There are no doubts in Cesc Fabregas's mind - for all the plaudits
coming Arsenal's way after their impressive start to the season,
it's prizes that count.
That is why he has resisted any temptation to be distracted by the
current rave reviews.
"It has been two years since we have won a trophy and that is too
long for Arsenal," said the Spanish midfield star. "I cannot even
think about a third year like that.
"But I believe we can win one of the major ones, like the Premier
League or the Champions League. With respect to the FA Cup and the
Carling Cup, those are the two big competitions.
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"Can we do it? I think we can. We have to be lucky with injuries
and things like that. But we are hungry for trophies and with the
quality and character we have, we have a great chance. This group
of players came through together over the last three years. We have
learned together, we have gained experience together. I know them
all - and we are all winners. Even if it means we stay at home
every night and just concentrate on football then that is what we
have to do.
"It is important, though, that we keep a balance about things. We
don't want to listen to talk that we are 'Invincibles' because we
have had a good run of results.
"We have to go for the big competitions and I would say that the
Premier League is the hardest. It is where you play every week,
where you have to show your strength every week.
"The Champions League? It would be great to win that. I watched
Barcelona win it for the first time when they beat Sampdoria and
that was a marvelous feeling as a fan.
"And as a player I was in the final against Barcelona and it was a
great achievement to get there, although very disappointing to
lose.
"So this season, yes, we want to win one of those two. We have the
players to challenge for it and those players now have more
experience. You cannot get that quickly.
"When I first came to the club and played with people like Gilberto
Silva, Patrick Vieira and Edu, you could feel they were more
experienced when you were out there on the pitch with them."
With three years of first-team football behind him, Fabregas is now
an established regular and showing the kind of vision and
imagination that prompted the late John Lyall - reckoned to be one
of the finest judges of football talent - to describe the
20-year-old as the best young player of his generation.
"It is like he has a radar to find space," Lyall once said.
Fabregas just smiles modestly at the compliment.
"I don't know, I just smell where the ball is going to be," he
said. Add that awareness to his new-found confidence in his
finishing, and Arsenal clearly have an asset to cherish for many
years to come.
And a close-season talk with Arsene Wenger has played its part in
Fabregas's unashamed commitment to the club. "I want to stay here
for many years yet," said Fabregas. He was courted by Real Madrid
in the summer but those overtures were rejected after Wenger
assured him his own future was tied to Arsenal.
"We had a chat and for me it was important to know whether the boss
was going to be here or not," said Fabregas. "I don't know if I
would feel the same if he wasn't at the club.
"My first option was always to stay at Arsenal. I don't want to
move. But if the boss was not here, I would have had to
think."
And Real? "For everybody it is a dream to play for one of the big
clubs in Spain when you are Spanish. I have always been independent
in my thinking. I came here at 16, I have loved it here and now I
want to stay here."