Arsene Wenger is an admirable figure, not only at Arsenal, but right through the football world yet there is something about this man during tough times when one feels that the French manager is way too off track about current events. Well, Saturday’s stalemate with Sunderland at the Emirates, seventh draw in a long twelve match unbeaten streak, once again proves the fact that the Gunners have just lost their confidence in front of the goal and there is a need to address the situation as soon as possible given we are at the business end of the season.

Yet, inevitably at the post match conference when asked about his team’s fading hopes for a Champions League qualification next season, Arsene Wenger remarkably sounded confident of toppling Aston Villa’s six point lead come May for a final qualifying spot. To be honest the season is as good as over.

The professor, regarding the match, was quoted as saying, “They(Sunderland)never came out in the second half and we tried to force things a bit too much.” Well why blame a brave Sunderland side when it was evident that the North London side lacked a genuine cutting edge to their finishing! The current crop of Arsenal players have become far too predictable and that is why Andrei Arshavin’s much awaited debut came as a refreshing break even though the lack of big match appearance for the Russian international acted as a hindrance block to the magic that he is capable of performing in the field.

The star of Euro 2008 looked tired and understandably so as the diminutive midfielder has not played first team competitive football since the end of the Russian league late last year. Arshavin, given his preferred right hand side of the midfield, made his impression at the Emirates stadium as early as the fifth minute when he stormed forward to rifle a shot past the Sunderland keeper Martin Fulop. Few minutes later Fulop was tested again when the former Zenith St Petersburg star let loose a left footer that the Hungarian goalkeeper did well to stop.

As it stands Andrei Arshavin’s signing looks to be a promising one yet it looks as if the Russian would need few more weeks of acclimatization to settle into the life at North London and for the moment Arsene Wenger needs inspiration to score goals at the Emirates. Champions League gets underway on Tuesday and with AS Roma paying a visit to N5 first up, this tie looks very uncertain for the Gunners as the return leg is at Rome’s imposing Olympic Stadium.

Arsenal fans would rather hope that their team score as many goals to feel a little easy before a potentially uncomfortable journey to the historic Italian capital. With things looking bleak as far as the champions league qualification for next season is concerned, the motivation for Arsene Wenger’s boys would be to go as far as it is possible for this season.

Andrei Arshavin is ineligible for the game and with a host of big names in the injury list, the obvious question that arises is who will score the goals! As both Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo are back in the treatment table, Robin Van Persie and Niclas Bendtner look the obvious choice with Mexican youngster Carlos Vela as the back up and this is where it ends. Van Persie is a class act although the Dutchman misses more than he scores and when it comes to the tall, blonde Dane, well many still have reservations about the striker’s big match temperament in front of the goal.

Roma are no pushovers(Manchester United would beg to differ though)as the Italians, led by a certain Francesco Totti(if he is fit)could pull off stunning wins on their day. Mr.Wenger has to forget his seemingly lame excuses for his side’s failure to achieve the requisite standard for this season and look for ways to save a deteriorating season somewhat and the Champions League and the FA Cup are his only chances.

It is just difficult to imagine of an Arsenal side that has failed to score in three successive league games and that is the reality. Days of invincibility and era of free scoring are things of the past now. The Emirates faithful can no longer be presented with draws or else the groans of frustration would get louder inside the stadium and when things do not change, change is made to happen.