The great midfield battle
IN FEBRUARY 2004 Arsenal won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. The scorers were Edu and Vieira and fittingly so because along with Gilberto Silva they were part of a three man central midfield that epitomised Arsenal’s dominance over Chelsea at the time.

Have Arshavin and Luzhny become one and the same?
Fast forward 10 months and though all still at the club, none were available when the Blues came to Highbury. Seventeen year old Cesc Fabregas and Matthieu Flamini, starting his first league game, scrapped like mad but if not outclassed, they were certainly overpowered by the triumvirate of Lampard, Makalele and Tiago.
Truth be told ever since that day our midfield has always felt a bit inferior to theirs. Prettier perhaps, happy to scrap, but ultimately a little inferior.
This weekend, however, things may just be a little different. The pitbull like Essien and wily out Lampard are still there, but maybe, just maybe, we have the answers.
Cesc Fabregas is playing as well as he ever has. And then there is Alex Song, on form barely conceivable a year ago. It’s a massive challenge and opportunity for the thus far this season outstanding Song. It’s a chance to mix it with the big boys, particularly after his inexplicable admission from last season’s FA Cup semi final line-up.
It says something about our central defensive situation that when the pair clashed heads on Tuesday, I was more worried about William Gallas than Andrei Arshavin.
I’m fascinated to see how it pans out and I’m beginning to think Denilson will be the third man in the middle. Perhaps I was a little hasty in asking exactly what he brings: those of you who argue it is greater solidity may have a point.
Either way, it’s a great test of our credentials.
Seen this before…
London born and bred, a former left winger, bags of energy, excellent going forward and a little defensively naive: for Kieran Gibbs right now read Ashley Cole eight years ago.
Cole will undoubtedly get boos this Sunday, though personally I’m kinda over it and a bit bored of it too. It’s just a shame things went so badly wrong with one of the very few genuinely excellent truly homegrown players that we’ve produced in a very long time.
Let’s just hope things turn out a little better with Gibbs.
Goodplaya responds
Andy Mack says:
“Denilson is a half song & half Cesc. He’s a calm, decent passer, decent ‘creator’, decent positional, decent tackler and has a good motor, but he does have the occasional lapse in concentration.”
Goodplaya says
Yeah, kinda see your point. On the one hand it’s looks like a decent mix, on the other it gives you nothing special.
jar0909 says:
“For Sunday how about dropping Song back to partner Vermalean and moving Gallas (assuming he has fully recovered) to the left back position where he has very successfully played before?”
Goodplaya says
No, no, no. Keep as many players in their correct positions as possible.