Exclusively written for ArsenalInsider.com

After last season, there have been several doubts over the effectiveness of Denilson, Alexandre Song and Abou Diaby. Perhaps rightly so in the case of the latter, who so frustratingly seems to randomly fluctuate between world beater and idiot. Hopefully the extra fitness training he has put in prior to pre-season will pay off this year (yes, I’m ignoring the accident that caused Nasri’s injury!). 

As for Denilson and Song, the statistics support Arsene Wenger’s insistence that one of the two is the answer to the defensive role in central midfield. While the reliance of statistics is always questioned, it is important to use them to compare the numbers of the Arsenal trio to other players who play similar roles for our rivals. Below is a table showing the statistics of our three defensive options:

Now, before looking at how these numbers compare with opposition players, we must end a number of misconceptions about Arsenal players. There is a widely held view that Denilson predominantly passes sideways and backwards in an ultra-conservative fashion, but this is not as a result of his technical limitations but his tactical discipline. To read the full article please go to ArsenalInsider, the interactive Arsenal football club blog.