Three Players Who Can Aid Arsenal's Title Ambitions

Arsenal are back with a bang.

With just three points separating them from the summit , the easier run-in of games has put the Gunners in a very strong position to win the league

But much like life, sports is a field where losing a sense of proportion and self-depreciation, and inflating one's hopes based on what lies on paper can be quite self-destructive.

Just ask Chelsea.

Every team has its weakness. Arsenal's lies in complacency.

Wenger's men will have to remain fired up and cut no team any slack from here on till the end of the season and in doing so they would require, along with teamwork, some individuals whose innate abilities can make a huge difference.

While the likes of Fabregas, Arshavin, Robin Van Persie (just maybe), Thomas Vermaelen, Gallas, Sol Campbell, and Alexandre Song will be doing just that, there are others who will have to shoulder the responsibility if Arsenal are to go all the way.

In my opinion, none of them are as significant as these three.

1. Emmanuel "Rocky Balboa" Eboue

Talk about comebacks.

Within a space of 14 months, the Ivorian has seen himself transcend from getting booed by 60,000 people to receiving a very deserved standing ovation by not just the crowd at The Emirates, but almost every Arsenal fan around the world.

His darting runs inside the box have induced such fear in the hearts of defenders that eight out of 10 times, you would find them backing and backing off while the clever Ivorian fakes and makes his way down the right hand side of the box.

And this is where the "resurrected" Eboue is lethal.

He is equally capable of delivering either a  hard and low cross or an aerial one , and this would leave the opposition managers and defenders with quite some thinking to do.

Bendtner's goal against Sunderland was a result of this and in that particular game, Arsenal could have scored more similar goals, especially in the second half.

Besides adding this very effective dimension to Arsenal's attacking prowess, Eboue, with some useful tricks up his sleeve, is also capable of playing and maintaining typical Arsenal-like, eye-pleasing and flowing football, especially near the box.


2. Tomas Rosicky 

If there's one person in the Arsenal dressing room, who possesses a more lethal ability to accurately belt the ball than Arshavin, it's the little Mozart.

Whenever he comes on, the attacking potency increases at least two-fold.

His unpredictable nature, which is down to his twin ability to thread an unexpected pass through the defence or blast one in the net, makes defenders give him more space than usual.

And this is where he will have to be absolutely efficient.

The third goal against Stoke was an indirect result of this very trait.


3.Gael Clichy 

In the last few games, he's probably played the best that he ever has for quite a while.

In my opinion, he was the man of the match against Stoke City.

Whenever the ball did manage to reach Arsenal's half, he did not let Fuller have even an inch of space and was quick as lightning in supplying the possession back to the attacking midfield.

And thankfully, unlike Sagna, he does know how to spell cross and is comfortable with the ball.

If the midfielders invariably provide cover for him when he's helping the attacking cause, he will be even more of a threat.

What we saw against Stoke was a fearless and imposing Clichy, and when he's like that, he's probably the best left-back in the country.

Another one would have been Aaron Ramsey, but the unfortunate Welshman will have to wait for the next season, though his injury might itself have given his teammates another reason to go all the way.

And who knows, when he does play a vital part next season, he might just be doing it with an added weight that comes from having to defend the crown.