Arsenal at their best reach a euphoric sleekness. The classic example came in August 2004 when the side needed a mere 12 minutes to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead before they went on to defeat Middlesbrough 5-3 at Highbury. Wednesday's 1-0 success over Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final was so different a species of victory that some people acted as if they needed to put a clothes peg over their noses before they could embrace such a result.
"I just hope Arsenal are more confident when they go over to Spain," said the club's former striker Ian Wright, trying to reconcile himself to the win. While Arsene Wenger's team undergo a personality switch in the tournament, it is wrong to talk as if that must be a change for the worse. This is now an adaptable Arsenal. By accident, as much as by intent, they have come up with a way to make themselves more durable.
The hard-headedness was crucial on Wednesday since the last European game at Highbury might have been purpose-built for anticlimax. Villarreal cannot generate the sense of occasion associated with Arsenal's visitors in the two previous rounds.
Manuel Pellegrini's squad does not have the lustre of Real Madrid or Juventus but it is not tainted by the scattiness of their fellow La Liga side and Villarreal happen to be far sturdier at present than the Serie A leaders.
There was mass silliness in the belief that Arsenal would revel in a rout since any team that get to the last four have already proved their resilience. Wenger's players actually did well. The record books at least reserve a place of honour for 1-0 wins. It is a precious and comparatively rare result for the first leg of a tie. In the past four years of the Champions League proper only Real Madrid have had a 1-0 win and still been knocked out, when Juventus overcame them after extra-time in Turin last season.
The trouble is that this kind of success is not associated with Arsenal and it would seem a far more natural fit for, say, Chelsea. Wenger himself does not usually feel the attraction of parsimony. It is ironic that his side should benefit from an approach that, in its coarser form, is distasteful to the manager. In the early autumn of 2005 a crisis was being proclaimed in the Premiership, with predictions made that fans would desert the stands in revulsion at the tactics employed. The deployment of a lone striker was held to be the ruination of football.
Wenger has sympathy with that view and he continues to proclaim that he will use a pair of forwards in domestic football. Nonetheless even he might see the comedy in a Champions League campaign that has hit new heights with the introduction of a 4-1-4-1. He can repel accusations of negativity, though, so long as that packed midfield accommodates men of the calibre of Cesc Fabregas, Robert Pires and even the erratic Alexander Hleb. There is no stodge on the Wenger menu.
Circumstances nudged him towards the present tactics. Where, for instance, was he to find a partner for Henry in the Champions League when Emmanuel Adebayor is ineligible, Dennis Bergkamp is too old to start (even if his inability to fly to away ties had not ruled him out) and Robin van Persie, beset by injury, was short of form? The inclination to add to the numbers in midfield also springs from common sense.
Once the manager had discovered it was impossible to buy a replacement with the physical presence of Patrick Vieira, there was a temptation to ensure plenty of people were around to pack that area. Gilberto Silva, since his partnership with the France midfielder was broken up, has had an even more specialised role. There is now a distinct gap between him and, say, Fabregas. In the Champions League Gilberto sweeps in front of the centre-halves Kolo Toure and Philippe Senderos. The Brazilian did not track Juan Roman Riquleme obsessively, but he helped choke the influence of the Argentinian.
Villarreal were never close to the away goal that allowed them to knock out Internazionale in the quarter-finals. By denying them that advantage Arsenal have taken the initiative since it is Pellegrini's team who will have to reinvent themselves.
In 13 games since the qualifying round Villarreal have not won by more than a single goal. Unless they are aiming for a shoot-out, they must do that at El Madrigal on Tuesday. Arsenal's style has been such a success that the worried Spanish side may have to change theirs.
Pires, meanwhile, has admitted there is a "good chance" that he could join Villarreal after being offered a two-year contract by the Spanish outfit. The 32-year-old's deal with Arsenal runs out in the summer and although the French international has been offered a new one-year deal he wants a two-year contract. "I am happy because I will end my contract with Arsenal and I know that Villarreal want me for the next two years," he said.
Sol Campbell has been ruled out of tomorrow's derby clash against former club Tottenham. The 31-year-old has failed to recover from surgery on the broken nose he received against Portsmouth last week. He could, however, return for the game Villarreal.
"Sol is not back for Saturday but he should be involved for Tuesday," said Wenger.
Guardian Service
