On a whole, it was all positive as Samir Nasri has manged to shake off the injury picked up in midweek's Carling cup clash against Wigan,
Robin Van Persie is to feature after completing an impressive70 mins against Wigan, playing deep in the Fabregas role, just off the main striker of the day- Niklas Bendtner.
Whether the Dutch World Cup finalist will start today against Fulham looks unlikely as Wenger's current priority appears to be to get Van Persie through December unscathed as he eases back into form.
Going by sketchy information, it's emerging that Varmaelen is facing quite a battle with his problematic Achilles tendon injury.
An injury that has deprived Arsenal off the Premier League's best buy in the 2009/2010 season. An nagging injury that continues to validate the dogma widely acknowledged in Medicine: Diseases do not read books. Therefore, doctors should always leave room for the unexpected to occur, as the cause of illness may at times diverts from the natural.
Such is the situation facing the Belgian international, who on top of his leadership on the pitch and commanding presence for Arsenal in defense last season, managed to generously contribute 7 goals to the final tally of goals.
According to Wenger, the troublesome injury has occasioned a careful wait- and- see- approach as Varmaelen slowly eases himself back into boots.
The hamstring injury to Cesc Fabregas that was aggravated by the Braga gamble, is said to be two weeks away meaning that El Captain may miss the Old Trafford clash. The Hype towards this clash is already building up with the boss citing it among the important fixtures coming up thick and fast as the snow is this December.
If the league leaders Manchester United mange to come away at Blackpool (I am praying for a draw), Nasri and co will have the chance of being the Arsenal team who will return the favor, albeit six years late, by halting Manchester United unbeaten streak in the League.
However, of immediate concern is Fulham who under Mark Hughes appear to have a liking for draws; a result that Arsenal should be keen on avoiding today in their efforts at improving the unflattering home record.
Abou Diaby and Manuel Almunia are unlikely to contribute to Arsenal's efforts today as they remain in the sidelines. The injury to the French international and Spaniard in effect deprives the gunners four would be starters.
However, there is little concern for worry as the understudies have proven to be more than capable.
It is interesting to note the ease by which Arsenal have managed to deal with the absence of key players so far this season. The likes of Van Persie, Theo Walcott, Vermaelen, Cesc Fabregas may have spent more time with the medics than in front of the fans.
However, the likes of Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere and Marouane Chamakh have made sure the difference is least felt. Thomas Rosicky, Denilson and Lucas Fabianski have proven that they are more than just squad members meant to plug engine leaks rather than power Arsenal to success.
Moreover, the age debate that surrounded Arsenal's progression into the Semi -finals of the Carling Cup was a first considering that Arsenal has been dismissed as the team of Kiddies.This debate however shed light on the embarrassing wealth that Arsene Wenger has at his disposal.
In the moments surrounding the Carling cup quarter final, Arsene wenger took it upon himself to point out that nothing had changed in his selection (for the less fancied) Carling cup quarter final clash as the team's average age on the night was in the virgin twenties.
Wenger asserted that his policy of using the competition as blooding ground for youngsters had not wavered even in Arsenal's quest to end the five season long wait for a trophy.
So what were the pundits going on and on about ?
Just because Theo Walcott's name has been mentioned severally by Premier League television commentators, that Bendtner had goals to his name in the English football top tier, that Carlos Vela had made a name for himself way before Manchester United compatriot Javier Hernandez, that Jack Wilshere and Gibbs had already featured as full England internationals, went Wenger's argument; the achievements of these young players still did not negate the fact that they were still sharpening their talents.
That an 18 yr old, Jack Wilshere, will competently fill in today for skipper Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates without much of a flinch from the Arsenal fraternity, management, pundits and fans alike, is a rarity in the modern game.
With so much competition among European clubs for players, it is increasingly becoming hard to find such quality on the subs bench. A look at Manchester city should reveal how impossible that task is getting.
As the rising crescendo of dressing room wrangles at the City Of Manchester stadium reveal, even when football clubs remunerate their players embarrassingly huge sums, keeping them satisfied is a whole different ball game.
The frustration of not getting enough starts first knocks them( star players) off form before the attentions of less illustrious competitors turn into attractive offers worth considering. Case in point: Arsenal old boy Emmanuel Adebayor's intended move to Juventus, Raphael Van dar Vaart's move to Tottenham and Huntelaar's move from Ac Milan to Schalke 04.
Competition among European teams means that gone are the days when teams would walk in and out of the transfer market with needed players. Why is this so you might ask?
Ronaldo, Real Madrid had to pay a whopping 80 Million dollars. The botched Barcelona tap at Cesc Fabregas over the summer could be another example if reports that had Barcelona's fee be closer to Madrid's offer for Ronaldo, may be Arsenal could have been tempted.
Secondly, even with the availability of a player, the Bosman ruling which bestowed intellectual property rights to players means that a club may lose a player as they are unable to met the ever rising player wage demands. Case in point: The recent Wayne Rooney tussle between the Manchester clubs.
It is probably in cognizant of the luxuries that are available to him that Wenger asserts that he has no plans to dip into the transfer market.
Surely, not many can boast of such a group of talent at Wenger's disposal. Looking at other competitors , both in England and abroad, once you finish mention the first team, you start to run dry of names that can compete at the highest levels.
This is not the case at Arsenal. Granted, Drogba's goal tally in a season may need the combined efforts of young Bendtner and Vela to surmount, but the advantage shifts to Arsenal when you consider what a drop in form for Drogba means to Chelsea's ambitions -as already noted this season.
It is also not lost to many that Drogba's legs are about to give way as his age advances.Logically then it may be savvy to preserve his energies to where they are most needed-The Champion's League and Premier League.
Manchester United have done well in prolonging the footballing lives of Van der Saar, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giigs, but such maneuvers can only cover so much .
Looking at his (Drogba) replacement, it would be hard coming up with a name as the likes of Shevchenko and Crespo are long gone and it has not been so easy replacing them. The same can be said of Manchester United as the intended replacements the likes of Obertan, Gibson and Welbeck have been slow in finding their feet.
On the flip side, Wenger's bet on a self sustaining youth system may just be bearing fruit. As much as it has been blamed for the trophy drought, it has allowed for healthy competition among class players without upsetting the books or enormous player egos.
Proof can be found in the realization that Arsenal remain the only team in contention in all four fronts. With the feeble Carling cup attempts by fringe players in Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester city, leading to early exists, Arsenal are favorites to clinch the League cup.
With a win today against Fulham, Arsenal may claim the premier league mantle if other results go their way. A probable scenario considering Chelsea entertain Everton while Manchester carry an unconvincing away record to Blackpool.
As Wenger rightly notes, only a spate of injuries between now and January should occasion a move in the upcoming transfer window. Otherwise, this Arsenal squad in spite of its age is as strong as the Chelsea -Manchester United hegemony that has dominated the English Premiership most of the first decade of the 21st Century.
As Wengernomics come full circle with talent blossoming at just the right time, players remaining motivated and seamless function of the team as a cohesive unit, facing Fulham today, it should not be lost that competition for talent has also benefited the low tier teams. In Dempsey, Johnson, Murphy and Arsenal summer target Mark Schwarzer Fulham has it's own cast of stars who can do it for their team .
Probable Starting Line Up
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