There are three strong reasons why Arsenal will prove to be more than a match for Manchester United next Sunday at the Emirates.

1. A defensive midfield player was missing against Aston Villa

The absence of Alex Song who was away at the Africa Cup of Nations meant that Arsenal’s midfield lacked his strong and powerful presence.

I like Ramsey but along with Denilson they were too meek to be able to control and dominate that midfield area. This meant that the Arsenal forwards as well as Fabregas were not provided the service that they usually get. Both players were also not able to provide an attacking threat.

The probable inclusion of Song for next Sunday’s game will be quite a different proposition.

His ball winning skills for a start will be an added boost that was so desperately missing against Villa.

But what he has added to his game is the ability to turn and go forward with the ball after he has won it.

This is quite important as he takes players out and drives the whole team further up the field taking the game straight into the dangerous areas.

2. Bendtner will add height, strength and more variety up front

Eduardo is out but the big Dane is in. I am glad that Bendtner is back. And I am glad he is replacing Eduardo who has been improving lately but not fast enough nor to the quality level that is required.

Eduardo would I think have been the one to make way even if he were fit.

So we will not only gain height and strength up front we will also be able to add variety to the attacks.



The long high ball that Wenger wrongly accused Villa of playing will now be a viable option for Arsenal. This was so evident against Villa when Bendtner came on. The Arsenal players were able to play high to him and the ball suddenly started spending more time in the opponent’s half.

Before that Almunia’s clearances and Sagna’s crosses were coming straight back into our half putting our (young) midfielders and defenders under more frequent and unnecessary pressure.

Bendtner showed against Villa that he could hold the ball under pressure and bring other players into the game.

This is so important as Arsenal’s style of play demands that all its forwards and offensive midfielders join the attacks. But in a 4 3 3 system they need time to get there. Eduardo wasn’t able to provide it.

3. Manchester United’s defence will be poorer for Ferdinand’s absence

Enough about Arsenal’s strengths. I feel that a weakness for Manchester United will be their defence.

The absence of Ferdinand will take a lot of their defensive prowess away and the right back position has also been a problem for them having to rely on the young and inexperienced Da Silva. I can see Arshavin running rings around him.

However it looks that Sol Campell may start against United (unless Wenger decides to play Song there) and Rooney may well run rings around him! And of course Van De Sar is a better goalkeeper than Almunia.

So all in all both defences will have their weaknesses for this particular game but Ferdinand’s absence will I think make it a more level playing field.

Martin O’Neill was angry at Arsène Wenger because (and I quote what Wenger has said)

“They [Aston Villa] play a very efficient English game, with long balls and it is very physical. They are a good side at counter attacking. When we took the gamble to go forward and they won the ball, they are quick and that is why it was always us managing to create chances and score, or them catching us on the counter attack or playing on Agbonlahor or Heskey with long balls.”

Let’s take this sentence by sentence.

They play a very efficient English game, with long balls and it is very physical.

So our manager is giving a compliment to Villa for playing efficient. Nothing wrong with that. At Arsenal we may like our play on the ground game but in England lots of teams played and still play with the long ball and I think it is fair to say that playing a long ball is part of the English game. Now it could be that Martin O’Neill has a grudge against the word English but if someone said to me that I’m efficient in what I do I consider this to be a good thing.

They are a good side at counter attacking. Again I see Wenger only telling that Villa are a good side and that they are good in counter attacking. I really can’t see what is wrong with this. Counter attack is part of the game. All teams do it and some teams have the players to do this better than others. We have played great counter attacks and if Walcott is fit he can do a great job in this.  So I don’t see anything wrong in this again.

When we took the gamble to go forward and they won the ball, they are quick and that is why it was always us managing to create chances and score, or them catching us on the counter attack or playing on Agbonlahor or Heskey with long balls.

The game I saw for the last half our or so was that Villa crept back to their goal and we attacked more. If it was due to our strength or due to their tactics I don’t know. But in the last half hour the most that Villa did was kick the ball out of their defence at many occasions.

So Arsenal went forward to win the game. I’ve seen this with my own eyes. And when they got the ball they kicked it up field to Agbonlahor who was chasing the ball many times. Or they kicked the ball to Heskey in the air in the hope he could do something with it.

O’Neill said about Wenger’s words: “If that is what he (Wenger) saw tonight, that is as ridiculous a statement as I’ve heard. He has made a few ridiculous statements in his time here and that is probably as good as any. That is only an annoyance at the end of it all. Anyone who saw the game wouldn’t take that viewpoint. But it is an appalling insult.”

Now I cannot understand what O’Neill finds insulting. Is it the word ‘long ball’ and that is just the way they won at the Emirates last season? They played a few long balls we couldn’t cope but is this something insulting? Is playing the game in an efficient manner insulting? Or is playing physical insulting? I don’t see something insulting. Is counter attacking insulting? Or is the last sentence of O’Neill’s diatribe insulting?

I think it is just Wenger’s point of view and according to O’Neill no one who saw the game would take that viewpoint. Now maybe he can say that because the game was not shown live on TV in the UK and you really can’t make it up in only seeing the highlights of the game.

But I can say Mr. O’Neill that I saw the game live on TV and that you did play the long ball to Agbonlahor and Heskey at many occasions. So I can agree on the comments made by Wenger. So hey there is also another one who agrees with “that viewpoint”.

But it would be very good for you to point out what exactly is the insulting bit in the 3 sentences that Wenger said. Or is it just the word “English” that you find insulting? Or is it just that you want to join the rest of the pundits who pick on anything Wenger does and says? If so then what are you looking for? A nice tap on the shoulder from Alan or Alan?

I for one think that the words you address to Wenger are far more insulting than his honest analysis of the game he saw. Saying that someone is ridiculous that is what I call an insult.

Well maybe I could say that you said something ridiculous by saying what you said.

Walter Broeckx

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger provided terrific news ahead of Sunday’s game against Manchester United, revealing how defender Thomas Vermaelen suffered no fracture to his leg and could only miss this weekend’s game contrary to months on the sidelines which was initially feared.

The Frenchman also confirmed that Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song could both feature against the Red Devils but Eduardo will miss the game.

Quote:

There is no fracture in Thomas’ leg but his injury still has to be assessed. There is still a good chance he will not play on Sunday. Eduardo has a small, small, small hamstring. He will be out for one week. He will not make Man United but he might make Chelsea. However Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song have been in this morning. Eboue has been running outside. They are both in good shape. Tired but in good shape. Both of them are available for Sunday. Unfortunately Abou will not be back this weekend but he could be for Chelsea.

It took only the briefest moment of thought for Sol Campbell to declare himself fit and ready to play for Arsenal against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. In that moment, one of the most unlikely and remarkable stories of the Barclays Premier League season unfolded.

Campbell, 35, could barely suppress a grin, either. “I’ve been training for a long time so if it comes to it, I’ll have to be ready — it’s as simple as that,” he said, chuckling at the prospect of another, barely credible, stab at the big time. “It’s a massive game, a great game to be involved in.”

Nothing fazes Campbell, the former England central defender — not even the prospect of facing Wayne Rooney, the rampantly in-form United striker. “He’s United’s talisman,” Campbell said. “He’s always going to pop up, he’s always dangerous. You’ve got to watch him. In a flash, something can happen and they’re in.”

Opportunity knocks for Campbell because of the leg injury suffered by Thomas Vermaelen in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Wednesday night. Campbell replaced Vermaelen during the first half at Villa Park, and showed few signs of rustiness on his second appearance since his “second coming” at Arsenal. He is likely to partner William Gallas against United.

Vermaelen had a scan yesterday that allayed the worst fears of Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, who was worried that he had suffered a fractured fibula. “There is no fracture but his injury still has to be assessed,” Wenger said. “There is a good chance he will not play on Sunday.”

Wenger could opt for Alexandre Song instead of Campbell, but the Cameroon player is more effective in midfield and has just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, as has Emmanuel Eboué, after the exit of Ivory Coast. “They are in good shape,” Wenger said of the Africans. “Tired, but in good shape.”

Not that Campbell relished the circumstances of his introduction at Villa. “It’s not nice to come on [as a substitute] like that, because of an injury,” he said. “But that’s when the squad comes into its own. People can come in and the level doesn’t drop.”

Campbell has improved his level of fitness during training with Arsenal over the past two months. He has played only one other league match this season: for Notts County in their 2-1 defeat away to Morecambe in Coca-Cola League Two in September. A crowd of 3,335 attended Christie Park that day; a 60,000 sell-out can be expected at the Emirates.

The ill-fated stint at Meadow Lane, with Campbell walking away after that one appearance, is just a bad memory. “To me, it’s the past,” he said. “Yeah, it’s been a strange old season, but I’m knuckling down now.”

After the United game, Arsenal face successive fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool. When asked if lifting the Premier League trophy for a third time with the North London club was feasible, Campbell laughed again. “There’s a long way to go,” he said. “The main thing is to keep focused.

“United will drop points, Chelsea will drop points, everyone will. It’s going to come down to who gets the run going, the wins, the draws, who keeps ticking along. They’re all there, all the top sides. Anyone can win it. You’ve got to dig in, fight, believe in yourselves. That’s what it’s all about.”

In contrast to the laid-back, almost horizontal, attitude of Campbell, Nicklas Bendtner exudes all the brashness of youth. The Denmark striker has returned from a three-month layoff after a groin problem and may also start against United, in place of the injured Eduardo da Silva.

“It is so good to be back,” Bendtner, 22, said. “Everything — the atmosphere, the smell of the grass — is just fantastic. And United is the sort of big game you’d love to come back to. Why am I so confident? It is simple. I am a good player.”

Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner is ready to grab the chance to finally establish himself as an Arsenal first team regular - and sustain their title hopes - ahead of a trio of crunch Barclays Premier League games.

And the Denmark international is confident the Gunners are "capable of winning every game" after hauling themselves back into contention via a 10-game unbeaten run which has yielded 24 points.

Bendtner returned after a three month lay-off following groin surgery as a substitute in Wednesday night's goalless league clash at Aston Villa.