Before his team's Champions League tie with Chelsea, the Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said something interesting. Responding to a journalist's question about Alex Ferguson's recent generous comments about his old sparring partner Arsene Wenger, Benitez suggested that the Manchester United boss was happy to be magnanimous because he no longer regarded his Arsenal counterpart as a threat.
In which case, if Benitez's psycho-analysis is correct, you wonder what Fergie will be saying over the next few weeks about the Frenchman. While it is undoubtedly true that Arsenal's chances of winning the Premier League title are about on a par with Luton's hopes of remaining in League Two, on two fronts the club are beginning to look a plausible barrier to United's all-conquering ambitions. In the FA Cup and Champions League they could prove to be a nemesis.
Indeed such are the delicious possibilities of Arsenal's late-season rush, you wonder what all those Gooners who, in the depth of winter depression, were seriously and consistently calling for the removal of Arsene Wenger are now thinking. Those who booed the team's departure from the Emirates pitch after insipid goalless draws against Sunderland and Fulham, what would have been their reaction as Emmanuel Adebayor cushioned the ball on his chest before volleying it over his own head into the one unprotected area of the Villarreal goal on Tuesday night? Presumably they would have been working out how they might get tickets for finals that suddenly look reachable. How quickly things turn round.
The funny thing is, with Arsenal's season, the clues were always there. The team was never in terminal decline. No side, however well endowed, can afford to miss their centre forward, their most influential midfielder, their electric-heeled wide man and half their defence for long periods of time and hope to make sustained impression on the league. Not even a player as in-form as Robin van Persie can do it on his own. That really was all that was wrong with Arsenal. Despite what his vocal critics were muttering all winter, Wenger had not lost the plot. He was simply suffering from the most appallingly ill-timed collection of serious injuries.
Now fortune has swung back in his direction and he is gaining the benefit of their enforced absence. Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott have returned rested and ready to freshen up the team at precisely the moment they need it. If nothing else, what a relief it must be for Arsenal fans, to see Nicklas Bendtner returned to the bench.
How Wenger must be smiling after Tuesday's results. Whatever happens in the second leg between United and Porto (and if it is as exciting as the first, who can wait to find out?) he will fancy his chances against the winner in the semi. Porto are clearly an excellent side, but they leak goals; four of them without reply at the Emirates in the group stage.
United's defensive vulnerability to pace is becoming a liability. How they missed Rio Ferdinand's positional sense as three of their back four were in the wrong place when Porto scored their last-minute equaliser. Wenger will have seen that and relished the thought of what Walcott, Van Persie and Adebayor might do to the back-pedalling red line if United manage to overcome the odds and progress.
Not to mention Andrei Arshavin's contribution in domestic competition. Yes, Arshavin, his brilliant riposte to all those armchair critics who told him what he needed to strengthen his squad. Sure, we all agreed he was crying out for an experienced midfield enforcer, a Patrick Vieira reborn. Plus a centre-back. Someone hard, robust, to give a bit of bite to a side too often lightweight in the absence of its injured heart. There was no doubt about it, we all insisted: muscle was required. So what did he do? He went out and bought yet another ball-playing sprite. You might call it stubborn, but it was a glorious re-statement of principle.
Now Wenger has been rewarded. Rightly so: the espousal of quality should always gain the upper hand. And the fact is, over the next fortnight his team could find themselves within touching distance of two serious pieces of silverware. So all those boo-ers: what do you think now?
By: Jim White
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