Arsenal’s spine, allowing Cesc Fabregas the freedom to develop and express himself higher up the pitch. If Cesc was the effulgent Sherlock Holmes, then Gilberto was Watson, the diligent assistant adding methodical hard work to Holmes’ eccentric brilliance. It may seem uninspiring but it was a selfless act that allowed the team to play without fear of being exposed. With that in mind, it is interesting that so many people lamented the sale of Alex Song, a player who quite often ignored his defensive responsibilities to bound forward and join the attack. Whilst this worked great in combination with van Persie in his final year, many forget how often it left us exposed. His bundles of energy and his tackling often masked his naivety in the defensive midfield role. Song
