Patrick Vieira reckons Arsenal's
current side are playing even better football than when he was at
the heart of the Gunners midfield.
The north London club are top of the Premier League following last
Sunday's 1-0 victory over Chelsea, while a second-string team beat
Blackburn 3-2 in midweek to advance to the semi-finals of the
Carling Cup.
It was feared Arsene Wenger's squad would suffer following the loss
first of Vieira, to Juventus in July 2005, and then talismanic
striker Thierry Henry, who moved to Barcelona last summer.
But they have gone from strength to strength, with Wenger's
richly-talented group of youngsters taking England by storm.
Vieira, who won three league titles and four FA Cups in his nine
years at the Gunners from 1996 to 2005, is impressed with the way
Wenger has moulded yet another superb footballing team.
"Arsene has done some great things and the players are responding
to him at the moment," said the France skipper.
"When I left, (Cesc) Fabregas had the chance to be selected. And he
has since blossomed.
"Titi (Henry) has left and (Emmanuel) Adebayor has never scored so
many goals. (Robin) van Persie also feels he is like a leader
now.
"In my time, we had a great team. We played well and were
physically strong. But this current team plays better football than
in our day.
"Whether that means they are going to win something is another
story. But whatever happens, Arsenal are one of the two or three
teams in Europe who play the best football."
One of Arsenal's up-and-coming youngsters is Lassana Diarra, who
moved to the Emirates Stadium from Chelsea in the summer.
The France midfielder is not a regular starter under Wenger,
though, and he recently outlined his desire to leave the club to
gain more first-team opportunities, especially with next summer's
European Championships on the horizon.
Vieira can understand 22-year-old Diarra's concerns.
"How your career turns out depends on the choices you make," he
added in French daily L'Equipe.
"When you leave Chelsea for Arsenal, you aren't guaranteed to play
more. At the moment in their midfield, even Gilberto, who is
sometimes captain of Brazil, is on the bench.
"He (Diarra) really wants to play, and that is normal. At that age,
I was the same. When you make the France team, when you are
involved in that squad, you start to have goals.
"But when you decide to go to Arsenal, it is difficult. He must
simply make the right choice, that is all."
Wise words from the legend for
that unsettled Diarra
