Indispensable Alex Song and Samir Nasri proving Arsenal's midfield is finally about more than just Cesc Fabregas

“He sees there is big competition in midfield and that helps,” said Wenger, pointedly, of the jostle for places that is taking on a fascinating complexion.

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Whatever critics might say about the fragility of Arsenal’s goalkeeping and defensive options, and Robin van Persie’s failure to string more than a dozen matches together, Wenger has at his disposal the most extravagantly-gifted collection of midfielders in the Premier League, possibly even outside of the Nou Camp.

Cesc Fabregas is the undoubted king of the Arsenal central acres, operating majestically as the fulcrum between the deep-lying midfielders and the lone frontman, who in most cases this season has been the impressive Marouane Chamakh.

But there are a number of princes looking increasingly worthy of being heirs to the Arsenal captain’s throne if he gets his wish and returns to his boyhood club next summer.

Alex Song, Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere have come to the fore in the opening two-and-a-half months of the new season, offering not just pure silk to Arsenal’s build-up play but a genuine cutting edge.

Throw in the multi-faceted talents of Andrey Arshavin, Denilson, Abou Diaby, Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Eboue and the soon-to-be-returning Aaron Ramsey and it is easy to see why there is hope that Arsenal can extend their title challenge beyond late March this season.

In Wenger’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, Song has made himself indispensable over the last two years as the shield for a back four that needs greater protection than most. He is now showing that he is more than just a specialist holding midfielder by popping up with vital strikes in each of Arsenal’s last three matches – the first goal in the 5-1 rout of Shakhtar Donetsk, a spanking drive against Manchester City and the athletic diving header that won the game against West Ham.

With Wilshere looking indecently comfortable for one of such tender years – he doesn’t turn 19 until January – in a deep-lying role, Diaby and Denilson face a fight to hang on to the coat-tails of team-mates ready to shoot for stars.

Of Arsenal’s adventurous wide boys, Nasri, who filled in for Fabregas in the ‘hole’ behind the striker when he missed the last six weeks of last season and during his absences in the current campaign, is scoring the goals (seven in his last eight games) that were once the bread-and-butter of another Frenchman who operated so effectively on the flanks, Robert Pires.

Arsenal midfielders in 2010-11 Name Arshavin Rosicky Song Wilshere Nasri Fabregas Eboue Denilson Diaby Walcott Eastmond Lansbury App(sub) 14 (2) 13 (7)   12 12 (2) 11 (1) 9 (2) 8 (1) 9 (4) 7 (1) 7 (4) 1 1 Assists 6 1 2 7 4 6 0 0 1 1 0 0 Goals 5 0 4 1 7 4 0 0 1 6 0 1

Even Arshavin, who flits between brilliance and uselessness with perplexing ease, has popped up with five goals this season.

It is not hard to conclude why Arsenal are the equal second top scorers in the Premier League, and with 14 goals in three Champions League matches, the most prolific in Europe’s elite competition.

Should Gooners’ worst fears be realised and Fabregas leaves, perhaps the most obvious like-for-like replacement lies not in the current first-team squad but in the shape of a brilliantly intuitive Welshman who Wenger says will return to full, contact training on Friday.

While too much pressure should not be placed on the shoulders of Aaron Ramsey, and the experiences of Eduardo following his own career-threatening injury demonstrate that there are no guarantees in football however lavishly assured and talented the individual, the midfielder showed enough during his first two seasons in red-and-white to demonstrate that greatness is within his grasp

Nevertheless, it is premature to say that Arsenal can operate at their maximum without Fabregas. The team’s two defeats this season - to West Brom and Chelsea - both coincided with the Spaniard’s hamstring injury and so eager was Wenger to keep his skipper on the pitch as Arsenal tried to break down a stubborn West Ham on Saturday that Fabregas played through further hamstring pain that could see him miss Wednesday’s trip to Shakhtar Donetsk.

As Fabregas himself pointed out in his programme notes on Saturday, he has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or for each of the past four years – “every year since I was 19”.

He has not yet finished beyond eighth position but, while his team-mates are catching him up fast, Fabregas remains the standard-bearer. There is still only one numero uno at Arsenal.

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