Scoring the winning penalty and lifting the F.A Cup as Arsenal Captain in 2005 appeared to be Patrick Vieira’s last act in English football. Since the departure of the commanding Frenchman Arsenal have failed to win a single trophy and have failed to replace the presence that Vieira left, both on and off the field.
Now though as one of Europe’s most decorated players returns to the Premier League with Manchester City, he may be about to witness the rise of a new Gunners hero, Abou Diaby.
Since Arsene Wenger’s creation of the unbeatable team in 2004, Arsenal have only gone on to win one trophy and have seen the squad dismantled and rebuilt, on promises of young players producing the beautiful football seen at Highbury and the Emirates Stadium, as well as more trophies to follow, the latter of which has not occurred.
The Arsenal manager has put his faith in young players such as Cesc Fabregas, Denilson, Gael Clichy, Alex Song and Theo Walcott. With Arsenal still firmly in the title race at the halfway point of the season, it seems that his infant side have learnt from broken seasons and are finally showing true signs of winning some elusive silverware.
Diaby is one of the players to have really stepped up to the plate. Fabregas is a well-documented talent, even Alex Song is beginning to command a regular spot in the starting eleven, but Diaby looks to be the most natural successor to take over Vieira's mantle. A comparison publicly acknowledged on Arsenal’s website by the manager “They are the same stature, the same size and have the similar style.”
Not an inaccurate comparison. Diaby is even beginning to add goals to his game. The third goal against Aston Villa is certainly a goal Fabregas, or indeed Vieira would have been proud to have scored. But a future leader? Only time will tell.
A combination of injuries and inexperience has given Diaby limited appearances in his infant years at the club, but with the Gunners competing strongly in the Champions League and domestic competitions (ignoring the 3-0 humbling at Eastlands in the Carling Cup) there seem to be plenty of matches where the Arsenal number 2 can continue to demonstrate his quality.
With Alex Song away for the African Nations, and injury problems that hold a curse over Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky, it is the perfect opportunity for Diaby to make himself one the first names on the team sheet.
Diaby has already made 16 appearances this season and scored 5 goals, not bad for a defensive midfielder.
The long-legged midfielder has made only 2 appearances for the French national team, and with a queue of talented players ahead of him it is not surprising. But with Raymond Domenech (France Manager) under huge scrutiny and scraping qualification against Ireland, new options are likely to be explored. If Wenger has faith in Diaby, shouldn't Domenech too?
Patrick Vieira himself has cited a seat on the plane to the World Cup in South Africa as one of the key reasons for joining Manchester City. Roberto Mancini has inherited a dysfunctional defence at Eastlands, the purchase of a midfield protector not a necessity but experience you can’t put a price on (or you can at reportedly £150,000 a week?).
“In Arsene We Trust” is a popular phrase around the Emirates Stadium; his decision to let his captain leave in 2005 and no trophy since may have suggested it was the wrong one. But with Vieira coming towards the twilight of a glittering career, who is to say that Wenger’s new commander may not be on the plane with the former Highbury veteran, or even in place?
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