Arsenal: Maturity and Team Spirit Can Overcome November Injury Problems

Same old, same old.

Come November and Arsenal is once again tormented by injuries. With 10 players currently sidelined, it looks like the hard preseason program Wenger introduced at the beginning of the season has not worked to full effect.

The absence of important players such as Robin van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela, Gael Clichy, and several others are surely giving bad headaches to Mr. Wenger.

To top it, Emmanuel Adebayor’s departure in the summer, and the failure to secure a replacement in Bordeaux’ Maruan Chamakh, leaves Wenger with even less choices up front, at least in the coming week or two.

The problem might materialize in the match against current league leaders Chelsea on Nov. 29, where a good result will be very important. It is a hard match for any team and missing some important key players before such fixture is not what any manager would wish to himself.

However, even due to the many similarities, when problems are concerned, with previous seasons, Arsenal’s team looks a bit different as well. And it is exactly where the hope stems from.

Many of the young players have matured. The memory of the 2007/08 season, when Arsenal was able to remain at the top of the table until the very last moment but couldn’t, has surely taught them a lesson.

Denilson is a lot more stable and improved player than then. William Gallas plays better, not feeling the weight of the captain’s armband on his shoulders.

The defense looks capable of dealing with high balls, and there is a lot more chemistry between Thomas Vermaelen and William Gallas than there was between Gallas and Toure in that memorable '07/'08 season. Not to mention the nine goals that both defenders have contributed with so far.

Alex Song has emerged a valuable and absolutely adequate candidate for the very demanding, since Patrick Vieira’s departure, position of holding midfielder—a position which many thought would be best filled with spending a large sum of money. Wenger had different thoughts on his mind though.

The changes of tactics from the standard formation of 4-4-2 to a more innovative 4-3-3, as well as the employment of pressure in the oppositional territory, proved to be the right way to get results.

With the absence of a hefty number of attacking type of players though, Wenger would need to improvise to keep the team in the good form it has displayed so far.

Still, there are options—Andrei Arshavin is apt to play as a forward, Vela is coming back for the match against Wolves; Eduardo needs to improve a bit, but nobody would dare to doubt his skills; and Walcott is also set to return soon.

On top of that, and what could be considered as a big improvement from that '07/'08 season, there is the team spirit. With captain Cesc Fabregas, and his stunning array of goals and assists, team-mates would not complain about a lack of inspirational source in the team.

The form of the Arsenal captain can only inspire his teammates to follow his example and push themselves harder to reach his level of play.

Cesc Fabregas’s captaincy is certainly beneficial for the team and that is another difference and improvement from the previous seasons.

While the loss of one of Arsenal’s best players, Robin van Persie, to injury may bring down the spirit of the team a notch, its ability to deal with such situation is unquestionable. The young Gunners have gone through a lot in the recent years and they have shown that they can deal with it.

Six weeks and counting for Van Persie to return to play, and for Eduardo to return to his old deadly form, which I’m sure he will do.

Come November and December, the months in which the wheat is separated from the chaff in the Premier League; Arsenal is prepared.