On my way to the Arsenal shop after the game on Saturday, I said to my cousin Rob: "Song is now our most important player". He laughed. "Not our best player but our most important player."
What is the difference?
Well, he is no play-maker Fabregas, deadly forward van Persie nor has he got the brilliance of Nasri.
He has not got the pace of Walcott or the vision of Wilshere.
But he is the vital cog in Arsenal's engine room and there is a hole in our midfield when he does not play.
His absence was a crucial blow against Newcastle bullies Nolan and Barton. There was no such problem against Wolves ( a more aggressive side) though.
In many ways, you can say that he was the player that we have been missing two years ago. He was here of course but he was not the same player.
We needed that raw aggression in midfield, the kind of physical presence that we had missed since the departure of Vieira.
I have to admit that I did laugh like many when Wenger said in 2006 that Song was a world class talent. I did not rate him then but he is outstanding now. A reminder that we should always trust Arsene.
