The team skippered by a certain leggy Frenchman battled relentlessly as the Red Devils threw wave after wave of assault. But with the entire siege against the Gunners, the red and white team withstood them. Some could argue that the Gunners were lucky on the day as several goal-line clearances, penalty appeals and shots off the woodwork had the Arsenal with their hearts in their mouths. Another would opine that resolute defending was the key to the victory on the day. But one very key factor that was clearly on display for all to see in the Arsenal team was leadership and a high team mentality.

Arsenal won 5-4 on penalties after Jens Lehmann saved Paul Scholes’ pen. It was obvious that Patrick Vieira was very instrumental in keeping the Arsenal ship afloat as he kept on controlling the players in their game play, positioning, attitude and overall the team mentality. Most obvious of his contribution on the day was when he barked at Jose Antonio Reyes to haunt and bring down Cristiano Ronaldo, who picked up a stray Lauren pass and was going to exploit the right-backs wing, as the Spaniard failed in an attempt to launch an attack. Vieira was the next man to track Ronaldo but with the pace of the Portuguese winger, coupled with the Arsenal captain’s fatigue, he ordered Reyes to track his man and he did.

The game incidentally was Vieira’s last game, and this ushered in the era of Wenger building his team around youth, as opposed to the experience he had favoured before.

The effect of Vieira’s sale meant captaincy shifted to Thierry Henry and over the next few years, an exodus of experienced players was accompanied by the influx of raw talent.

Edu’s exit, whose deal was concluded shortly before Vieira’s sale, was the first in line as Robert Pires, Freddie Ljunberg, Gilberto and Henry all found the exit door under different circumstances. This made room for Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song, Mathieu Flamini, Gael Clichy, Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor, Lukasz Fabianski, Johan Djourou, Abou Diaby, Robin van Persie and the very many youngsters who have benefited from this change of policy and philosophy. As the exodus of these experienced stalwarts peaked, so was the exit of know-how, maturity, leadership and team mentality.

The team from 2007 to the present day though has talent in abundance. It has shown on several occasions a lack of maturity, mentality and on-field leadership. Though the team is growing as experience and maturity comes with time and they are not the youngsters of yester-years anymore, it has left it’s mark in the results and trophy room as one has lost count of how many times the Gunners have fallen from winning positions, either in matches or season race itself.

In the last five seasons, Arsenal has competed for the title until February, before a certain capitulation occurs. This capitulation in title races has also reared its ugly head in matches as well when Arsenal are leading, albeit sometimes very comfortably and end the game with either a draw or a loss. Looking closely at the team, it is obvious that lots of potentials lie therein, but as the saying goes, ‘TALENT IS NEVER ENOUGH’. With a coach like Arsene that believes in doing his work in the dressing room and training ground, while preparing his team and opting to sit out most games analysing and discussing with his ever present assistant in Pat Rice, then it is inevitable to have a leader, communicator, thinker and team director on the field. Like Vieira. Tony Adams as well was one of such captains who not only played their heart out, but also directed the teams attitude and play from the rear or centre of play.

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Arsenal will face competition for his signature from Liverpool and would probably be brought in to replace Marouane Chamakh, who is thought to be on his way out of the Emirates after a disappointing season.

FC Twente manager Steve McClaren is under intense pressure to balance the books after the Dutch outfit failed to qualify for the Champions League. McClaren also believes that De Jong is built for the Premier League. However, the 21-year-old is keeping his options open, stating recently:

‘I am certainly not necessarily gone, but if something interesting comes up, I will either go there or I will be having a think about it.’

He added:

‘I feel ready to take the next step in my career, to do well when the opportunity arises, because I have developed well at Twente. Some opportunities should be grabbed when they come.’

For me, De Jong would be an amazing signing for Arsenal and a perfect replacement for Chamakh. Last season the Dutch striker scored a very impressive 32 goals in 50 games for FC Twente. He has also been the top goal-scorer for the club for the second season in a row. As well as that, in the 2010/2011 season, he also won the award for having the most assists at the club.

I think that Arsenal should be able to beat off Liverpool for his signature, assuming we are not to engrossed in watching what is happening elsewhere, especially as we are able to offer Champions League football to the youngster.

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But he’s getting on in years. He may want to go to a club that is showing signs of future success, and when asked if he would stay or leave following Arsenal’s 3-2 win over West Brom on Sunday, the 28-year-old Dutchman replied:

‘You never know. Arsenal is a massive club, a great club.

‘I have been playing here for eight years and I love this club.

‘Whatever happens that will never change.

‘We’ll sit down next week.’

Arsene Wenger like the rest of us will be hoping he signs on after we managed to secure Champions League football in very dramatic yet somewhat hilarious circumstances. Champions league football will obviously be the catalyst when the deal is being negotiated.

Wenger said:

‘Will Champions League football help to keep Van Persie?

‘It makes it easier to attract good players and keep them.

‘The intention is to speak with him before he leaves for the Dutch camp (for Euro 2012).’

Reports suggest talks between Van Persie and parties involved will be held sometime today.

Yes Champions League football may help him reconsider, but if the board don’t show signs of buying ready-made players and keep raking in youngsters, I see him walking away from us.

We’ve done well in snapping up Lukas Podolski. A few more players in and around his age, and of his quality being guaranteed to come in, will surely make RVP put pen to paper without any hesitation.

If we can assure him that we plan to add value, show signs of actual progression towards future success, then I see him playing for us next season in our new kit, which seems to sport the Holland flag on its sleeves. Glad to see Nike are playing their part.

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This season the Dutchman was flying with 37 goals to his name, 30 in the Premier League. Obviously everyone involved with Arsenal wants RVP to renew his contract, but should he leave this is my emergency transfer plan this summer:

Giuseppe Rossi

Much like Van Persie, Rossi is rather injury-prone. But again, like Van Persie, the Italian is worth taking the risk. In his 192 appearances for Villarreal, Rossi has scored 82 goals. His most impressive goal-scoring form came in the 2010/11 season when he banged in 32 goals and claimed 10 assists. The Italian international will be available for a knockdown price for two reasons, 1) Villarreal have to sell him because they are in a desperate financial position, especially since their relegation from La Liga was confirmed at the weekend. And 2) last month the Villarreal striker tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out for at least another eight months, which would see his value drop. But a player of his quality is worth the wait especially when he could cost as little as £10 million.

Olivier Giroud

Of course I do appreciate that waiting eight months for someone to replace our best player is football suicide. So if not Rossi, I would recommend the signing of Ligue 1’s joint top-scorer this season, Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman has scored 25 goals in all competitions this season and has also eight assists to his name. Moreover, he scored his first goal for his country last February. Should Van Persie leave Arsenal there is a high chance he could move to the Emirates, as Wenger was contemplating a move for the 25-year-old if the Lukas Podolski deal had fallen through.

So there is my plan for Arsenal’s strike force should Van Persie leave, thank you for reading.

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As for my thoughts, high, lows and indifference abound, so I’m going to try to make this simple.

Pills – Transfer policy.

Thrills – Chelsea, Spurs, AC Milan.

Bellyaches – Man United, AC Milan, little league teams.

The Bitterest Pill:

In essence Arsene Wenger’s ‘Make stars, not buys stars’ transfer policy works. It just starts to unravel when Cesc Fabregas and Samir Na$ri, two ‘made stars’, leave before the programme has come to fruition. It especially goes pear shaped when the two aforementioned stars leave in the last week of the transfer window, giving very little time to find suitable replacements. Everyman and his dog knew full well that both were leaving, but Arsene stood firm either hoping it would just go away or was just being plain stubborn to the last minute. The resultant four ‘panic buys’ of late August have pretty much paid off, with the exception of Park Chu-Young, who, lets face it, can only be an Inamoto style marketing ploy.

The Curious Case of Andrey Arshavin bugs me a bit. The timing of the loan smacked of mismanagement and deep down I don’t think we ever gave him a decent run in his favoured position to show the world his true talent. This was shown in the second half at Milan. With a limited bench, we had to result in calling on the services of Park and Marouane Chamakh. If Andrey had been available, he would have been a much better foil for Robin van Persie.

The good thing is that Arsene looks to be addressing this situation. With a busy summer ahead at the Euros and LDN 2012, the window of opportunity to sign players is limited and the early locking in of Lukas Podolski is a wise move.

Comeback Thrills:

For a team, allegedly ‘not up for the fight’, we came back from the brink in some remarkable games, to show that this team does have vertebrae.

Date: Saturday 29th October. Location: Stamford Bridge. Victims: Chel$ki

My personal memory of this game is clouded by an excess of alcohol. Watched in The Town Hall, Balmain. 2-1 down at half time, the revised odds flashed up on the screen. 12-1!!! For an Arsenal victory. Hindsight is a b!tch. A 5-3 victory and the alcoholic blur was increased through to the very early morning.

Date: Sunday 26th February. Location: The Emirates. Victims: The Spuds

After 35 minutes our season was finished. Undeservedly, 2-0 down at home against the pretenders, nothing coming off in front of goal, yet another keeper playing a blinder. Then over the next 30 minutes, the confidence, the free flowing football and the goals returned. The Spuds were put in their rightful place and order was returned to the universe.

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It was recently discovered in a survey carried out by FIFA that 58% of FIWC players believe that playing FIFA 12 can actually improve their performance in real life. The addition of Wenger as coach will add to the overall FIWC experience as he will be delivering football tips and advice helping gamers get the most out of their team and improve tactical knowledge.

Fans will be able to view Wenger’s comments in the FIWC weekly newsletter, on FIFA.com and video content will be available through FIFA’s official Youtube channel.

Wenger commented on his delight at being named FIWC coach saying:

‘It is an honour for me to be able to act as the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2012 coach.

‘I know that especially young players enjoy virtual football and I see this development as very positive.

‘The love of football is what brings professional players, trainers, amateurs and fans together. There are various ways in which to live out this passion and the FIWC is undoubtedly one of those.’

Wenger also spoke about the similarities between the FIWC and actual football as he said:

‘The players who play in the FIWC have to make quick decisions just as top class (football) players do. They have to quickly analyse the situations they face at a very quick pace and therefore the players who make the best decisions will win. That is what it is all about, it is analysing the game at a high speed and making the right decisions.’

The FIWC is the world’s largest online gaming tournament, organised by FIFA in association with Presenting Partners EA SPORTS ™ and PlayStation®.

The event gives football fans the chance to live out their passion for football by competing against each other at FIFA ’12 with the chance of qualifying for the Grand Final in Dubai.

Over 1,000,000 players around the world are registered, making the FIWC a fiercely competitive tournament, offering the prize of $20,000 as well as an invitation to the FIFA Ballon d’Or to meet the biggest football stars in the world.

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Since the 28-year-old’s £1.5million bargain buy from FC Utrecht last summer, the Dutchman has been in spectacular form for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season, keeping an impressive 13 clean sheets in 38 games.

Vorm’s said to be in line to take up the number two role at Arsenal, becoming the understudy to Wojciech Szczesny.

However, the 6’2’’ Dutch international recently stated he has no intentions of leaving Swansea to be a second-rate player, even if it’s at a bigger club.

Vorm bagged three awards at the Swans’ end-of-season awards on Thursday – the Supporters’, Players’ and Away Player of the Year at the Liberty Stadium. After which he insisted he would not be going anywhere this summer:

‘I think I will stay at Swansea, I like it here.

‘I am No. 1 and we play the league’s best football.

‘There are not many better places I could go.

‘Why should I go and sit on the bench somewhere?’

He added:

‘It’s been a very special season, especially as it’s my first at the club.

‘You start off and nobody knows you but I have three awards. It’s unbelievable.’

Vorm has been a revelation for Swansea as well ast the Premier League this season. He’s agile, has quick reactions and is very good when it comes to one-on-one situations.

But I doubt he would leave the Liberty Stadium. One thing for sure is that we will need a new goalkeeper who is able to give Szczesny a run for his money.

To be honest, the young shot-stopper has produced some quality performances worthy of the number one jersey. It’s just unfortunate that we have no one to challenge him for the gloves.

So if not Vorm, then who?

Well Villarreal were relegated from La Liga on Sunday night and I’m sure some of their players would love to play for a big European club.

Diego Lopez is a decent enough goalkeeper, one which would certainly keep Szczesny on his toes. So perhaps Arsene Wenger should look into this.

Some healthy competition would do wonders for the club, especially in the goalkeeper department.

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The Bangui-born defender has had a superb season with Montpellier, who are on the verge of winning the Ligue 1, and due to his displays for the French side, several clubs across Europe have been keeping tabs on Yanga-Mbiwa, with many set to make a move for him when the transfer window opens.

Arsenal are believed to be one of the clubs keen on Yanga-Mbiwa, who can play anywhere across the back-line, with the player stating it is the right time for a move to England.

Calciomercato claims Yanga-Mbiwa was quoted in French publication L’Equipe saying:

‘My desire is to play in England ahead of any other European league.’

Yanga-Mbiwa then went on to praise Arsenal and Manchester United and feels honoured to be linked with ‘two great clubs’:

‘For me it would be a dream come true to see myself in the Premier League. Arsenal or Manchester United? They are two great clubs.

‘I feel very honoured they are interested in me and at the end of the season I will evaluate my future.’

Depending on his value, I think it would be wise for us to go for the Montpellier centre-back. He is agile, acquires pace, has great positional awareness, reads the game well and is highly experienced for someone so young.

There must be something about him if several teams across Europe are chasing him. But again, It depends on how much Montpellier will ask for. His existing contract is set to expire next summer, which means Montpellier will either have to sell at a reasonable price or risk losing their captain on a free at the end of next season’s campaign.

Reports suggest interested parties could acquire Yanga-Mbiwa’s services this summer for a bargain price of £7 million!!! A fee which Arsene Wenger will undoubtedly jump at!

Get your cheque book out Arsene! Bring him in and get rid of/offer Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci!

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Mundo Deportivo suggests the Catalan club are keen to add to their squad at the end of the season and are thought to be monitoring several players around Europe, including the likes of Jordi Alba, Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie, whose contracts are set to expire next summer, as the La Liga outfit have limited funds to spend.

Walcott has been courted by Barca in the past and the Catalans could look to rekindle their interest in the England winger, who has yet to sign a new deal at Arsenal, putting Arsene Wenger and the north London club in quite a predicament. If Walcott fails to agree terms this summer, then the Gunners will have to decide whether to sell or allow the 23-year-old to leave for nothing next summer.

However, Wenger remains optimistic that the speedy winger will stay at Arsenal beyond his existing deal, but the player may just be tempted by the lure of other top clubs, including the world’s best team Barcelona.

Walcott has nine goals and assists for the Gunners this season in 43 appearances.

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1. West Brom are currently 8th overall according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for total distance covered this season. They’ve covered a total distance of 2,346 miles and trail 7th place Wolves by seven miles.

2. After a staggering first half to the season, West Brom’s Youssouf Mulumbu seems to have been tiring towards the end. Mulumbu hasn’t been in the top two for distance covered since their 1-0 win over QPR back on the 14th April. Despite this, the Congolese central midfielder is still top of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for total distance covered for WBA.

3. On top of this, Mulumbu has successfully completed 75 tackles, making him the 10th best tackler in the Premier League. On top of this, Mulumbu has made 566 attacking passes – the most of anyone in WBA’s team.

4. In the heart of defence, Jonas Olsson remains a rock on which the team is built around. The towering Swede has made the third most clearances and blocks of any player in the Premier League.

5. Behind him, England stopper Ben Foster continues to be one of a few ever-presents in the league, having played all 3555 minutes of West Brom’s 37 games to date.

6. At the other end of the pitch, Chris Brunt continues to catch the eye, having created eight goals for the Baggies this season. Meanwhile, Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie continues to be central to the Baggies attacking play. Not only does the striker lead the club’s scoring charts but he also has more shots on target than any WBA player and successfully completes 34 dribbles – more than any other player in Roy Hodgson’s team.

7. The Baggies have lost just one of their last six Premier League games

8. Tomorrow’s Premier League game will be Arsene Wenger’s 600th as Arsenal manager.

9. Unsurprisingly, Robin van Persie remains the Premier League’s most valuable player, being the most impressive performer in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

10. On top of his 30 league goals this season, the Dutchman has 16 assists to his name and has covered a staggering 217.56 miles this season – making him the second hardest working player in the league.

11. Behind him, Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta has been a key player in Arsenal’s resurgence. Despite been ruled out for the rest of the season last month, the Spaniard has made 1189 passes in the opposition’s half. Only north London rival Luka Modric has made more.

12. The Gunners have not lost on the final day of the season since 2005.

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