Where now for the Gunners?

Arsene Wenger again saw his side fail to live up to their abilities on Saturday as Arsenal suffered another defeat at the Emirates, this time to Aston Villa 2-0.

Even more significant was the manner of the defeat as Villa were comfortably the better side and could easily have won by more. The Gunners's aspirations to win the Premiership, whilst not in tatters, are looking more remote as a nine point deficit to both Chelsea and Liverpool will be very difficult to bridge.

What must be particularly disappointing for Wenger is that this result came on the back of a top class performance against Manchester United last weekend. With home defeats against Villa and Hull City and away setbacks at Fulham and Stoke, this season is beginning to look ragged. If Arsenal fail to beat Chelsea in two weeks time at Stamford Bridge then their title challenge will be over as early as December and this will be an unusual situation for Wenger.

Ever since his surprise appointment as Arsenal manager in September 1996 the manager has produced teams which have always challenged for the top honours and played in a style that was contrary to much of how the English game was played.

His ability to unearth young talent is legendary which he then combines with experienced stars has been a formula that has worked well for him. Three Premier League titles and four FA Cups are a testament to his achievements and only his record in Europe is a blot on his CV.

This dedication to young talent is again surfacing in the side he is putting out in the Carling Cup which has an average age of 19 and have seen off a decent Sheffield United and a full strength Wigan with ease in recent weeks. Carlos Vela, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are the pick of a talented bunch and victory against Burnley on December 2 will see them in the semi-finals of a major domestic competition which is some achievement.

For Arsenal fans here lies the dilemma - obviously excited by the prospect of these young guns they are witnessing some significant frailties in their first team. There are not many supporters who would not agree that they need a quality player at centre back, in midfield and up front and they are finding it difficult not to see why they have not been purchased over the summer.

It is common knowledge Wenger has money to spend, he must have with the revenue now being raised at the Emirates Stadium and the fact that he has not been spending big for some time. So what it is that is preventing him from buying established stars as it is certainly not the club's reputation - Arsenal is a big name club in London challenging for major honours at all levels so would be a target for most players in the world.

It has been suggested in some quarters that Wenger has a vain streak in him and he is trying to establish a great side from scratch with youngsters coming through to prove his abilities as a coach and man manager. There may be an element of this but his practical approach to off-loading players when he does not see them fitting in, or when he considers them too old, indicates a more pragmatic streak which when combined with his hatred of losing implies he is not that much of a romanticist.

The loss of Flamini over the summer was probably his biggest error and perhaps he should have moved heaven and earth to keep him at the Emirates, as he was a perfect foil for Fabregas, and whilst Nasri looks an excellent player he is not the enforcer the Spaniard needs next to him in the crucial centre of the midfield. However, once a player indicates he wants to move then Wenger is likely to accommodate their wishes as he only wants people to play at the club who want to be there.

This approach might be at odds with many Premiership managers but it is moral stand that has served him well and in this quick fix, money-orientated football world it is a refreshing change to see a big club refusing to allow players to dictate the direction of the club.

His team are playing the best football to watch and I am sure there will be new arrivals in the January transfer window which will allow them to challenge at least in Europe this year, if not the league.

More importantly his track record has earned him the time to produce his dream team and of all the current managers at the top level he is the most likely to achieve this utopia.