Who would have thought, after last week's dreadful collapse at home to Tottenham, that Arsenal would go top of the table this week? Well, they have, if only temporarily (pending the outcomes of later games). The Gunners traveled to Aston Villa this week to face a solid team that had not lost at home all season. Despite some nervous moments after Villa twice closed two goal deficits to just one goal, the Gunners put the game away in the final minutes for a 4-2 victory.
Several Gunners merit special mention for their performances in today's match, starting with Andrei Arshavin, who scored for the first time since August, and generally looked quicker and more incisive with his passes than he has since the beginning of the season. Samir Nasri, who has been Arsenal's outstanding player throughout the season, had another excellent match, as did Marouane Chamakh, who is scoring regularly - he now has 10 goals for the season - and providing Arsenal with the kind of strength upfront that they have lacked in recent seasons. Tomas Rosicky also looked dangerous coming off the bench with his pin-point passing.
The Gunners may yet threaten for the title this season, but I think they still need help in defense. Not only do they need Vermaelen to get healthy, but they need another big and quick central defender to help out. Koscielny seems a decent player, but Squillace is a weak link. In addition, while Song has played very well in defensive midfield all season, Denilson needs to step up his game, and it would help to get Abu Diaby back into the line-up.
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