The real reason why Fabregas will stay or go

 In the week where all our progress, strides and forward-movement of this season will be measured against the unofficial ”best team in the world”, Barcelona, a key player of Arsenal gave us the biggest reason so far why Cesc Fabregas will or will not continue his stay at the club.

We play Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16, on the night of Wednesday, February 16 and oh, what a night it promises to be!

More than games against the likes of Chelsea or Man United, this encounter between the two-most stylish clubsides in the world, will be the marker of how far we have progressed or improved from that 6-3 thrashing of last year.  Pep Guardiola has described Arsenal as dangerous opponents, while bits and pieces from inside the camp of the Nou Camp side suggest that in Theo Walcott, Arsenal possess a player that ought to be feared.

None other than the incomparable Lionel Messi has voiced his concern about Theo:

“I remember we were winning 2-0 on the pitch and Arsenal had no chance to change the course of the game. But on the field came Walcott, and without the help of his teammates, he managed to do something that could not be done by the whole team before”.

Note how he said, ‘Arsenal had no chance’. The great thing about non-Englishmen expressing their opinions in English, is the abject frankness and blunt edge to their expressions. They do not have the vocabulary to do doublespeak and coax their true feelings in innuendos. So they just say exactly what they feel. Period.

All that might just be an attempt to create a sense of falsophobia (the fear of something that doesn’t exist) or simply prematch diversionary tactics. Whichever the case may be, it is not an encounter that would permit drowsiness. Expect fireworks aplenty.

In truth, we have indeed made big strides from last year in terms of playing personnel. Samir Nasri has become a veritable threat and the complete attacking player that Wenger dreamt he would become. Alex Song and Jack Wilshire have formed an impressive midfield combo that oozes strength, guile, boundless skill, mutual understanding and tenacity. Marouane Chamakh has become a reliable goalpoacher that can always be thrown into the fray when goals are the essential commodity. Not to mention the sweet chemistry developing between Johann Djourou and Laurent Koscielny at the back.

But the man that keeps annoying Barcelona when they think of what might have been, remains Cesc Fabregas. In him, Arsenal have a leader, a warrior, a fighter and a standard bearer

He has been the topping on the mountain of potential that Wenger has cobbled together. It is him that will not make Barcelona rest until they have taken him back from London Colney, back to Nou Camp. It is him that continues to make such encounters between we and them more than just a soccer game.

Fabregas’s continued stay at Arsenal or departure, is what Alex Song has finally given a sense of purpose by telling us the real truth. He revealed over the weekend that Fabregas, like any other player simply wants to win trophies. Major ones. Lots of them.

Spanish Armada..Fabregas (front row, 2nd from left) with the Spanish side

Having tasted unprecedented success with Spain –first in Europe and later at the toughest of them all, the World Cup – he is naturally hungry for more.

It is a short career, we are always reminded and at 23 (24 in May), success has come to Fabregas quite early.

But European championships and World Cups only happen once in four, long years and even then, form, injuries, selection hurdles and unfamiliar coaches all present formidable obstacles to a player’s dreams of winning those tournaments. Enroute to being World champions, Spain were lacking in form and rhythm until the second round when they beat neighbours Portugal. That ignited their campaign, though they never hit the heights that we know they can, as they only scraped through most games with a 1-0 scoreline. They won the final itself with the same margin.

So, considering all the odds, a player stands a far better chance of glory at club level, where competitions are annual and playing patterns more consistent. It is at that club level that Fabregas now wants to prove himself as a winner.

The 2005 FA Cup apart, he’s got nothing to show for seven years of stewardship at the Gunners. Though he was part of the squad of Invincibles that won the Premier league in 2004, he didn’t the minimum requirement of ten games, to earn a medal. The same fate that befell Jermaine Pennant.

Now, as captain, expectations are higher on him and his mates to deliver. All that high hopes have a chance of being fulfilled in a fortnight when we file out against Birmingham in the Carling Cup final.

But as Alex Song rightly mentioned, Fabregas needs to lead Arsenal to major trophies, to make him want to stay. The Premier League and Champions League that is. Trophies that make you belong to the big boys’ club. Trophies you can boast about and tell of your exploits with a glint in the eye. Trophies you cannot win without beating a very, very big team.

It is in that exclusive category that Fabregas wants to belong. And deservedly too.

That is the long and short of what will keep him at Arsenal; or make him finally demand a move back home to Catalonia. Overcoming Barcelona in this Round of 16 will go a long way in determining where Fabregas’s immediate future lies.

Arsenal 1 West Ham 0

In at last....Arsenal players bury goalscorer, Song under a huddle of joy

This was supposed to be a walk in the park. No hard evidence supporting that, except of course the only reason being that fellow Londoners, West Ham were propping up the table while our recent form has been quite literally, frightening.
Well, well events of the afternoon at the Emirates proved not in conformity with such prediction. West Ham, or more specifically, Robert Green made life very difficult for us with their dogged determination to save their season and avoid defeat at our hands.
They succeeded thanks largely to the efforts of Green, who stopped three point-blank, goalbound balls from first Fabregas; then Alex Song; then Squillaci; later again from Fabregas. In between all these, when he was beaten by the ball, the post and the bar stood in our way as Samir Nasri’s first half freekick and Theo Walcott’s delightful breakaway shot came back from the bar and post respectively.
It was looking very much like a frustrating day for us until, Song dived full length to nod in a cute lob from overlapping Gael Clichy in the 88th minute.
The roar that greeted the goal around the packed Emirates was more out of relief than celebration.
So we held onto second spot after and continued our recent good form bnoth home and away. It wasn’t a vintage performance but there would always be days like those.
What mattered at the end was the three points and that we secured – thanks largely to the heroics of Song.

Below are the ratings
*Fabianski (6/10) – Didn’t have too much to do actually but whencalled upon on about three occasions in the first half, he reacted very well to maintain our clean sheet. In such tight, see-saw games, a claen sheet is always the first foundation to getting anything out of games and he ensured that very much. Surely now, he is a man transformed.
* Clichy (7/10) – Did well on the day as he helped contain the threat of the big Frederic Piqouine particularly in the first half when WestHam carried some attacking threat. His cross into the box which resulted in the goal by Song must count as a huge moment of significance in the game.
*Koscielny (7/10) – Did very well to contain Piqouine, Boa Morte and the dangerous Nigerian Obinna Nsofor who took turns to run at our defence in the first half. Koscielny has proved how good a man marker he is and once again he showed it in this game. Never ruffled no matter the opposition.
* Squillaci (7/10) – He returned to the team after being rested for the midweek Carling Cup tie against Newcastle. His experience helped calm things at the back as always and he almost nicked a goal deep into the first half off a corner. The stunning form of Green however stopped that happening.
* Sagna (6/10) – Had a rather quiet game by his standards but that was due to the fact that West Ham retreated into their shells and opted to defend in the second half. Helped curb the threat of Piqouinne in the first half though and not surprisingly, contributed to the other Frenchman’s eventual substitution.
* Denilson (6/10) – Played in the defensive midfield hole in front of the defence and didn’t quite excel. Credit must however go to him for doing the dirty job and shackling the enigmatic Scot Parker, because that allowed Song to maraud forward and support the attack. If the truth be told, Denilson has been playing due to the suspension of Jack Wilshire and it remains to be seen if he’ll get a look-in once the excellent Englishman returns.
* Song (8/10) – Has very much transformed into a spinal player very in the mould of the Patrick Vieira. Not a bad comparison at all, considering the humble beginnings of the Camerounian. Even before he scored that 88th minute clincher, his presence was allover the pitch as he continually popped up in sensitive spots performing a myriad of functions. His goal eventually, was well deserved as no other player on our side, put in more hard yards than him on the day. Keep it up Alex.
* Nasri (6/10) – He wasn’t on top of his game Saturday but even the best players in the world have theiur off days. He cracked a delightful 35 yarder onto Robert Green’s bar however in the 40th minute, which had it gone in, would be candidate for goal of the season. His bags of tricks are still heavy with plenty of surprises.
* Fabregas (6/10) – Even he confessed that he had a poor game and it says a lot about his personality to admit that. Got going really in the second half but was thwarted ont two occasions from scoring by Green’s heroics. Later emerged that he played with a hamstring problame all game.
* Arshavin (5/10) – The Russian is clearly troubled by a mystery problem. He’s not himself and is not close to exhibiting the talents and abilities we all know he possesses. There has been talk of a contract extension to keep him here for the next three years but with his dwindling form, who knows if his future still lies with us. His displays keep getting curiouser and curiouser.
* Chamakh (5/10 ) – Our Moroccan gladiator never got going in this game. His level dropped very much and he seemed exhausted. Couldn’t recollect finding him in any threatening position or shooting at target all afternoon. But as with many other players on the day, he was off form.


Substitutes
• Walcott (7/10) – In a crisis, he must be the go-to man now. He came on in the 65th minute and showed the extent of threat he carries by skinning Heita Ilunga almost immediately and aiming for goal with a finecarpeter that unfortunately struck the post and rebounded into Green’s arms.
• Bendtner (5/10) – Also came on for the misfiring Arshavin but never really found his groove.


A not-so-good performance, but very vital win this was and it keeps Chelsea within sight. We go to Minsk on Wednesday night for our reverse Champioins League engagement with Shakhtar Donetsk and it promises to be a night of attrition as the Ukrainians will be hellbent on exacting revenge for their 5-1 pasting two weeks ago. A note of optimism however will be the return of Wilshire.

Manchester City 0 Arsenal 3

The joy of three....Nasri explodes with joy after scoring the opener.

We inflicted the heaviest home defeat on Manchester City since January 2007, and what a win it was. What an impact it also made on our league position.We rocketted up to second spot, reining in Chelsea and leapfrogging Man City and Man Utd in the process. It may or may not be an indication where we’ll end up at the end of the season but it surely put us in the mix for a real title challenge now.Things got off to a dramatic start in this heavyweight clash in the 5th minute, when Derdyck Boyata upended Marouane Chamakh. The City defender rightly got his marching orders and 15minutes later, we went ahead after a cute one-two between Arshavin and Nasri. The Frenchman ghosted past a static Gareth Barry to shoot us ahead.
Some inspiring goalkeeping by a reborn Lukasz Fabianski kept us in the game and in the 60th minute, Alex Song blasted the second goal off a pass from Fabregas.Third goal sealed it up through Nicklas Bendtner’s first of the season in the 88th minute and that was that.It was a landmark win and one we truly deserved inspite of the ten-men we played against. Our range of passing and movement flummoxed Man City most of the time and helped us impose our style and authority on the game. A good win this one and one that surely, surely now makes us serious contenders for the title. On a weekend when all our rivals won, it put us in a vitally good position to stand up and be counted in the coming weeks.
That West Brom defeat now looks so far, far away.


Below are the ratings.
• Fabianski (7/10) – Often, I had to rub my eyes to be sure it is the much-maligned Pole between the sticks for us. He did himself and the team proud with how he repelled all that came his way. His smart, low save in the 3rd minute from David Silva was the first of a series of fine stops and he excelled for all of 90 minutes. Surely now, Almunia has to be afraid of his chances for the Number One shirt. Lukasz seems to get better with every game and confidence must now be sky high for him. The clean sheet must be a welcome one for him as well.
• Clichy (6/10) – Was skinned a couple of times by the marauding Micah Richards but he also gave as good as he got. Supported Arshavin very well from the left and got forward at every opportunity.
• Squillaci (6/10) – The third game in a row between him and Djourou and the mutual understanding helped the duo. He dealt with the threat of the dangerous Carlos Tevez and also his replacement, Adebayor.
• Djourou (7/10) – Another reborn player. He looked the part and played it very well. Good and authoritative in the air and seems to be finally fulfilling his long-held potential. Picked up a booking but was unpertubed as he dished out tackles all afternoon. His growing confidence from regular games was also apparent.
• Sagna (7/10) – He was just his usual no-nonsense self. Helped to smother the threat of the elusive Silva and ran his guts out on the right, linking with Nasri and later Walcott.
• Song (7/10) – He clearly fancies himself as an attacking midfielder now, with two goals in successive games. Did all that was asked of him in breaking up City’s game and never allowed their midfield to click. He outshone his more-illustrious opponent, Yaya Toure and capped it up with that cracker of a goal that sealed it for us. One of his best performances for us.
• Nasri (8/10) – My man of the match, though by a whisker. He was involved in everything we did and definitely now, he has found his groove in the team. The goal he scored apart, our little Frenchman never stopped moving. Never stopped probing. Never stopped looking for the ball and releasing it. He also gave the assist that led to Bendtner’s goal. A virtuoso outing for a multi-talented player. Better still, he is now suddenly our leading scorer.
• Fabregas (7/10) – In the absence of the much-improved Fabregas, there were fears that we would lose some spark in the middle. Fabregas put such fears to rest as he took over from where he stopped before that injury against Sunderland, last month. He, like Nasri, pestered the City defence endlessly. His passes were unreadable and drew the foul that cost Boyata a dismissal. He also drew a foul from Kompany which led to a penalty that he took and was saved. Nonetheless, our skipper had a huge impact as always.
• Arshavin (6/10) – Its almost becoming the norm now, but apart from the assist to Nasri for the first goal; the Russian was very anonymous. He doesn’t look happy playing and if the truth be told, something seems to be going on behind closed doors. Time will surely tell concerning his form.
• Chamakh (7/10) – He also had a quite game but credit must go to him for the skilful way he operates in and around the box. He seems to have the uncanning ability to attract fouls that either lead to penalties or cautions or even dismissals. And that is no ordinary gift.

Substitutes
• Rosicky (5/10) – Didn’t do much. Didn’t have to after coming on with us two goals up.
• Bendtner (6/10) – Reminded us all what we had missed in his absence with a well-taken goal for the third strike. Displayed maturity to stay onside for the through ball from Nasri before scoring. At least now, we have an alternative outlet for the striking position if needed.
• Walcott (5/10) – Also came in when the game and points were already sewn up. Still showed hunger and was full of running as ever. Must be chomping at the bits now for a starting spot sooner or later.


This was a good win indeed and one that was also much needed. It's three wins on the trot now and you truly cannot ask for anything more from the lads. Next up, we go up North again for the Carling Cup meeting with Newcastle on Wednesday. Expect a much-changed side but one packed with experience as already hinted to by Wenger.