Andrei Arshavin and Samir Nasri the Keys for Arsenal To Conquer EPL

Arsenal secured an important victory over Aston Villa to maintain the best away record in the Premier League and more importantly, stay only two points behind leaders, Manchester United. It was an impressive performance from the Gunners, who had suffered a humiliating defeat against Braga and also suffered a morale-sapping loss against arch rivals Tottenham.

Arsenal lacked the cutting edge against Braga, though they fielded a strong team boasting the likes of Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas, but against Villa, there was no dearth of chances and it was a matter of time before Arsenal took the lead through Andrei Arshavin.

Arshavin has come under immense criticism following his average performances for the Gunners, but against Villa, he was Arsenal’s best attacking player scoring one goal and creating numerous other chances.

Arsene Wenger has been criticised by numerous supporters and pundits for his decision for not excluding the Russian captain even though he has not been performing up to his high standards but it does seem that finally, Arshavin is back in form and is ready to bring glory for the Gunners. In the absence of Fabregas, Arshavin dominated the game with his jinxing runs and brilliant defence splitting passes.

He made Robert Pires look flat against Villa with one of his brilliant skills and playing on the left flank, if he can be as influential for the Gunners as the legendary Pires, then Wenger might hold a trophy aloft in May. 

Arshavin is one of those few players in the world, who can create magic and win games on his own if he is in the mood. He has been scrutinised for his lazy attitude in this season, but in the last few games he has shown a willingness to work for the team.

Wenger made a smart tactical move against Aston Villa when he deployed Tomas Rosicky in the central attacking midfield role instead of Cesc Fabregas, and the Czech international showed that he still has excellent quality and can make the difference for Arsenal.

Samir Nasri was expected to play there in the absence of the regular Arsenal captain, but by playing Rosicky in the centre, he had a player who will work hard in tracking back and helping out in the defensive duties.

Therefore, it provided the space for Arshavin to drift in the centre for counter attacks and he can be devastating if he is provided any space. Arshavin did not travel to Portugal and he was given a rest, and that was another reason why he looked quite fresh.

Samir Nasri might not have played in his favoured central midfield role but he once again proved just why he is the most important player for Arsenal, this season. Before the season started, if I was aked to name four most important players for Arsenal, I would have named Cesc Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin, Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen as the key to their title hopes.

But after a large chunk of the season, let us analyse the performances of these four hugely talented players.

Fabregas has shown glimpses of his brilliance but has been far from his best. Andrei Arshavin has been too inconsistent and been off-colour for most of the season, so far. Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen have spent most of the season on the sidelines which prompts any supporter to wonder how the hell are Arsenal, only two points from the top of table.

It can be attributed largely to the performances of Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Marouane Chamakh’s performances, and also because of inconsistency from their title competitors. Samir Nasri has been the player of the season for the Gunners and he notched up his ninth goal of the season when he thumped in the volley from Arshavin’s corner.

Nasri scored a total of five goals in the last season but has already netted almost twice as many goals. It is not only his goals that he has scored that has made him the most valuable player; the passion, intelligence and creativity he brings to the team has instilled a lot of confidence to the team.

He was excellent against Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham, three of the tougher sides in the Premiership, and he has shown that he is ready to take his game to the next level. His dribbling skills and stupendous and he will rank alongside the world’s best players in a couple of years.

His ability to drift inside, lose his marker and create opportunities has caused trouble for the oppositions and when he plays with Fabregas or Rosicky, he shares a superb understanding and their intricate exchanges has resulted in number of opportunities for the Gunners.

The month of December could potentially decide who will emerge as the winner of the season as it has many important fixtures. Arsenal will take on the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea and will hope to establish themselves as favourites for the title.

Though there are many quality players who could make the difference for Arsenal, the performances of the impressive Nasri and the dynamic Arshavin could be the catalyst for the Gunners’ successes.