Tim Collings' Arsenal Analysis: Alex Song Leaves Gunners Fans Singing In The Rain

By Tim Collings

Alex Song signed off from domestic league duties for Arsenal on Wednesday with a performance to remember as they swept to a comfortable victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park and confirmed their place among the leading title challengers.

Song, who will be available to play for Arsenal in Sunday's FA Cup tie at West Ham United before flying to join up with his Cameroon team-mates at the African Cup of Nations on Monday, was in outstanding form as the Gunners dominated the league's bottom club and won 4-1.

"We've only got one Song, we've only got one Song," sang the Arsenal fans with plenty of irony after the defensive midfielder had capped a near-flawless performance with a beautifully headed goal in the 80th minute of a one-sided affair.

After Monday, then, they will be silent will they? Hardly. On this evidence, Song will be missed as he has made the role of recuperateur his own in this team and has become almost as important to Arsenal as Claude Makelele was once to Chelsea.

It is hardly a glamorous position, but it is a very important one - Song, with great support from fellow-midfielder Abou Diaby, provides the first line of defence ahead of the back four and breaks up opponents' moves before they can create a chance. Then, when the occasion arises, he sweeps into attack himself as he did with stunning effect at Portsmouth with 10 minutes remaining.

Collecting the ball outside the penalty area, he embarked on a slalom dribble that almost took him through for a clever individual goal, but he was tackled and the ball ran wide for Samir Nasri, on the right wing, to control. From there, he picked out Song's new position on the far post and found him with a perfectly drifted cross that he despatched into the net with a powerful flick of his head.

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"That was an important result for us and it was important too that we keep improving our results," said Song. "I am confident in this squad and I believe I can come back from the African Cup and see they are still going to be improving."

Song's performance was the highlight of an impressive all-round Arsenal team performance in which Aaron Ramsey proved he is a worthy deputy - or potential successor - for Cesc Fabregas, who was absent after aggravating his hamstring strain in scoring twice during his cameo display against Aston Villa last Sunday.

Ramsey scored the goal of the night with a brilliant individual goal made by his own interception and a weaving run that culminated in a left-foot drive from 20 yards. A deflected free kick by Eduardo and a sharp close-range finish by the impressive Nasri had put Arsenal well on top in the opening period and Portsmouth were restricted to a single strike in the second half when Nadir Belhadj made the most of some sloppy Arsenal defending.

With one game in hand, Arsenal have the potential to overhaul Manchester United and move within a point of Chelsea at the top if they collect all three points - but it is not the arithmetic that matters now, but the form of a team that has rediscovered its winning touch with such good timing - and a team that has now scored 51 league goals this season.

This was a statement of a performance by Arsene Wenger's team and a very special statement from Song. He will just hope that when he returns at the end of January, the fans are still singing as happily as they were on the south coast on Wednesday night - and his team are still in the thick of the title race.