The next match saw the team take time to get over the trauma, and then make a last gasp recovery to draw against Villa. For much of that game Arsenal were like a horse with one leg hobbled, and a similar performance was given at Wigan. It should be noted that Man U and Chelsea also played poorly that weekend, but lucky for them it was the cup.

Three draws in a row and the stallion has been limping rather than galloping, and some Arsenal fans are now worried that this will be the norm. They can see a future where Arsenal draw for ever. Wenger prefers to see it as a bad patch where instead of losing the team dropped points by drawing.

Wenger says he can get the team back on track; he has many doubters, including those who doubted the team would win in Milan. After all they had declared the draw at home a failure. Platt was adamant that the draw at home was proof of decline, but one man's decline was another man's triumph. Then Arsenal became King's of Europe, no doubt there will be predictions of another flop with the media's darling's Liverpool the new opposition. Gerard must not be shown up by Fabregas, don't expect any support from her majesty's press.

But I digress - can Arsenal beat the only team to beat them in the league this season? Well on paper they should, on a green flat pitch they should, at full gallop they should. Even Lawro says they should. But the big question is will the horse turn up with four legs? Against Villa Diaby didn't turn up, against Wigan quite a few didn't turn up, at Boro just about the whole team, bar the keeper,  didn't turn up.

There are no doubt reasons for this, a stretched squad, fatigue, injury and so on, but to win the league all these things will have to be forgotten. In the invincible season we won games with One leg Luhzny and the Cyclops playing, we never missed a beat.  Only a horse with four legs, and prepared to burst its lungs galloping down the main straight can win the league, nothing less.

To spur the horse on the Gunners have the return of Toure, RvP and Walcott, poor old Tomas has only Diaby (I assume Eduardo is on leave) to keep him company in the sick room. Eboue has now served his time. The squad's depth is retuning. Please Arsene put Flam and Fab back together.

Probable squad: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb, van Persie, Adebayor, Lehmann, Song, J Hoyte, Walcott,  Senderos, Gilberto, Denilson, Bendtner.

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