A Champion League material, finally?

Emerging from a relatively easy group as the clear no.1, outplaying the then on form Real Madrid and now, outplaying the Serie A leader in the first leg of quaterfinal- Suddenly everyone begin to believe that Arsenal have what it takes to go all the way and do a 'Liverpool' this year.

In previous years, Arsenal would usually drop points during the group phase no matter how 'easy' the group was. We would sometimes have to wait till the last group game was played to know whether we qualified. We would enjoy some glorious months where we found ourselves sitting on the top or second place of the Premiership table, with prospect of winning League Cup, FA Cup, and CL. Everything were great.

Then February would come, fixtures started piling up and Wenger would start complaining while losing points here and there. And come the end of March we would find ourselves so expectedly kicked out of the CL for various reasons. The press would come up with those familiar stories of how Arsenal were looking like a totally different team in the CL. And by then the least prioritized League Cup would have been out of picture as well.

But this season everything was different. We never had such glorious moments but for the first month of the season. We are getting ourselves used to checking out on Bolton, Blackburn, and Spurs' result. We have neither League Cup nor FA Cup to fight for. But hey, are we not over the moon at the moment? Had there been any season in the last 9 years which equal this one in terms of the emotion and excitement that it brings?

The calculative Wenger suddenly turned adventurous. He sold his captain before finding a replacement. He could have bought an emergency leftback during the January transfer window but no, he threw Flamini in. He started believing in the need of strong forward and bought Adebayor. The worshipper of 4-4-2 formation has suddenly turned to 4-5-1 for numerous times this season.

Many of us criticised Wenger's negative approach. I remember how I criticised our performance against Spurs, playing without any players in the final third of the pitch for the entire first half. But the 4-5-1 has slowly evolved. I don't know how Wenger did it but suddenty the 4-5-1 was no longer negative. They suddenly defend and attack like waves. When Juve had the ball, no longer did our players look like some headless chickens running here and there, chasing the opponents. They tracked back with discipline and the backfour were so calm that they could almost always read Juve's intention. Who teach them all that?!This team have and are still evolving.

Myles Palmer compares our current team with the 1998 one (quoted from www.arsenalnewsreview.co.uk):
"This team can dominate a game with sheer running power, as the Petit-Parlour-Overmars team did in 1998.But this team's passing style is more intricate, less dynamic, than eight years ago. They cannot win the ball early in the same way, but they have more variation, more angles."

I have to agree. Completely.

This explains our good form in the CL this season. We had players such as Petit, Parlour and PV in the past. Players who could break up play and carry the ball forwards. The 1998 Arsenal played with power and pace. Awesome. But in the CL they were often outplayed by continental teams who play with well planned tactic and better techique. Teams who attack with purpose. Teams who let you come at them and then make interception at the most critical moments.

Fast forward 2005. Arsenal now have Pires, Henry, Cesc, Gilberto, Reyes, and Hleb. They are players capable of playing continental football. But they still fail in the CL. Why? Because they are a young side. Bayern were not much better but Bayern knew how to exploit our inexperience.

Added to that, this young gifted side also suffer in the league. Teams know that we dislike physical games. They play rough. Wenger complain, we complain. But we have to thank those teams. Yes, we have to thank Bolton and Blackburn.

They complete us.

We were times and again bullied out of the park but his young team refused to give up. They knew they were superior technically. They only had to mix that with some physical approach. Players such as Cesc and Reyes were nurtured in the more technical Spanish football world. It was never easy to accept the fact that they have to get used to being kicked every week. But they persevered. And they reap the reward.

Real had expected that it was the case of your players technique against our plyayers technique. They could not have guessed that we would challenge for every ball. We close them down all the time and once we got the ball, we turn into the technical Arsenal with our crisp passing and movement.

The old galacticos couldn't play that way. They were either too 'elegant' or too fat to do that.

Juventus suffered the same fate in the first leg. PV couldn't believe his eyes when he fell and realized that Pires has just robbed him. The Robert Pires he knew couldn't do that. Even Pires was surprised with himself. The gutso young players have rekindled the flame in our senior players' heart. That long lost passion. For once he forgot about his contract. He only knew that this was the kind of match footballers live for. The fourth muskeeter was back for the night.

I personally enjoyed watching Eboue's battle with Mutu. The young Ivorian silenced Mutu all night. They are so used to the bullish Bolton and Blackburn that Juventus pale in comparison.

And here comes the final key. Cesc Fabregas. He makes our passing and movement intricate. Always involved in every attack, he was often like someone who plays the console football game. He seems to have that bird eye view of the pitch in his head. He has also learned to control his temper. He knows that he has become our midfield pivot. Great boy, great professional.

We have finally got it. Personnel-wise we are still somewhat lacking. We have so far made up for that with determination. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't win the CL this season. But the fact that no one would be surprised should we win it says a lot.

Nedved said that he believed Juve's CL campaign is over. Don't believe that. The Turin club are not called Old Lady for no reason. Anything could happen. Even if we beat Juve, we still have three games to go in order to do a Liverpool. Let's not expect too much. We know that this team have gone beyond our wildest expectation this season. They have made us proud to call ourselves gooner.

I can't believe how hardworking I was yesterday. My boss should really pray for Arsenal to win the CL. I could probably work overtime for one week if that happens.