more maturity to the squad and that is evident in the way they approach players and in the way the team defends leads.

When Arsenal took the lead against Everton, I for a change was surprisingly confident if this team holding on. Last year, I would have been a nervous wreck till the full time whistle and the new found confidence of the fans in the team stems from the fact that the team is now packed with players that ooze maturity and have added leadership to the squad.

Arteta’s value to the squad cannot be measured in goals and assists. He is the driving force from midfield, the anchor man of the squad and until the return of Jack Wilshere there is no replacement for him and that’s why Wenger has to ensure that his midfield maestro manages to stay injury free, for the sake of Arsenal’s ambitions this season.

The key to understanding the impact of Arteta is to immediately dispel any comparisons between Fabregas and Arteta. Both played for Barcelona during their formative years and both happen to be Spanish and that’s where the similarities end. If one realizes that Arteta’s role in the current side isn’t that of the creator, but that of the worker, the one who puts in all the hard work, and rarely gets the credit he deserves, then and only then can we appreciate the talent we have in our team.

Arteta’s performances don’t mean that we shouldn’t sign Gotze or Hazard. If anything it just shows that adding another top player will only boost a good squad and help the team challenge for silverware this season.

He might be a panic buy and he might be no Fabregas, but he is indeed Mikel Arteta, the hub of the current Arsenal team and it fills me with immense assurance when I see his name on the team sheet, week in and week out. 

Van Persie to the Fore as Sunderland are Gunned Down

Its often said that the best get going when the pressure is on the team and if there ever was a doubt about Robin van Persie’s status as one of the league’s most fearsome strikers, it was put to bed on Sunday evening in what was quite simply a superb performance by the Arsenal captain.

15^th in the table going into the match, anything less than an Arsenal victory would have been detrimental to the Gunners’ hopes of finishing in the top four. With Liverpool drawing against Manchester United in Saturday’s early kickoff, the onus was on the Gunners to make up some ground and while it was nervy, Arsenal bagged the much needed three points and that’s all that matters.

Its not been the ideal start to the season for the Gunners but despite all this, Arsene Wenger and the team have remained positive. And that’s key. Things will not always go your way and its how you bounce back from them that define you.

Losses to Liverpool and Manchester United isn’t the best way to start your season especially when one takes into consideration the manner of the defeats especially the latter but the team seems to be finally getting back to form as they notched up their 4^th win out of five matches and their fifth on the trot at the Emirates.

Last season Arsenal’s home form left a lot to be desired as the Gunners dropped silly points at home but with six wins out of seven home games, Arsenal seems to have solved their issues at home.

With Aaron Ramsey having played both of Wales’ Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures over the course of the two week International break, Wenger chose to give Tomas Rosicky his first start since the match at Old Trafford. Laurent Koscielny returned from injury and returned straight into the lineup with Song moving back into his preferred defensive midfield role. The final change from the side that lost to Spurs on October 2^nd was one that had to be made. Bacary Sagna’s injury meant that Carl Jenkinson was handed his third Premier League start.

The 2-1 scoreline indicates a close match but the match was more a case of Arsenal missing their chances than Sunderland frustrating the Gunners.

If there ever was any nerves prior to kickoff, it was put to bed 28 seconds later as the Gunners scored their fastest goal of the Premier League era. Nice work by Rosicky saw Gervinho move inside and while van Persie wanted the ball earlier, he adjusted himself superbly and slotted past a hapless Mignolet with his weaker foot. With no natural striker in his side, Steve Bruce would have wanted his team to frustrate the Gunners and look to nick something out of the match but that plan went right out of the window.

The first 20-25 minutes were Arsenal at their best. Arsenal bossed the game and Sunderland’s only hope was long balls forward by Mignolet to Sessegnon which easily dealt with by the Arsenal defense. Arsenal dealt with set pieces with ease and this was of performance the Arsenal fans were eager to see.

Van Persie could have had a hat trick within the first few minutes as he scored one, had one bounce of the inside of the post and one that was just wide of the post. The one that hit the post was sheer brilliance from the Arsenal captain.

Gervinho too could have and should have done better when presented with a chance after Koscielny’s long ball picked him out.

How often have we seen the Gunners dominate the game, but their inability to finish off their chances came back to haunt them and just live Déjà Vu, Sebastian Larsson made the Gunners pay for their profligacy with a well taken free kick in the 31^st minute.

Sunderland didn’t deserve to be on level with the Gunners but two minutes later it required a world class save from Szczesny to deny Cattermole what looked to be a sure goal. I’m sure most Arsenal fans thought it was a goal and the benefit of having a world class shot stopper saved the day for the Gunners.

Szczesny was not without mistakes of his own and a couple of minutes before the Sunderland goal, it required a timely interception from Song to rescue the Gunners after Szczesny’s sprint out of the box nearly proved costly.

Wenger has spoken about how brittle confidence is in football and how easily a team can lose it. If ever there required a better example of a team losing confidence in the matter of minutes, it was Arsenal’s reaction to conceding. Prior to the goal, Arsenal played with the swagger and confidence that the fans have failed to see this season, at least for a long spell.

After the Sunderland goal, it all fell apart for the Gunners as they looked short on ideas and it was Sunderland who did all the dominating for the rest of the half.

Arsenal responded brightly and dominated the entire second half. They had plenty of possession and got into a few good positions but lacked the cutting edge until of course van Persie took matters into his own hands.

Arsenal had already had three free kicks in promising areas which was taken by Andre Santos, Mikel Arteta and Theo Walcott. While Larsson’s free kick was top notch, right there among the best, calling the ones taken by the Arsenal player disappointing would be a huge understatement. Theo Walcott showed just why he shouldn’t be allowed to freekicks any more. Talking about Walcott, there is no doubt that the Englishman had a poor day against Sunderland. His pace didn’t cause the kind of problems that would actually worry the defense and while he did show some good touches and decent passes, his form left a lot to be desired.

Walcott still continues to be an enigma and his starting place is one that is debatable. On one hand he ensures that the opposition left back is pinned back, and forces the opposition to defend with a deep backline, in order to negate his pace. When on fire he can cause havoc to opposition defenses and his pace has been known to cause problems for the best of defenses including Chelsea and Barcelona.

On the other hand he has been far too inconsistent this season. Often fading away and showing real skill only in patches, it might be worth a try to use him more as a super sub rather than a regular starter. Arsenal have the likes of Yossi Benayoun, Andrei Arshavin and Oxlade Chamberlain, all worthy of fighting it out for a starting spot. I like Walcott, I really do. But at one point, the team needs consistency and this season Walcott hasn’t been all that consistent, at least not as much as last season.

Van Persie’s moment of inspiration saved the Gunners from the blushes once again and continued Arsenal’s surprisingly good home form.

On the whole Arsenal fans will be delighted with the performance not just because it brought a valuable three points but also because some players performed superbly.

Robin van Persie’s scoring form was a huge positive and yet at the same time it cruelly exposed Arsenal’s lack of goalscorers in the absence of van Persie. It is hard not to get the feeling that if van Persie does indeed pick up an injury, the team will be short of goals. The likes of Gervinho and Walcott are yet to show that they can bear the goalscoring burden although Gervinho repeatedly gets into great positions thanks to his dribbling ability.

Arsenal have Park and Chamakh in their squad but with Chamakh finding goals hard to come by and with Park not being given the chance to shine, it is all down to van Persie to net the goals. One has got to feel sorry for Park and question Wenger’s repeated reluctance to play the South Korean captain.

When you are desperately needing a goal, whether it be a goal to equalize or a goal to win it, it is common knowledge to bring in a striker and that is why the team has Park on the bench. Yet first against Tottenham and Sunderland, Wenger chose to keep Park on the bench and brought in the likes of Benayoun, Arshavin. Whether it be his desire to retain shape and maintain the same formation or simply that Park isn’t ready yet, it is baffling nevertheless and one has got to feel sorry for the South Korean who sacrificed a move to Lille to join Arsenal and has so far seen just the 90 minutes of playing time against Shrewsbury.

Moving to Arsenal’s defense and once again Laurent Koscielny showed that he is a player with plenty of promise. Always on hand to clear danger he had a sturdy outing save for that one moment when his poor decision to play the offside trap nearly backfired. His composure with the ball on the feet was remarkable considering that he is a defender and often his balls out of defense helped build attacks.

The statistics indicate that he had a great day and there is no denying it as he put in another solid shift alongside Mertesacker. Mertesacker has adjusted well into the pace of the league and all the initial fears about his pace or the lack of it has proven to be a unfound so far as he once again showed great reading and composure.

Gibbs had a decent outing and while he proved to be a willing runner down the left and did pop up with a couple of vital clearances, his game can still improve although his injury will open the way for Santos to be look to displace him from the team.

Prior to the game all eyes were on Jenkinson to see how he would cope in his first match since Sagna’s injury and he did put in a decent shift. He has still has a tendency to make mistakes as he was dispossessed far too easily and a goal was only prevented thanks to a superb save from Szczesny.

A loan spell would be great for him but considering the circumstances he will be forced to learn the trade at Arsenal itself. His crossing ability looks to be a real positive as he put in a few dangerous crosses into the box and although no one really got into the end of them, he did show talent.

But the huge positive to take away from the match was the performance of the Little Mozart, Tomas Rosicky. Often accused of not adding anything to the team, he showed his vast quality and would have been the man of the match hands down had it not been for a certain Robin van Persie.

That 5-yard acceleration that we all thought was no longer a part of the game was once again on display as he showed the qualities that made Arsenal fans so excited upon his arrival in 2006. A series of injuries have prevented him from scaling great heights but the sale of Nasri and Fabregas have opened up new opportunities for the Czech international and he took the game by the scruff of the neck when the team needed someone to do exactly that.

Great passing, good running into the box and an all round hard working display showed that using a combination of Rosicky with Ramsey or Arteta might just be the way forward as Rosicky is someone who likes making the runs forward while the other two like to see the game go through them. Both Arteta and Ramsey are similar in style and that might be a reason why the duo haven’t looked great on a consistent basis.

Rosicky is definitely not suited to play in week in and out considering his age and the best option would be to rotate him along with Ramsey until Diaby and Wilshere return. His pace and direct running proved to be key to Arsenal against Sunderland and if he can keep it, there is no reason why he can’t stay at Arsenal.

From one player who put in a solid performance to another. Andrei Arshavin has received his fair share of criticism at Arsenal but showed just what he can do with a bright cameo after replacing Gervinho. Quick and incisive, it was only after his introduction that the Gunners went really close to retaking the lead. A mazy dribble, as good as any you might see, carved open the Sunderland like they weren’t even there and while the finish flattered to deceive, he showed in that brief moment what he can achieve.

Arshavin’s problem has always been in achieving consistency, whether it be over the course of the season or over the course of the entire 90 minutes. It is key that he builds on performances like this and take the opportunities presented to him with both hands.

It was a must win match for the Gunners and while it wasn’t easy, it was a precious three points nevertheless, one that lifts the Gunners into the top half. Games like this are must win, if the Gunners are to achieve a top four finish and with both Liverpool and Tottenham dropping points, Arsenal gained valuable ground over the weekend.

The key lies in building on these results and going on a streak that can lift the Gunners higher up the table. For now, the rebuilding continues with Marseille. 

Arsenal Opinion: Why the Rise of Frimpong and Coquelin Is a Huge Positive

There used to be a time when Arsenal lacked any quality defensive midfielder. The sale of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva meant that the Gunners lacked an imposing presence in midfield.

The lack of a defensive midfielder, someone who could shield the defense effectively was evident in the 2008-09 season when the Gunners were forced to use Denilson and Alex Song as defensive midfielders. The inconsistent performances of the two meant that many saw the defensive midfield position as an area that required massive strengthening in the summer with a wide range of names linked to the club.

Eventually Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger chose to show faith in his existing crop of players and it would suffice to say that his faith has not been misplaced especially by Alex Song who has matured into one of the league’s best defensive midfielders.

The 2009-10 season saw Song show vast improvement but it was the 2010-11 season in which he truly cemented his place as an indispensable component of the Arsenal midfield as he formed an impressive partnership with Jack Wilshere as Denilson’s place in the Arsenal team was taken over by the Englishman.

But last year, the Gunners struggled in the absence of Song as Denilson proved to be an inadequate replacement. Several times when Song was injured, the Gunners had to contend with Denilson in their midfield who lacks the same defensive abilities as Song and the absence of the Cameroonian was there for all to see.

But this year, it is evident that the Gunners will not face the same problem as the duo of Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong have ensured that not only does Song have two solid back ups, he also has rivals for his starting place, something that has been missing for the last couple of seasons.

The 2010-11 season was meant to be the year Frimpong broke through the Arsenal ranks but an injury prior to the Blackpool match saw him miss the entire season without making a single appearance for the senior side. His lively form in pre season had raised hopes of Arsenal fans but the injury meant that he would have to endure a frustrating wait to get first team opportunities.

Coquelin on the other hand was loaned out to French side Lorient, where he impressed in his season long loan deal. Many expected Frimpong to make the impact but it has been both the youngsters who have shown that the defensive midfield area is a position in which the Gunners should have no worry.

Both the youngsters were given a chance to make an impact far earlier than most including the players themselves might have been expecting. First was the suspension meted out to Song for a stamp on Joey Barton in Arsenal’s season opener away at Newcastle. His suspension meant that Frimpong was handed his first Premier League start against Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool, a team widely considered by many to be a team on the rise.

He put in a superb shift against the Reds and more than made up for Song’s absence with an action packed display including some superb tackling and tireless running. He did get red carded in that very match, but that shouldn’t take away anything from his performance. He is indeed still very young and with experience under his belt and the knowledge gained from that experience, he can very easily mature into the hard tackling midfield presence that Arsenal fans love to see.

Frimpong’s red card meant that Coquelin was handed his first start for the Gunners against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a very tough task indeed. To his credit, he performed admirably. With injuries and suspension having wrecked the spine of the team, Arsenal faced wave after wave of United attack and while they eventually did concede eight goals, it was only after Coquelin’s substitution that the team truly fell apart.

Against Shrewsbury he put in a master class performance at the heart of the midfield alongside Frimpong as he made a number of crucial tackles to prevent the unfancied hosts from taking a shock two goal lead. He showed remarkable tackling ability in a performance that showed Arsenal fans that Frimpong will have serious competition from the Frenchman, who has the benefit of experience on his side.

Against Tottenham, he was indeed Arsenal’s man of the match. He held fort superbly at White Hart Lane and deserved every ounce of credit that he got.

But the chances of them cracking the first team this season are slim. That’s not because they lack the quality, no it’s far from that. It’s just that the player keeping them out of the first team is a player of vast quality. Song is seen as underrated by some, but amongst Arsenal fans he is very highly rated and most understand his value to the team.

The advantage of having a quality defensive midfielders and having solid backups is a huge advantage for the Gunners as they suffered last season in the absence of Song.

One thing having three defensive midfielders, all capable of starting is that it ensures basically that the Gunners have depth to deal with injuries. Injuries and Arsenal are synonymous with each other and it wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal once again loses their stars to injuries. And instead of bringing on Denilson when the Gunners are trying to defend a lead, they can now bring on the likes of Frimpong and Coquelin who despite their inexperience already look better players in the defensive midfield role than the Brazilian whose trademark sideways pass would make most Arsenal fans cringe.

While Arsene Wenger isn’t one known too much for his tactical flexibility, having these three players does offer him the option of tactical variety especially when the Gunners are required to be one the defensive. Wenger used this ploy against Udinese at Italy as he played both Frimpong and Song for the first half. In the Carling Cup we saw Wenger use this ploy as he played both Coquelin and Frimpong alongside each other.

There has been call for Wenger to adopt a certain level of tactical flexibility into his side and while most calls have been for attacking changes, there is no reason why the Gunners wouldn’t have to adopt a defensive approach this season.

Unlike last season the Gunners won’t have to play the likes of Abou Diaby, in the defensive midfield role anymore. This is a huge positive for both the player and the team.

I rate Diaby as a good player who has never been given the perfect platform to achieve his potential. The departures of Nasri and Fabregas means that he can play in his more preferred attacking role on a more regular basis. With Wilshere injured and with Ramsey looking overworked, Diaby will have the perfect opportunity to play further up front.

In previous seasons he was often used as a replacement for Song and this not only accentuated his weaknesses but also limited his strengths as he struggled. Having Coquelin and Frimpong ensures that Diaby finally gets the perfect platform from which he can look to achieve his potential. The general perception among many fans is that Diaby is another player who lacks much quality and should be shipped off at the next possible opportunity. But when I look at Diaby I see a player so unfortunate with injuries that it isn’t even funny. Time and time again, he finds himself on the treatment table and it’s so frequent that he makes van Persie infallible to injury. I think he has potential but playing him in a position that does no justice to his talent isn’t doing justice to the player and I truly believe that if the manager gives him responsibility higher up the pitch, he can thrive.

The battle between Frimpong and Coquelin is one really to watch out for as the season progresses. Right now Song is first choice but all that can change in the matter of months. Last season no one expected Wilshere to be a starter and look where he is now, a player who the fans love so much that they dread when we don’t find on the teamsheet.

Between Frimpong and Coquelin I think that Coquelin is more ready to be Song’s backup with Frimpong very close on his heels. Frimpong guarantees you plenty of running and plenty of closing down. Coquelin’s tackling and reading of the game has really impressed me and he has displayed great maturity against Shrewsbury and Tottenham.

To be honest I expected him to struggle this season but I’m pleased to see that he surprised me.

Unlike previous seasons, Song has some competition for a starting place this season. There has been call for Coquelin or Frimpong to be given a more regular role and while I can’t fathom that happening any time soon, there is no telling what can happen three to four months from now.

In many ways this healthy competition among the players is superb. When there is no real competition for starting spots the player can tend to get a bit complacent. Now if Denilson was Song’s backup, even if Song does struggle a bit, there is no way the Brazilian will replace Song and so this could translate into a sense of security that can result in performance levels dropping.

But this season Song knows himself that if his performance does start to drop, then there are players who can step up. This will only encourage him to continue his remarkable upward curve and further improve his performance.

All this being said, there is absolutely no reason why the Gunners shouldn’t target Yann M’Vila. He maybe a defensive midfielder, but instead of being a replacement for Song, he can play alongside him. He adds a sense of dynamism and bite to the midfield, that I am longing to see in the midfield. Right now signing him would make me delighted and this one move I would love to see materialize in the transfer window. Wenger has shown interest in the Frenchman and it is imperative that the club snaps him up before his stock further increases.

The performances of both Frimpong and Coquelin are two huge positives for the Gunners and their value to the squad will be truly shown as the season progresses and the usual injuries start to kick in. Although I hope that doesn’t happen, we have to remember this Arsenal we are talking about.

Coquelin and Frimpong have the potential to mature into the next big thing for the Gunners and I don’t see any reason why the duo can’t go onto have great futures at Arsenal.