Arsenal have what is arguably the best midfield line-up in the Premier League; and maybe even all of Europe.

They have 20-year-old Cesc Fabregas leading a midfield which is so strong that even Brazil captain Gilberto Silva cannot break into the line-up this season. Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini have undergone incredible changes this season to become two of the best in the Premier League, and Tomas Rosicky can be brilliant on his day.

Behind this first-choice four, the incredible Gilberto has to fight for a spot with young talents Neves Denilson and Lassana Diarra. Abou Diaby can also play in any offensive spot across the midfield, and even Alex Song has been getting better this season, even though he is not Arsenal quality yet and his best game came in the center of defence.

'Football is a game of many variables, and it seems that Arsenal's luck has run out'


With such a talented and deep midfield line-up, one would think that Arsenal would dominate the middle of the park against any team in the Premier League. Football, though, is a game of many variables, and it seems that Arsenal's luck has run out.

First, Fabregas picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in a 3-1 victory over Reading. No big deal. He'll only miss the home game against Wigan because of his suspension. Then came news of a worrying string of injuries including Flamini and Hleb. Gilberto, a ready-make like-for-like replacement for Flamini, was also ruled out because he doesn't get back to England, following duty with Brazil, until late Friday night and would be too fatigued to play.

Hleb was substituted at half-time in the somewhat meaningless Belarus-Netherlands game and he was also ruled out. Now that was bad news. Hleb has undergone an incredible transformation since last season, and has been one of the best, if not THE best, player at the club during this campaign

So, it seems that Arsenal's depth in the midfield is about to be tested. But will a Carling Cup midfield be enough to defeat a Premier League side?

Nineteen-year-old Denilson and 22-year-old Diarra will have to answer that question for us as they are likely to start at the Emirates. It will be Diarra's first Premier League start since moving to Arsenal. It will be Denilson's 16th appearance.

But this is not how Arsene Wenger likes to expose his youngsters to first-team football. Fans will be expecting an emphatic win against a managerless side, and the team may have trouble conjuring up enough offensive firepower without Fabregas, Hleb, Diaby, and Robin van Persie.

It shouldn't be too difficult to win three points, though, especially considering Wigan's abysmal form (one point in the last six games). However, staying on top of the table will be far more challenging.

Manchester United play third-from-bottom Bolton Wanderers and are almost surely going to improve their goal differential and pick up a full three points. Even against a second-from-bottom Wigan side, a depleted Arsenal squad will have difficulty winning by the same margin than that by which United are likely to defeat Bolton.

Arsenal fans are expecting a major trophy this season, but before we get too carried away let's get real. More than two-thirds of the season has yet to be played. The knockout rounds of the Champions League have yet to start. Winning a trophy is quite possible given the incredible talent our team has, but the lesson to be learned from this all this madness is quite simple: nothing in football can be taken for granted.

The author of this article writes an Arsenal fan blog at lazy-arse.blogspot.com. Feel free to visit, show some support, and find similar articles if you enjoyed this post.