Embarrassing gulf in class

Before yesterday's match at The Emirates, Arsenal were well-and-truly in with a shout of the title, but another thrashing at the hands of one of our closest rivals has once again shown that this team have some horrific flaws.

Arsenal's good run of form since the humiliation against Chelsea in November had led Wenger to keep his hand in his pocket during the transfer window, but the truth is wins over the likes of lowly opponents Stoke, Hull, Portsmouth and Bolton only papered over the cracks.

Yesterday the problems of last season returned. When teams stifle Arsenal in midfield and break quickly, the players i red and white simply have no answer. The speed with which Man United counter-attacked was phenomenal, it was like watching 'The Invincibles' in their pomp.

But this United team was not made up of world-beaters. A midfield comprising Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes should not be dominating the likes of Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas. Nani and Park should not be humiliating our full-backs, and with both of their first choice centre-backs out, the young Rafael at right-back and an unusually off-colour Patrice Evra at left-back, we should have had them running-scared.

I left-out Denilson from the above comment simply to single him out. In the big games against Chelsea and United he has been dominated time and time again. A cheer went up yesterday when he became the first of our players to be subbed as he was truly awful. Lacking the physicality to break-up play and an astonishing lack of positional sense and tracking back, he also allowed the likes of Fletcher and Carrick far too much time on the ball.

Fabregas had to cover for the Brazilian on numerous occasions, blunting our attack in the process. I think Denilson is a good player, but he is not going to be a world-class all-action midfielder and in games such as these he simply disappears.

I have read some other commentary this morning deriding Andrey Arshavin for his missed chances in front of goal, but without him we would not have had any. The little Russian who didn't stop running all afternoon, was isolated in attack. When he had the ball he just had to run and conjure something out of nothing. His trickery did create some opportunities but with a lack of support he was limited to quick shots with a pack of black-shirts closing in on him.

Wenger is reluctant to spend as he feels that buying more experienced players would stunt the development of his young players, but has he considered the fact that some of these young players are simply not good enough no matter how long you wait for them to develop? The gulf in class yesterday and against Chelsea in November was embarrassing, Wenger needs to wake-up to that fact.