Righteous result

Following his declaration of love for Tomas Rosicky yesterday, Francesc Fabregas has turned his admiring eye to the other Thomas, the man I believe will succeed him as club captain one day. Yes, the captain of Belgium and winner of the Arsenal Player of the Month award for September, is in line for a bit of back slapping today.

It's telling that Cesc spends most of his time lauding the Belgian's ability on the ball, describing him as "like one more midfielder". Obviously the Belgian can hit a ball, we've all seen that in the short time he's been with us, but it's his distribution from the back that gives those in midfield a bit of extra time on the ball that seems to be the main focus of appreciation. I guess it's a world away from those mindless long balls Kolo Touré used to hit and though Vermaelen shares Touré's predilection for bringing the ball forward, thus far it seems to be with much greater effect. The only downside to the Belgian's spectacular first two months with the club, and no new Arsenal signing has ever won the award in his first two months in the first team, is that it's difficult to see how things could possibly get any better for him.

Or is that a good thing?

Speaking of things getting better; Super Samir Nasri, conqueror of Manchester United just under a year ago, expects to be in contention for Arsenal's short trip across London to West Ham next weekend. Which definitely has to be a good thing. I think, as with Hleb before him, he divided opinions in his first season. For me, I saw a player with excellent ball retention skills and an eye for goal, albeit a player who was perhaps playing, to borrow a phrase from the manager "with the handbrake on".

I think he had a good season and that was reflected when the AISA voted him third in their player of the season poll. But I think it's fair to expect more. Where he will fit in is food for thought, the manager was happy to play him as one of the defensive two behind Cesc as the season came to an end last year. Having started his Arsenal career as one of our wide options, it seems clear that, with the emphasis in midfield slightly altered, he provides an excellent alternative to either Rosicky or Cesc himself whilst also being able to play higher as part of the attacking three.

I'm looking forward to seeing him back.

Of course, one player who won't be coming back is my hero, Patrick Vieira. He ruled out a January move back to the Premier League and, I suppose, with our financial situation sure to have improved once more come summer, it's difficult to see why we'd go in for him in the summer.

Once tonight is out of the way, we can look forward to a resumption of normal service and of course that begins with our first meeting with Birmingham City since Martin Taylor destroyed two years of Eduardo's career, Gaël Clichy suffered seemingly the first in a long list of mental aberrations and Mike Dean - the referee that day - gave a soft penalty, the catalyst for collapse. I hope we kill them.

I just looked that up, by the way. Mike Dean, who'd have thought? So the man who turned down a stonewall penalty at Old Trafford for us just a couple of months back, before giving United a soft penalty the other way to deny us a just and righteous result has previous with us. We all remember the last minute penalty he gave against Clichy for his ball winning tackle, how many people remember the penalty he didn't give when Mr Adebayor's shirt was practically pulled off his back in that match? I don't like saying referee's are biased, but it seems to me that, er, Mike Dean may be biased indeed.

But I'm not bitter, oh no.

His mate Lee Probert, the 4th official on that farcicial afternoon in Manchester, will be the referee on Saturday. I'm sure I've said it before, but I don't think he's particularly competent either, so Saturday could be a bit of wild one.

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