Wenger grateful for early presents

ARSENE WENGER had to be reminded on Saturday that Christmas was looming. “What day is it this year?” he asked. “The 25th?”

Even for as renowned an obsessive as Wenger, this was a remarkable admission although perhaps the Frenchman simply feels that he has no need of a prescribed period of goodwill. Why should he when his young side are peering down at their rivals from the Premier League summit and preparing for a mouth-watering meeting with the European champions in February? Happy Christmas indeed.

Wenger merely shrugged when he was reminded that the team topping the table over the Yuletide period had won the championship in the last four years and, for all that this victory over much-loathed local rivals was greeted with raucous celebration, the Arsenal manager is right to be wary.

The slick, silky days of autumn, when his team dispatched opponents with such polished aplomb, are now just a hazy memory. It is six weeks since they touched those giddy heights, in the 3-1 win at Reading, and Wenger’s charges now appear to be relying on a hitherto hidden bloody-mindedness to keep their noses in front of Manchester United.

Wenger does not appear overly concerned and even a daunting festive fixture list — which includes trips to Portsmouth and Everton and a home encounter with the only side to leave the Emirates victorious, West Ham — was not enough to sour his mood on Saturday.

“This is one of the few years we have beaten Tottenham home and away,” he said. “It’s a good sign and it should increase the belief of the team. It shows we can get three points without being at our best.”

On days like this, when even sublime talents such as Cesc Fabregas appear flat-footed, the unlikeliest heroes can emerge. Arsenal were fortunate in having two come to their aid: Nicklas Bendtner, a 19-year-old striker who has watched most of this season from the bench, and Manuel Almunia, the goalkeeper whose form has been as brilliant as his bleach-blond hair, and just as shocking.

The Spaniard was readying himself for another campaign idling away in the Carling Cup when Jens Lehmann’s jittery start to the season saw him handed a rare opportunity to impress. Now, nobody would question his status as the club’s undisputed number one.

Well, perhaps one person. A peeved Lehmann regularly casts aspersions on Almunia’s qualities — or lack of them — in the German press and predicts calamity for Arsenal if Wenger declines to change his selection policy.

Those complaints sound more ludicrous with each passing week. Almunia has excelled ever since usurping his more senior team-mate and his display against Tottenham almost single-handedly preserved Arsenal’s seven-year unbeaten run against their near-neighbours.

Nineteen minutes remained when Spurs, who had already cancelled out Emmanuel Adebayor’s smartly-taken opener with an equally well-crafted equaliser from Dimitar Berbatov, were awarded a penalty for Kolo Toure’s crude lunge at the Bulgarian. Robbie Keane, successful in his previous 10 attempts from 12 yards, duly stepped up to complete the formalities, only for Almunia to spring to his right and parry to safety. The Emirates duly acclaimed a new hero.

It was a thumping vindication both for Almunia’s unusual way of preparing for matches — he refuses to watch videos, instead relying on in-depth discussions with Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach Gerry Peyton — and Wenger’s selection policy, although the manager was not slow in noting the part Lehmann’s criticisms may have played in spurring on his adversary.

“I never know exactly what Jens says, but Manuel has had to deal with it,” he added. “It’s a double-pressure because not only did he once suffer from a lack of experience, he also had someone behind him who is excellent and that is a tough test.

“I don’t mind the rivalry between the two of them. That’s the way of things when you are top-level sportsmen: the competition is very strong and it comes from within your camp as well as from your opponents.”

Almunia’s penalty expertise set the stage for Arsenal’s second hero.

Bendtner had been on the pitch for just 100 seconds but that was enough to confuse Spurs’ hitherto well-drilled defence: he escaped the attentions of Tom Huddlestone to meet Fabregas’ corner and crash an unstoppable header past Paul Robinson. It was his first Premier League goal, but surely not his last.

“I think we’ve shown that mental strength a lot times this season when we’ve come from behind to win games,” said Bendtner, who also confirmed he has no intention of leaving the Emirates on loan in January in search of more regular football. “Now we are looking to see what we can do at Christmas. The teams who are strong now know they have the advantage in new year.”

For now, at least, the advantage is all Arsenal’s.

ARSENAL (4-4-2): Almunia 8, Sagna 5, Toure 6, Gallas 6, Clichy 7, Eboue 6 (Bendtner 74, 7), Fabregas 7, Flamini 6, Rosicky 6, Adebayor 7, Hleb 5 (Gilberto 82, 5).

Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Senderos, Eduardo.

TOTTENHAM (4-4-2): Robinson 7, Tainio 7, Kaboul 7, Chimbonda 6, Lee 6 (Taarabt 80, 5), Lennon 6, Boateng 6 (Huddlestone 60, 6), O’Hara 6, Malbranque 6, Berbatov 8, Keane 6 (Defoe 74, 5).

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Archibald-Henville.

REFEREE: Rob Styles (Hampshire) 6: Generally unimpressive, although he was right to award Spurs a penalty.

MATCH RATING: *** A poor first half gave way to a lively second, with Spurs more than playing their part. Arsenal were fortunate but luck tends to favour champions.