Arsenal's Absent Anchorman

The transfer deadline came and went, but that fabled defensive midfielder Arsenal fans were craving didn’t arrive at the gates of the Emirates Stadium like they hoped.

Xabi Alonso and Gareth Barry were the experienced heads touted to fill the sizeable looking gap left by the departures of Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva.

Reportedly, Arsene Wenger made a last ditch bid for the Spanish European champion, which was duly rejected by Liverpool.

Even Portuguese starlet Miguel Veloso was linked with a move from Sporting Lisbon to North London, but nothing materialised on the final day.

This leaves Arsenal with questions to answer if they are going to sustain a similarly credible assault on the title as last season.

There are options in the ranks, but Denilson is the only fit, natural option as Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky are both ruled out with injuries.

It has been clear to see after the opening games of the season that Gilberto’s Brazilian compatriot was set in a very different mould to the former Arsenal captain.

Panathanaikos’ new World Cup winner may be eleven years Denilson’s senior, but it’s more than experience that separates the players.

With a goal and an assist already to his name this season, Denilson’s tendency to drift forward immediately sets him apart from his former mentor, who scored just 17 goals in his six years at the club, predominantly from corners.

The youngster is also not the toughest in the tackle, lacking some of the tenacity of Flamini, and Gilberto’s finely honed reading of the game.

This obviously leaves the Arsenal midfield at a loss. Do they compromise the creative prowess of Cesc Fàbregas by reining him in when Denilson goes walkabout? Or do they allow both to do what they do best and pass their way towards the opponent’s 18 yard line, leaving gaping holes in central midfield?

This would similarly be an issue when both Diaby and Rosicky return to action, with Diaby’s gut-busting runs from deep and Rosicky predominantly an attacking midfielder meaning both are less suited to the disciplined defensive role.

However, with the return of Alexandre Song from the Olympics he may be able to fill the boots left by his predecessors, but whether he can mature into the role in time to allow Arsenal to really flourish is still a issue.

With a full complement of defenders on offer, the likes of Johan Djourou and Kolo Touré could be available to fill the anchorman role, which both have filled in the past, but would add little to any offensive play—apart from Touré’s favoured long-shots of course.

The only other natural option is new signing Aaron Ramsey, but the fact that Emmanuel Eboué has spent time in the centre ahead of him would show that Wenger feels it is too early for the Welsh under-21 star to step on to the big stage.

The Arsenal squad has always found ways to cover gaps in the squad during injuries among their paper-thin squad in the short-term, but whether they can successfully fill-in —and create a good partnership with Fàbregas—until January at the earliest is debatable and will be intriguing to see.

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