Wenger reaping rich rewards March 19 2008
Arsenal have taken another step towards justifying manager Arsene Wenger's single-minded pursuit of his own unique football vision.
The most telling moment of the Gunners' fantastic dismantling of AC Milan in the San Siro came in the immediate wake of Cesc Fabregas' stunning opening goal.
While most players would run to the away section to bask in the glory of the fans' adulation, the young Spaniard made a beeline straight to the technical area to embrace Wenger in a show of pure unbridled joy.
If there was ever any doubt about the magnitude of the Frenchman's influence on his young charges this gesture should serve to dispel them once and for all.
Apart from the occasional malcontent (see Lassana Diarra, Nicolas Anelka and Giovanni van Bronckhorst) the Arsenal manager seems to enjoy a unique bond with his players. This fact sometimes leads to a regrettable inability to admit their wrongdoings, but on the whole the sense of family Wenger creates is an integral part of the club's identity.
This Arsenal side is created in Wenger's image, from the hauteur and self-belief to their incredibly single-minded pursuit of a unique footballing vision, the Gunners chief's DNA pervades every part of his squad.
While the insistence on a singular vision sometimes limits the north London outfit's effectiveness, when it does gel there can few spectators left unconvinced that they are witnessing a great team in the making.
Much has been made of the fact that the Rossoneri were too old, too jaded or off the pace, but with the exception of Pato, this is exactly the same side that thoroughly embarrassed Manchester United at this same venue last year before strolling past Liverpool in the Champions League final.
The result may prove crucial to the Gunners' season in more ways than one. Coming in the wake of a disastrous two weeks where they lost Eduardo da Silva to injury and saw their lead at the top of the Premier League slashed, a loss may well have led to a similar implosion as they suffered at the comparable stage last season.
Instead they now go into an away game at lowly Wigan riding a wave of self-belief.
There were some great performances in the Arsenal ranks, with Gael Clichy and Alexander Hleb in the forefront, but it was their diminutive midfielders who ran the show. Mathieu Flamini has been a revelation this season, but even by his standards he played an absolute blinder.
The Frenchman managed what so many before him have failed to do, nullifying the influence of Kaka, causing the Brazilian playmaker to get booked for an act of frustration, something that is very rarely seen.
But as good as Flamini was, the evening belonged to Fabregas. The midfield wizard has suffered a slight dip in form of late but was back to his very best at the San Siro.
He has stepped into the talisman role previously played by Thierry Henry with aplomb. But where the Frenchman's reputation will always be sullied by a tendency to disappear when the stakes are at their highest, much like Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United, Fabregas is at his best on the big occasions.
Having acted as the fulcrum for almost all of Arsenal's attacking verve in the match, Fabregas' goal in the 85th minute showed maturity and the willingness to shoulder responsibility when needed most.
Just as it was looking likely that the game would go to extra-time and invariably to penalties, Fabregas ghosted past Gennaro Gattuso and smacked the perfect drive from all of 25 yards out, a moment of individual genius that decided the tie.
Whether the Gunners will go on to win the double or even a single trophy is a moot point. I for one feel that we'll see the true nature of this side next season when they will almost certainly be an even more daunting prospect.
Having been written off by all-and-sundry before the start of the campaign, with some claiming they would struggle to finish in the top four of the Premier League, the air of vindication hanging over the Emirates is almost palpable.
As any true Arsenal fan will tell you: Arsene knows.
Justin Zehmke