Arsenal fans will fondly remember two great strikes from Rosicky in the FA Cup win at Anfield just over 12 months ago. But of the six goals that the Czech playmaker has to his name this season

As the title race gathers pace and we head toward the business end of the season, Arsenal have to keep up with a Manchester United team that concedes fewer goals and contains more match-winners. One player who I suspect will be an important cog in the Arsenal machine, if Arsene Wenger’s side is to overhaul the champions, is Tomas Rosicky.

Rosicky scored on his return to the team at Fulham on Saturday, as Mean Lean predicted in these very pages, but there is more to come from the Czech midfielder; another gear, which he has yet to reach regularly for Arsenal.

Last season was a solid first year in North London for the player dubbed “the Little Mozart”; he settled quickly, hitting 6 goals in 37 games, but his development was hampered by recurrent hamstring problems. Those injury troubles have continued this year, but he seems to be putting them behind him.

Wenger suggested that Rosicky’s goal scoring rate should be higher (this was a player signed to replace Robert Pires after all), and he has responded; 7 goals in 23 games this season is close to a goal every 3 games – a considerably higher rate than he scored at for Borussia Dortmund. That’s also higher than his impressive scoring rate for his national team, for whom he was named captain at the start of last season. He is well on course to reach double figures for 2007-8; which would be a respectable return.

Arsenal fans will fondly remember two great strikes from Rosicky in the FA Cup win at Anfield just over 12 months ago. But of the six goals that the Czech playmaker has to his name this season, it’s arguable that none have been crucial; the third in Saturday’s 3-0 at Fulham, the fourth in the 4-1 at Everton, the third in the 3-1 win against Portsmouth, and clinchers against Wigan and Bolton, games that both ended 2-0.

Arsenal have not dropped many points this year, but they would happily have swapped some – if not all – of those goals Rosicky has scored, for goals in the away draws at Newcastle, Liverpool or Portsmouth (where he spurned a great chance late on).

At Middlesbrough in December (the only defeat in Arsenal’s league campaign thus far) with Van Persie, Fabregas, Flamini and Hleb all missing, Wenger would have been hoping that Rosicky took up the creative mantle. While it would be grossly unfair to blame the Czech player for a feeble and disjointed team showing, it was frustrating that Rosicky finished off Arsenal’s only attacking move of note with the last kick of a game that had already been decided.

His only goal in cup competition this season was the third against Sparta Prague, which killed a tie that was already as good as dead.

Of course playing in midfield isn’t simply about scoring goals, and Rosicky is already an important part of a very good Arsenal side. But if Arsenal are to attain ‘greatness’ over the coming months, match-winning goals from Tomas Rosicky would be a great help.