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He doesn't play as a centre forward for Schalke obviously but he has appeared as a number 10, in some instances he is pushed higher up the pitch and you can get a sneaky peak at what he might be able to offer for the short but most probably long term. He is 6ft2in and technically fantastic. Look at this clip. He has so many players around him and finds his man. He gets the ball back and is charged down by four players but has the technique to turn them and still have the vision to slip in one of his players. It is hard to gage how much stronger he will get but his game is based on superb technique. That short snippet really reminds me of Robin van Persie.

Inevitably I expect The Arsenal to fall short of the title this year. I am not certain of it, however, I begrudgingly expect it. Whether this is our fault for not spending enough or the oil clubs for spending so much it’s uncompetitive, is not important. That is an argument Gooners have been having since Cesc left for Barca. All I know is if we do fall short Arsene will be questioned by the experts of the game Savage, Shearer, Owen et al for his ‘fear of spending on international superstars’. And how happy will MOTD be? The two Alans will be very proud of themselves. The brave decision made at the start of the season picking two of Europe’s most expensive squads, to win the most squad dependant competition in the country, will prove just how much they understand the modern game.

Carzola responded with a fantastic man of the match display against Fulham. In an otherwise tepid first half, the former Malaga playmaker was Arsenal's one ray of light, running at the opposition defence, completing a number of key passes and attempting to take the odd shot now and again. This standout individual display was punctuated in one moment where, given about as much space as you'd find in a toilet cubicle, Carzola used his lightening quick feet to weave his way between about three mesmerised Fulham players who had to resort to bringing him down on the edge of the box conceding a foul. The free kick came to nothing but that wasn't to deny Santi. In the second half, he scored the two goals that settled the match as a contest and rammed

Yet despite the development of players such as Nasri, Clichy, Fabregas, and more recently Gibbs, Ramsey and Wilshere there have been numerous players who have failed to make the grade. Denilson, Lansbury and Coquelin have all come through and failed to live up to their potential. Whilst obviously talent and temperament are high on the list of desired attributes, one feels that with the right guidance and support some of these players may have made it or at least attained a higher level of football

It would be insane to hold them to the same standards as the rest of the league. It’s like hauling a bloke off the street and pitting him against their sumo wrestler. OK, so the sumo wrestler might essentially be brain-dead, but he’s still a man mountain who has spent the last ten years reaching optimum weight to win contests with minimum effort. He’s a fatty and there’s no shifting him because he’s bedded into the very floor. Manchester City are a different proposition, in that they play football that doesn’t punish the viewer, aren’t run by complete idiots and don’t have a coach who considers the eye gouge a management tool. There’s a subtler evil afoot, and it’s masked by a beautiful exterior. They’re like a glorious Hollywood film funded by a tobacco multinational which then

Mertesacker and Koscielny this season and this match only served to emphasise how good they’ve been together this season. The affectionately nicknamed BFG successfully completed 14 out of 14 clearances along with 13/13 headed clearances. His French partner in crime also succeeded with 14/14 clearances but faired oh so slightly worse in the air, “only” successfully making 9 out of 9 with his head. That’s a 100% success rate between both centre backs! Unheard-of statistics in recent years.
The only blemish on a near perfect defensive performance was the slight lapses in concentration that allowed Benteke to get free to score a consolation and almost nick an undeserved late equaliser

Oxlade-Chamberlain back to full training and Serge Gnabry putting in an impressive shift against the Spuds, we have two young guns who should be chomping at the bit. Following Walcott’s injury, I’m sure it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed that the position that is open to them is very much a niche position. Of course, Wenger could plump for Rosicky

Walcott fanboys would have had reservations over whether he would be able to perform in this unfamiliar role. Lacking both the physical presence and the hold up play that a lone striker would ordinarily require, one would be forgiven for expressing some concern that we might struggle in attack. Walcott would also be up against Vlad Chiriches who was coming off the back of a man of the match dfensive performance at Old Trafford which is still no mean feat for any defender. Thankfully, that accolade for the Sp*rs man proved something to be a one off and any fears Arsenal fans had were quelled as Walcott

Having spent the entire campaign fielding Olivier Giroud as lone striker, it seemed inevitable that, sooner or later, the Frenchmen would pick up an injury, and so it transpired against Newcastle at the weekend. Bendtner, the only other striker in the squad, already not an entirely convincing option to step in, has now been sidelined too. The need for suitable reinforcements in this department could not be more desperate at this point - especially given the rather ineffectual performance of Lukas Podolski as a makeshift centre forward against Cardiff.

Almost as much as Giroud's goal, Arsenal's resolute, if at times desperate, defensive display was a key factor in securing those three precious points. Returning to the starting line-up after two games on the sideline was Laurent Koscielny who seamlessly slotted back in alongside Per Mertesacker at central back. In the second half, as the defence around them seemed to morph and change shape constantly, the two held their nerve, reorganised and ultimately stood firm to deny the Magpies a would-be equaliser, managing a combined 29 clearances between them. Another stat flying round after the game was that Arsenal haven't lost a league game when the two have been paired (Per-ed?) together for 23 months. Admittedly, I don't know how many matches that actually