Football: Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

In the words of C. Montgomery Burns of The Simpsons, “Please Sir, I can’t bear another thrashing.”

Today Arsenal lost at home to Chelsea by a three goal margin for the second time in successive seasons. I was hopeful that Arsene’s young guns would avoid another pummeling from the boys from the bridge but it wasn’t to be. Unfortunately Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea highlighted the rather large gap in class that currently separates the two teams – and it hurts to say that.

Arsenal were defensively naïve but the glaring deficiency in their team was a distinct lack of steel. This has so often been the downfall of Wenger’s recent teams but more troubling is the fact that Arsenal as a squad seem to get smaller year by year. In 2004 the side had players like Campbell, Vieira, Henry and Gilberto – all of whom had the physical presence to cope with the premiership. Now in their place are players with great talent but not enough brawn to battle on the same pitch as a robust and uncompromising side like Chelsea.

Luck is required to win the league in this country, make no mistake about it. Arsenal being deprived of their three physically imposing players in Van Persie, Bendtner and Abou Diaby made Chelsea’s job a whole lot easier. But for Arsenal’s main mode of attack to comprise of crosses into the box without these players seemed a rather strange strategic decision. Subsequently the better side ran out deserving winners today and truly do look like the champions elect even at this early stage of the season.

I feel for Arsene Wenger. He deserves success because he is a visionary in a world that doesn’t quite understand him. He develops players when others don’t and has a yearning to make football the art it can be, on a budget that would be laughed out of town by any other top manager. I also feel for Cesc Fabregas. He is Arsene’s most striking example of a player blossoming under his stewardship. He is well spoken and gives everything he has as captain of Arsenal. I hate to see him and his manager continually let down on days when it really matters. Today, unfortunately, was one of those days.

Can Arsenal challenge for honours without Robin Van Persie?

The bombshell that dropped over Ashburton Grove this morning has probably led some Arsenal fans to write off the league campaign of 2009-10. While this is a tad melodramatic, the fact remains that an Arsenal side bereft of the style, presence and link-up play of Robin Van Persie is unquestionably weaker than one with him as the spearhead.

Robin’s hugely successful transition to the centre forward role in a 4-3-3 this season has surprised a few people, notably those who originally questioned Arsene on the matter. He was well on the way to becoming one of the world’s most complete strikers – but of course when the Dutchman is concerned there is always an injury waiting to stop him from reaching that highest level where he deserves to be.

What makes matters worse for Wenger is that his options to replace Robin are rather limited. Nicklas Bendtner is the only feasible candidate as he is now Arsenal’s only 6ft+ forward. He is penciled in for a return at the start of December, but can the young Dane really shoulder the responsibility at CF for the remainder of the season? I suspect that Arsene will move again for Bordeaux’s Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh in January. But if the gunners are out of the race by then, will there be any point?

I suppose the key observation here is that what Robin Van Persie can give Arsenal cannot be replaced by any player on the market right now. But as long as the CF in this side can hold the ball up, work extremely hard and can bring his team mates into play, the boys from the emirates might be ok.

It would be very easy to side with the doom mongers on the issue of Van Persie’s injury; after all, would United have won the title for the last couple of years without Ronaldo? The evidence does indeed suggest that teams stripped of their best players don’t win trophies. But it would be far better to get behind this team and trust in the array of attacking talent that Arsene Wenger has assembled. There are some outstanding players in this squad and it just means that now is the time for them to show everyone what they’re made of.