Wenger's Young Guns Surpass All Expectations

Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks Arsenal will feel entitled to look back upon this season with pride.

Given the transfer constraints under which Wenger is expected to operate, with one or two outstanding players sold seemingly every year, his side's continued contention for both the major pieces of silverware is nothing short of miraculous.

If Arsenal could defy the odds by winning either the Champions League or the Premiership it would, given the extent of the current injury crisis, entitle Wenger to add "miracle worker" to his already impressive Arsenal cv.

Arsenal’s success this year has been built on a solid spine throughout the team. Gallas and Vermaelan have formed the best centre half partnership since Campbell and Toure, while Song has come of age, and looks every inch the defensive midfielder we have lacked since Flamini’s departure.

Fabregas’s vision and passing ability has long surpassed that of either Gerrard or Lampard, and now that he has added goals to his game he is well on his way towards establishing himself as the best central midfielder in the game.

Van Persie looked set for his highest scoring season in an Arsenal shirt until, yet again, his season was curtailed by a serious injury.

With season ending injuries to Gallas and Fabregas—and Van Persie unlikely to have time to recapture his early season form, even if he does return from his long term ankle injury—the Arsenal squad has been severely depleted.

It is testament to how well the likes of Fabregas and Gallas have played that Arsenal has been able to carry a number of under-performing players. Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo have never recovered sufficiently from their respective injuries to replicate their earlier promise, and Theo Walcott continues to perform only in sporadic bursts.

Even Andrey Arshavin, who has by no means had a poor season, has not been as devastatingly effective as he was when he first arrived at the Emirates.

Wenger wanted to add Marouane Chamakh to his squad this season and will probably get his wish in the Summer, but his failure to agree to terms with the Bordeaux centre forward has left us seriously short of options up front.

Throughout pre-season, Wenger used Bendtner as one of his two wide men, with Van Persie playing as the main target man in the middle. Wenger clearly did not plan on using Bendtner as the main striker, but the paucity of other attacking alternatives available to him has left him with no option.

Arsenal have already exceeded all expectations this season, but there is no doubt that, had Van Persie not been seriously injured on international duty in December, they would have done even better.

Arsenal could conceivably put on the kind of attacking performance which we all know they are capable of and blow Barcelona away next week. Without either Arshavin and Fabregas, two key components of any Arsenal attack, it remains a remote possibility, but a possibility none the less.

While nothing short of a spectacular performance will suffice in the Nou Camp, consistency is all that might be required on the domestic front. The Premier League fixtures list does not look too imposing, but injury-hit Arsenal will need to overcome their propensity for throwing away points with unnecessary individual errors.

A victory at White Hart Lane next weekend could potentially make Arsenal’s season and break Tottenham’s, but there will be plenty more twists and turns before the season completes its course.

Wenger’s men have already confounded the critics to remain in contention, all that remains is for them to bring home the silverware which the sparkling new stadium so richly deserves.