Wenger praise for Diaby, not worried about our strikers

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
22 Aug	3:00 PM	P	Portsmouth (H)	4	1	Win

Midfielder Abou Diaby today reminded the Emirates faithful today about a former captain as he put in a performance that had the pundits purring. The Frenchman opened the scoring with two goals in as many minutes that had Portsmouth reeling in today's 4-1 defeat.

Diaby has been deployed in a more offensive role this season but started his Arsenal career as a direct replacement for former midfield general Patrick Vieira. After suffering a spate of injuries, it seems that this season could belong to Diaby as he ruled the midfield against Portsmouth.

Manager Arsène Wenger said: "Abou is a more offensive player but if he decides to play defensively he is exactly like Vieira. At some stage when Gallas moved out I put Denilson centre back and put Diaby central midfield in a defensive role.

"And he looks completely similar to Patrick to win the ball back. But he is a guy who has a quick transition from defence to offence, from box to box, that is his fantastic strength, to change quickly. Nobody can go with him when he has that, when we are on the counter-attack. He is fantastic.

"He has been out for nine months. He has been here three years and I have seen that today he played his 100th game so that means he has been out for a long, long time. He has had little problems and he worked very hard this summer.

"This could be Abou's year, it could be his season because he prepared well, he looks very sharp, very strong, he has all you dream to have to play in the Premier League."

But Diaby's success today has raised a few questions about the strength of the Gunners' strike force. Most of the ten goals scored in the two league games this season have come from either midfielders of defenders, with only Eduardo contributing on behalf of the strikers.

The manager however, prefers to think on the positive side and you cannot really argue with our goals tally at the moment, with no matter where they've come from. The strikers, according to the boss, have become the providers in a role reversal with the midfielders.

Wenger added: "I feel we create good space for our midfielders to run in and to go into the box. On that front we look more dangerous. If you analyse our goals at the moment our strikers provide more than they score. That is maybe down to the way we play as well.

"It tells me that we have a game where we attack from everywhere. Robin van Persie plays central because he can create space, he has a very quick brain and a very sure technique, that means he can give the ball. He gave the ball today to Ramsey. Our strikers at the moment are providers.

"Eduardo did provide a goal for Diaby as well. For me, in a good team everybody can score and a good striker scores and provides. At the moment they provide more than they score but I know that Eduardo and Robin van Persie will score so I am very happy that at the moment they don't score and we still score goals."

I suspect however, that Wenger will be having a quiet word with his players on the training ground as the start of the season begins to hot up, starting with finishing the job against a wounded Celtic side and then with two difficult trips in Manchester.

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