Gunners can answer critics, says Vermaelen

ARSENAL centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is relishing the chance to have the last laugh on the club’s critics this season after being written off in the Champions League and domestic title race.

The battle at the top of the Barclays Premier League was previously seen as a two-horse race between Chelsea and Manchester United until Arsene Wenger’s men put together four successive wins to get within two points of the summit, then they were tipped to crash out of Europe this week but overturned a first-leg deficit with a 5-0 win against Porto.

“We’re been written off twice already I think,” said Vermaelen.