Note: I wrote this post last evening (Hawaii time), just sort of punching it out in response to a thought I had at the time.  After posting it, I continued to mull the topic over and realized that there was more to the story than I had written.  I have since revised this writing as of 12:36 pm Hawaii time.

Today I am wrestling with an internal conflict.  Arsenal played one half in the 4-4 dance that was the Arsenal-Liverpool match.  This match had title implications, as Liverpool had really been nipping at Man United’s heels, and in fact had surpassed them on goal differential.  Here’s where the conflict comes in.  Arsenal’s draw with L’pool means that United have the opportunity to go three points clear this weekend, and still have a game in hand.  I despise Manchester United and the last thing I want to see is Arsenal helping them to the top of the table…a place they hold now for the third year in a row.  But I can’t help being giddy at the irony of Arsenal ending Liverpool’s title hopes this year by drawing them late in the season.  It was Liverpool that arranged for our Champion’s League exit last year at The Emirates with a 4-2 win capped off by a Steven Gerrard penalty.  It was Liverpool that, earlier that same week, ended any realistic title hopes the Gunners had with a 1-1 draw.  Seeing them out of the CL and pushed to the brink of being out of the title race in the same week is gratifying to me, in an immature revenge seeking kind of way.  And then I came upon this comment in my blog archives:

“Bit of a wimpy response, mate. Face the facts, there has to be a major overhaul of the squad. The other big three have left us well behind because we didn’t SPEND ENOUGH! Senderos, Hleb and Aboule – and probably Bendtner – are out of their depth. That’s why Ces is always so tired lately, and therefore not as effective. Those four have got to go and need to be replaced. Otherwise, next year, more of the same dross…”

As some of you may know I have a personal blog, and that’s how I got started writing articles about soccer-related topics.  Last year I wrote an article called “The Utter Heartbreak of Arsenal’s 2007-08 Season“.  I criticized the hesitation to spend enough money to bring in an experienced player or two to help the young squad gel.  They fell off at the end of the year due to a lack of grit, and little else.  Grit is something that comes with experience.  The above response was written to me at that time.  At the time I refused to say that the squad needed overhauled because I felt that Wenger new what he was doing.  I despise the large clubs who buy the biggest name at every position to try to gain immediate success (*cough* Real Madrid *cough* Chelsea).  I believe this squad will show it’s steel in the future…and I’m willing to be patient.  But I really felt they needed some experience now to help this squad find itself.

Cut to a year later.  Arsenal has bought mostly young players in the past year, with one exception.  We’ve been through a horrible run of injuries that has masked what this squad can do.  But that with the squad beginning to get healthy and the youth beginning to take the mantle at Arsenal, that one player that Wenger did splash cash on (by Gunner standards anyway) is doing exactly what is needed to help carry that mantle with the young players.  Andrei Arshavin pulled Arsenal along today and provided that last bit of grit in the final third that the Gunners have needed and lacked for so long.  And he’s been brilliant since he got here.  With a healthy squad all it took was that one piece and away we go.  Arsenal has looked a different squad since Arshavin arrived…at it only really took one player to add to the existing squad, even with a few losses that were considered key at the time.  I stand behind Arsene Wenger as one of the greatest managers in the game, one of the best minds in charge of a club’s future and direction in the game, and stand behind Arsenal as the lone exception in the top four in terms of the amount of MONEY that takes the field and maintains a high level of competition.

That, and they’re just beautiful to watch…

Arsenal is benifiting from Arshavin's grit this year in it's domestic campaign