A Class Apart

It is a fact that Arsenal’s predominantly young side needed extra time to secure their place in the Carling Cup final with an aggregate score of 5-3 against bitter North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, but a fact that takes no account of the extent to which the home team dominated the second leg at the Emirates Stadium and much of the first at White Hart Lane.

The truth is that by any sane measurement Arsene Wenger’s young guns were streets ahead of Spurs. More possession. More corners. More strikes at goal. More accuracy. More spirit. More imagination. More fluency. And above all, more class.

The midfield may have been boosted by the return from a harsh suspension of Gilberto Silva, but it was the teenage Brazilian Denilson and Diaby, so recently recovered from a horrific injury, who really caught the eye, outplaying and outpacing experienced players of the calibre of Jenas, Zokora and Malbranque. Denilson has the potential to rival even Fabregas and Diaby is already spoken of as potentially a worthy successor to Patrick Vieira.

Behind them Hoyte, Toure, Senderos and Traore revelled in the attacking opportunities they were given by the inadequacy of Spurs and in particular a bad tempered and malfunctioning Robbie Keane and an anonymous performance from Defoe.

Up front Aliadiere and Adebayor caused countless problems to Tottenham’s back four and when Arsene Wenger reinforced the team late on with the appearance of Rosicky, Fabregas and Clichy, they were overrun and in extra time, goals from Aliadiere and Rosicky went some way towards reflecting the gulf that exists between the two teams.