Marseille vs. Arsenal: 5 Things We Learned from a Thrilling Win in France

Arsenal left it very late, but a very good, cool piece of finishing from Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal three priceless points at the Stade Velodrome as they moved to the top of Group H.

Before that glorious moment, however, it was anyone's match, although Marseille always looked to be more vulnerable to a well-placed ball or a swift counterattack.

Ramsey's goal should inject a shot of confidence straight into the arm of the Gunners, as I would imagine there are few more motivating things for a football team than finally getting the best of a quality opponent at the death.

But, as the raw emotions of the moment wear off, there are several things that we can take away from the match.

Tomas Rosicky Could Be the Answer in Midfield

If he can finally stay fit for an extended period of time, Tomas Rosicky's recent performances indicate that he could be the perfect solution to creative gap in our midfield.

In the Sunderland match and again against Marseille, Rosicky made clever runs at pace into the opposition's defence while dictating play from the middle of the pitch. With Mikel Arteta only capable of playing a utilitarian role thus far, Rosicky's increased presence has been greatly welcome.

Plus, his experience and quality would give hero-for-the-day Aaron Ramsey time to develop and hone his talent in a more limited role while reducing the risk of burnout and injury on his young body.

Right Back Is a Huge Issue

When Bacary Sagna was injured against Spurs and was ruled out for three months, there were questions over how the inexperienced Carl Jenkinson would fare at right back.

Now, Jenkinson has gone down, and depending on the severity of the injury, there are questions over who can actually play there? Young Carl sustained a knee injury and had to be substituted for Johan Djourou as an emergency solution.

With no obvious solution if Jenkinson has to be out for an extended period of time, Arsene Wenger will have to scrap something together to fill a gaping hole in his squad. Perhaps the return of Thomas Vermaelen will allow Laurent Koscielny to slot in at a position he has played before.

Either way, though, this is looking to be a lot like the center back crisis we faced during last season. Only this time, Sebastien Squillaci is thankfully not being proposed as a solution.

Theo Walcott Is in No Position to Get a Contract Extension

There is a reason why everyone is only talking about the contract of Robin van Persie and not Walcott, who is also in the final two years of his contract. It's because, right now, he's not all that good.

It may be the unfortunate truth, but there were far, far too many occasions in which Walcott wasted a move with a terrible cross or an errant pass. Frankly, he is not contributing much to the team at present, and was rightly substituted for Gervinho, who played a role in setting up Ramsey's winner.

If Walcott keeps this up, he may have to take his one skill to another team in the near future, and with the continued emergence and development of talents like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, his departure will be quite easy for supporters to stomach.

Per Mertesacker Is Becoming a Rock

Along with Laurent Koscielny, our gargantuan German was extremely solid at the back, especially with his positioning, and helped stifle many Marseille attacks.

Furthermore, it was his stationary nature that allowed Koscielny to roam and snuff out some promising attacks before they got started.

Together, they formed an effective tandem, which can only be improved upon when an even better fit for Mertesacker comes along shortly in the form of Thomas Vermaelen.

Even though he was caught off-guard a couple times, it is clear that Mertesacker is growing (if that's possible) and developing with every passing match.

Arsenal Just Might Be on the Upswing

I know, I know. I have just jinxed Arsenal terribly, Robin van Persie will break his ankle in the next match, and we will be relegated. But I do see something resembling a light at the end of this long tunnel.

After a quality (if ground out) win against Sunderland and an absolutely crucial Champions League victory at the last second against a very good team, there is no better environment in which the fragile minds of our dear players can develop their confidence.

We are really in a fantastic position to knock off evil Stoke City this Sunday, and if we can accomplish that at home, it may be enough to conclusively give the snowball a nice kick down the hill and allow it to gather snow with each result.

Wintry reference aside, there are certain moments that one can sometimes pinpoint as momentum shifters, and Aaron Ramsey's thrilling last second goal might—just might—be one of those moments.