Cesc Fabregas has overcome the mental hurdle of his hamstring injury, according to Arsène Wenger. The Arsenal captain has been troubled by the same problem on and off this season but returned from his most recent lay-off as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford last week. Fabregas would have been fit to face Stoke on Saturday had the game not been called off due to snow and he has spent the interim getting sharper ahead of Monday's visit of Chelsea.
Wenger is satisfied that the Spaniard has put his injury behind him - in more ways than one. "He has had two more weeks of practice behind him and in the last two or three days he has looked sharp," said the manager. "It is more a restriction he has when he comes on because it [the hamstring injury] is in his head. So we have to move the hamstring out of his head and that comes with practising every day. "Physically I think he is ready. At the moment in winter one of the disadvantages, when it is so cold, for the guy who comes on with 25 minutes to go is that it is not easy to get into the flow of the game.
He had as well a little bit the mental problem, but now it looks to have gone. It is hard to overcome if you have a recurrence of injuries because it plays a part until you get rid of it completely by reassurance. The fact he has played 30 minutes [against Man United] has helped him, but during that 30 minutes he was not himself completely.
ARSENAL destroyed Chelsea in a stunning nine-minute burst that blew the title race wide open. The Gunners showed their mettle as serious contenders by going 3-0 up in a lightning blitz either side of the break. Alex Song put Arsene Wenger's men ahead on 44 minutes. Cesc Fabregas doubled the lead on 51 minutes and incredibly Arsenal were not finished there. Just two minutes later Theo Walcott fired home to make it party time at the Emirates and give the champions a bloody nose.
On the title race…
No, I don't think we're very far. We're in December and in touch with Manchester United. We have to be at our best and continue to improve. I hope the victory tonight will convince the team that we are moving in the right direction and we continue to improve.


On his plans for the January transfer window…
To be honest you always have to look outside, but we have everybody back now and I have a big squad. We have Vermaelen and Gibbs to come back. To find better players on the market than those I have, especially in winter, will be very difficult.
On the self-belief his team will gain from the win…
It was a double impact. Mathematically, it keeps us in touch with the leaders of the league. And psychologically, it was important. We were questioned about our capability of winning big games. I'm happy with the desire in the team. We kept good discipline in the team for 90 minutes and put in a real team performance. It can be a very pivotal moment, but we have to respond away at Wigan on Wednesday night in a game where we want to turn up and take points. We know to beat the big teams at home will have an important impact on this league.
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They all thought he was going bonkers. That Arsene Wenger was no longer merely being stubborn. It appeared that 14 years in North London had started to send him round the bend. To coin a phrase from Australia, that there was a kangaroo loose in the top paddock. Having suffered a third loss at home this season, Wenger maintained this team did not need to sign a single player in January. Not a new goalkeeper, central defender, holding midfielder or striker. Not a single one.
　Those who saw the matches against West Brom, Newcastle, Spurs and the Champions League trips to Braga and Shakhtar found his comments bizarre. So last night, Wenger will have watched over this destruction of one of his chief tormentors with unbelievable satisfaction. Arsenal proved they are not merely a pretty team with a soft centre but a clever, maturing team.
Cesc Fabregas, whose season has been interrupted with hamstring injuries, finally delivered a proper, world-class performance. Theo Walcott delivered one of his finest games in an Arsenal shirt while Jack Wilshere and Alex Song refused to be bullied at the base of the home team's midfield. This is the title race no one really wants to win and while they're not exactly invincible, Arsenal proved they are serious contenders.
Not a new goalkeeper, central defender, holding midfielder or striker. Not a single one. Those who saw the matches against West Brom, Newcastle, Spurs and the Champions League trips to Braga and Shakhtar found his comments bizarre. So last night, Wenger will have watched over this destruction of one of his chief tormentors with unbelievable satisfaction. Arsenal proved they are not merely a pretty team with a soft centre but a clever, maturing team.
It is only a small group but the voices are getting louder every year that goes by without a trophy. And when vast profits are announced, the frustration with Wenger merely increases. The Arsenal manager, though, still has a good deal of credit left with the majority of the fans. And, it must have been a big game last night because all the seats were occupied in the posh area known as the club tier. Some of them even stayed until near the end. Even though they have yet to concede in the first 25 minutes of a game this season, Arsenal have looked poor at home. The defensive pairing of Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny has been weak although one half of the gruesome twosome was absent with the marginally better Johan Djourou coming in. The bungling Koscielny still did his bit, though, by failing to put in a challenge on Branislav Ivanovic for Chelsea's goal. Yet apart from a few anxious moments, the home defence stood firm but it was staggering Chelsea offered so little going forward.
The late onslaught simply never came. The focus was always on Didier Drogba, ... ..... ..... ... Yet credit to Arsenal, who took their chances with both Walcott and Fabregas playing starring roles This was a massive game for both as neither have contributed as much as they would like this term. Walcott has become increasingly annoyed with Wenger for failing to give him a start. Last night, he was given his second Premier League start since August and while he was anonymous for spells in the first half, he showed his devastating quality after the break. He teed up the second goal for Fabregas and then with the third goal, proved the talent he possesses as a striker. He only needs to show it on more occasions and particularly in the big games.
This performance would also have been a relief for Fabregas. who had been publicly questioned by Wenger for his state of mind after failing to recover following his hamstring issues. Yet if Fabregas now performs like this on a consistent basis, Walcott gets a run of games and Samir Nasri continues playing so well, Arsenal will remain a fearsome force going forward. And that is not mentioning Robin van Persie, who was a shock choice to start ahead of Marouane Chamakh but was rarely involved.
Concerns remain over the keeper, Lukasz Fabianski, who was rarely tested last night. It is difficult to see him changing from being predictably inconsistent. Yet even calls for a new keeper have stopped because as he proved at Manchester United, the commentator's nightmare - Wojciech Szczesny - has proved he has star quality. So even if we see some flapping from Fabianski over these next few weeks, Wenger will have a simple solution and wheel in the bloke known as Chesney Hawkes. Arsenal fans were certainly singing in tune last night and maybe, Wenger is right - that this young team is coming of age. They continue to fight for trophies on four fronts. However. this team will have to come through tougher tests than this.
While you wonder what carnage Barcelona will cause when they meet in Europe, if Arsenal can rise above the unbelievable mediocrity of the Premier League to win it, then no one will care too much about the Champions League. But, before everyone in this corner of North London gets too excited they must also consider that Manchester United and their increasingly noisy neighbours - are currently much better than Chelsea.
Arsenal won more than a game here; they won a psychological battle, convincing themselves they can overcome bigger, stronger sides. No longer the beautiful butterflies. Chelsea lost more than a game here; they lost their aura. No longer the playground bullies. Only time will tell whether this astonishing game marks a seismic shift in these rivals fortunes. Chelsea are still the champions and FA Cup holders, while Arsenal have not lifted a trophy since 2005. What this game did was show Arsenals rich potential when adopting a high-tempo pressing game, lifting them to second in the Premier League, while highlighting Chelseas recent woes.
This was a game defined by an extraordinary period either side of half-time that Arsenal fans will believe provides the catalyst for their season. Arsenal were utterly irresistible for 10 minutes, pouncing on uncertainty in the Chelsea ranks to score through Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas and the outstanding Theo Walcott. Branislav Ivanovics header briefly gave Chelsea hope, but it proved illusory. Usually so powerful against Arsenal, Chelsea were anaemic, their lack of force encapsulated in the sluggish movement of Didier Drogba. Physically, mentally and technically, Arsenal were up for the challenge. And to think that some people had questioned Arsène Wengers right to rule. Keep The Faith, as one banner read.
While Wenger will relish the confidence flooding through his players, and the tables reflection of Arsenals upward mobility, Carlo Ancelotti will feel like a lonely man this morning. The statistics make brutal reading. Chelsea have taken only six points from a possible 24. Having led the league by five points, they are six points off the pace, with a tricky game against Bolton on Wednesday. How the mighty are falling. Longer-term issues have undermined Ancelotti, such as the need to cut costs and reduce the squad size, but the decision to dismiss Ray Wilkins on Nov 11 removed much of the glue that kept the squad together. Chelsea were four points clear at the time.
Wilkins was hardly one of the greatest coaches, but his relentlessly upbeat character was an important quality. Without him, Chelsea look in mourning, gaps showing in the dressing-room unity. John Terry and Drogba exchanged verbals after Arsenals third. At the final whistle, only Terry, Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech went across to salute their fans. If Roman Abramovich still wants Ancelotti to stay, he needs to back him with public words of support and substantial transfer funds. The oligarch should be alarmed by this performance. Walcott was excellent, forcing Cole deep, and worrying the Chelsea left-back into a rash lunge and a booking. On the left flank, Samir Nasri was using technique, as much as pace, to insinuate his way past Paulo Ferreira. Fabregas was an increasing menace through the middle.
Battles broke out all over the Emirates, increasingly in Arsenals favour. Nasri took on Ferreira. Arsenal fans tested their choral ingenuity against Cole.
Walcott particularly examined the credentials of Cole. "Theo, Theo" chanted the home hordes, enjoying the problems Walcott was causing. Arsenal refused to be daunted physically or mentally. Laurent Koscielny put in a terrific tackle on Drogba. Then Fabregas embarked on a wonderful dribble, guiding the ball away from John Obi Mikel, Lampard, Mikel again and Michael Essien before Cole blocked the opportunity. Robin van Persie then caught Mikel late and went into Mark Clattenburgs book.
Arsenal really began to threaten. Nasri, teed up by Van Persie, forced a save from Cech. The Dutchman shot wide. Jack Wilshere, embodying Arsenals new belief, stole the ball off Drogba. Walcott kept getting behind Cole and Terry. As the siege began, Chelsea were indebted to Drogba for two headed clearances. Arsenal sensed vulnerability in the champions. Nasri controlled Bacary Sagnas square pass with one touch. His next was sumptuous, chipping the ball goalwards, denied only by the athletic Cech. The pressure told just before the break. Nasri began the move, drifting in from the left. Song and Wilshere combined, Fabregas became involved and the ball eventually squirmed to Song, whose finish was low and hard, angled past Cech. The Emirates loved it, chanting, "Weve only got one Song".
One-nil to the Arsenal swiftly became 2-0. Six minutes after the restart, Van Persie and Terry contested possession and the loose ball fell to Essien. The Ghanaian midfielder poked it back towards Cechs goal, not anticipating Walcotts lurking presence. The Arsenal flier was off and running, haring down the inside right before drawing Cech and squaring to Fabregas for the simplest of finishes. There was more, amazingly so. Two minutes on and Chelsea erred again. Initially there seemed little danger as Ivanovic controlled a Gael Clichy punt and knocked the ball left to Terry. Chelseas captain nudged it forward to Florent Malouda, who failed to appreciate that Walcott was steaming in, pressing hard and forcing the turnover. Fabregas nicked the ball and dinked it down the channel for Walcott. As Ivanovic slid in, the England winger fired unerringly past Cech.
The alarm bells ringing loud, Chelsea awoke, desperately attempting to claw their way back into the game. It seemed a mission improbable. Ivanovic gave them hope, heading in a Drogba free-kick. In a few worrying minutes for Arsenal, blue waves crashed against their ramparts, but they weathered the storm. To stiffen midfield, Abou Diaby came on, replacing Walcott, who departed to a standing ovation. Chelsea never surrendered, particularly Terry and Ivanovic, who ventured forth whenever possible, raging against the fading of their light. Cole also never hid. Arsenal could have soothed any fluttering nerves when Diaby darted through but paused, allowing Lampard to block. It was soon all over bar the shouting for joy from Arsenal fans.
Team spirit: Arsenal celebrate Alex Song opening the scoring
CESC FABREGAS last night blasted ref Lee Probert for failing to award Arsenal a last-minute penalty against Wigan. Samir Nasri's free-kick clearly hit James McArthur's hands. And Gunners skipper Fabregas fumed: "What's the difference between this handball and my one versus Spurs? Referees don't want us to complain about them but they make life difficult for themselves." Fabregas was penalised for the same offence at home to Spurs in November, handing them a penalty equaliser in Gunners' 3-2 defeat. .. .... ...The Spaniard, suspended for last night's game, added: "Is it a rule or just what they feel?" Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: "I did not see it but Nasri was adamant it should have been a penalty, 100 per cent."