Arsene Wenger's Grimace Says It All

Near the end of a simply astonishing cameo in which Cesc Fabregas underlined his status as one of the worlds premier midfield talents, the Spaniard ran away from a tangle of bodies having scored his second goal in twenty five or so minutes and the goal that killed the contest.

The camera showed the obvious joy of his manager and then the grimace of frustration as he saw his marvellous midfield maestro had obviously hurt himself.

Aston Villa had taken the scalps of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea already this season and managed to beat both United and Liverpool on their home grounds. It was still a realistic possibility when the enterprising and ridiculously gifted Fabregas was introduced but soon after it was a mere memory.

Changing the game with a dazzling free kick he was clearly overjoyed at being back on the pitch in front of the fans after a ten day hiatus due to a hamstring strain. Theo Walcott also made a telling impact with his introduction in linking with Fabregas later to provide the second of the Spaniards goals.

The real cost is yet to be seen though with the injury at this stage expected to take three weeks to heal. With the league so terribly close this season it will be in the next few games that Arsenal's players have to really step up to make sure that when their talismanic central midfielder returns, they still have a chance at doing what so many pundits were so quick to write off after the woeful home defeat to Chelsea.

That, of course, is the winning of the EPL trophy.

It has been a long time between sips from that much coveted chalice for Arsene Wenger and the Frenchman as always has the belief and the ability to do it again. He will be quietly confident of his chances at leading the proud London club to the trophy again if he is able to call on his full compliment of players in the coming weeks through to the end of the season.

Fabregas is the key to this which is as obvious as the reason why birds can fly and humans can't, birds as it turns out have wings. Arsenal when Fabregas is available appear to have the ability of flight as well.

It will be an anxious few days for Arsenal and I am sure for his premiership adversaries also, as they will look forward to playing the Londoners with him in the stands rather than sitting on the bench or standing on the field before them.

Arsenal can still win the league, but without the fantastic Fabregas being available for most if not all of their remaining games, they will have no show.

Wenger's grimace definitely said it all.