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Despite the poignancy of the occasion, it’s felt all too easy to make a catalogue of sweeping generalisations in the wake of Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal during the weekend.

Andre Villas-Boas’ side could have seen their four-point gap disintegrate to just the one with defeat at White Hart Lane on Sunday, but for them to extend that lead over their neighbours to seven with a victory on derby day, it was always going to be difficult to strip the emotion away from the event.

Does this mean that Spurs have now slain their fierce neighbours and tipped the eternal balance of power in their favour? Not just yet and while they may well be the best team in North London this season – or perhaps the entire capital, should they finish above Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea – we will need to see the trick pulled off a little more sustainably before we start making such durable assumptions.

Yet for however much you choose to read into Sunday’s result, the poignancy of what was on show by the men in white, felt almost undeniable. And it wasn’t necessarily in regards to what they were doing with their feet, either.

The shredded nerve ends and bitten nails of some Tottenham fans may argue to the contrary, although as Villas-Boas’ men entered the final phases of the game with a slender one goal lead, the impending feeling of self-destruction felt almost palpable in its absence. In what has since become the Premier League’s highest ever scoring fixture, the North London derby has served as a shrine to the self-doubt and perennial flakiness that has dogged Spurs over the years.

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But this time around, you got the impression that you were witnessing a bunch of players that weren’t in the mood for wilting anymore. And for all the tactical evolution, the Gareth Bale thunderbolts and cascade of pressing that we’ve seen Spurs display this season, it could be that galvanized mentality that makes more of a difference above anything else in N17 this season.

Because a large proportion of this squad have, as Spurs fans hardly need reminding, been scorched by failure more than enough times to suggest that a steely, winning mentality might never fully evolve amongst this current crop of players.

In the trio of Aaron Lennon, Michael Dawson and Jermain Defoe, three of Spurs’ most seasoned campaigners at the club, you find an experienced core that’s been rattled not just once, but twice, in their inability to get the job done in the league over Arsenal. Of course, all three of the aforementioned have proved their ability to qualify for the Champions League at the club, but in both 2006 as well as 2012, they failed to finish above the Gunners after leading them for the majority of the season.

But it was within last season’s now infamous implosion that you could attribute the bulk of any real lingering feelings of self-doubt within this Spurs squad. It was just over 12 months ago that Harry Redknapp’s side blew what seemed like an almost unassailable 10-point lead over their North London rivals. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but looking back upon their 5-2 mauling at the Emirates last February and for all their manager’s flirting with the England job and their chairman’s reluctance to spend in January, last season’s team simply couldn’t recover from the blow Wenger’s men inflicted upon them.

As brutal as it sounds, for all the barnstorming wing play and exquisite floods of attack, Spurs simply didn’t have the presence of mind to cope with the pressure or the belief needed to overcome adversity.

We will only find out if they’ve truly rectified that come their placing at the end of the season, although Sunday’s victory over Arsenal and to a similar extent, the 3-2 win over West Ham United, too, suggest that Tottenham may have finally found that vital mental ingredient that’s been missing for a small lifetime at White Hart Lane. And it could just be the key they need to finally supplant the Gunners in the league for the first time since 1995.

How much do you attribute this to Andre Villas-Boas, a change in personnel or simply a newfound maturity within what remains a very young squad?

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Certainly in the influx of new players in N17 such as Hugo Lloris, Mousa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson, Spurs have attained not just young and gifted talent with a high resale value in fitting with the Daniel Levy model. Most importantly, they’ve acquired players with a genuine hunger and a desire to succeed.

But for all the comparisons between both Redknapp and Villas-Boas that have peppered the Portuguese’s first season with Spurs, a special mention must be given to the ex-Porto man’s own winning mentality. From day one, amongst talk of winning the Europa League and one day challenging for the league title, Villas-Boas made clear that Tottenham have to finish above Arsenal.

The slow adoration that’s built for Villas-Boas has often unnecessarily been adjoined by an incessant need to fire parting shots at the now QPR-boss. But perhaps supporters shouldn’t be too surprised with the difference in mentality from a team that used to ‘go out and give it a good go,’ to one that’s now told they can ‘still pose a threat’ to second-placed Manchester City.

Either way, Tottenham’s new found mentality might just prove to be the defining element of their 2012-13 season. The proof will as ever, be in the pudding. But after nearly a generation of self-doubt, this side may now have just turned the corner.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has endured a difficult campaign fraught with criticism at every turn, but with the club seemingly timing their good run of form at precisely the right time, should they achieve a top-four finish and secure Champions League football for a 17th consecutive season, will it rank as one of his greatest managerial achievements at the club?

First things first, Wenger clearly deserves great credit for keeping the club in the mix for a top four spot this season. After a summer of great upheaval off the pitch was saw long-time assistant Pat Rice retire and the club’s leading striker Robin van Persie secure a move to Manchester United, many tipped the club to miss out considering the relative strength of their rivals Tottenham, while Everton also looked to be pushing for a return to Europe’s elite, while Chelsea were trying to re-establish themselves after spending big in the summer after a disappointing sixth-placed finish last season.

However, with Andre Villas-Boas’ side struggling to juggle their league and Europa League commitments successfully in recent weeks, after dropping points against Fulham, Liverpool and Everton, similar to last season, they have started to close a seven-point gap on their rivals to sit just two points behind them with a game in hand and seven fixtures left to play. Last season the club clinched an improbable third-placed finish after a tremendous run of form down the home straight as they overhauled a 12-point gap between themselves and Harry Redknapp’s out-0f-sorts side.

It seems just as Wigan seem to avoid the drop every campaign while others around them lose their heads by putting together a decent run of form at the right time, Arsenal are the top-four equivalent at the other end of the table and they used their experience at just the right time while Tottenham and Everton have been up and down and Chelsea remain focused on winning a piece of silverware. At this stage of the season, it’s certainly better to be in a position to be chasing something rather than holding on, and at the moment you’d have to back Arsenal to clinch either third or fourth after winning their last three league games on the bounce since beating Bayern Munich away from home in the Champions League shortly after losing the north London derby 2-1 at White Hart Lane.

Not only has replacing van Persie proved to be something of a selection headache this season, there have been various other issues, albeit minor when placed in the larger context of 20 teams competing to finish as highly as possible, but when piled together make a substantial impact on the shape and feel of the side.

Theo Walcott’s contractual dispute which dominated the headline, captain Thomas Vermaelen suffering from a crisis of form and confidence and eventually being dropped from the side, Wojciech Szczeny struggling with injury and then his father’s outburst in the media, Bacary Sagna going off the boil, the departure of Alex Song, the constant state of worry surrounding Jack Wilshere’s fitness and the overwhelming need of the fans to turn someone into a scapegoat, reported issues with new assistant Steve Bould, not to mention their terrible record against top-four opposition this term and defensive fragility. Overcoming all of these problems has proved difficult, often tiresome, but they are still there and retain a chance of clinching a top four spot which says a lot about the man in charge.

There are still legitimate criticisms to be levelled at Wenger, namely that the lack of quality within the squad which is entirely of his own making, while he continues to emplace trust in several players that are patently not up to the job and pursue an increasingly dogmatic style of play, lacking any sort of plan B against top level opposition. He appears to regard a top-four finish as more important than silverware and has been responsible for the zealot-like pursuit of of Financial Fair Play which has seen the club grow less and less competitive in the transfer market. He’s a absurdly stubborn individual and he and Arsenal remain a ridiculously frustrating duo.

Clinching a top-four place would still be a massive achievement, though, even if it doesn’t let him completely off the hook for all the needless and wholly preventable mess he has made of certain situations. Looking at Arsenal’s fixture list, with games against QPR, Norwich, Newcastle, Wigan and Fulham, they seem capable of keeping their recent run going for a little while longer yet, even if they face difficult home games against Manchester United and Everton.

When you compare and contrast this with Tottenham’s, which includes games against Manchester City, Chelsea and a seriously in-form Southampton side that’s already claimed the scalps of Liverpool and the aforementioned duo in recent weeks and their run-in starts to look a lot more tricky, particularly keeping in mind their Europa League campaign, Gareth Bale’s fitness issues and their drastic loss of form. Their ability to shoot themselves in the foot just when it looks as if they may be turning a corner and building something to last knows no bounds.

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It’s far from a foregone conclusion yet, and Chelsea could yet come into the mix even more than their north London rivals, but given the context of losing their best player in the summer, having to blood in three new attackers in the form of Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski, while losing the last derby game and facing constant questions over his future after losing the support of large swathes of the club’s fans, Wenger could still pull off a huge coup. There are sure to be plenty of twists and turns yet, but you’d have to say with the what he’s currently got at his disposal in terms of quality and depth, few could do a better job at Arsenal than the Frenchman.

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Touted by many as a future Tottenham club captain, the career of Younes Kaboul has taken a disappointing turn. The 27 year old has been plagued by injury in recent seasons and questions remain over whether the French centre half can ever recapture the kind of form that had made him such a force in the Premier League.

Knee injuries are bad at the best of times, but for Kaboul this couldn’t have really been any worse. Out for well over a year and yet to ever return to full fitness, the future looks bleak. Spurs themselves share this pessimism, with his contract up in the summer it is anyone’s guess where the Frenchman will be plying his trade come September. AC Milan have already been mooted as potential suitors according to the Mirror, and it is clear a number of clubs will be interested in the Frenchman when he becomes available in January.

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For Spurs it would represent a huge shame, on his day Kaboul is as good as anyone at the back. The perfect mix of defensive physicality and cultured ball-playing ability, Kaboul very much fits the Spurs mould. The City game embodied the fall from grace though, for me Kaboul is in a bracket above Dawson defensively, but on that infamous afternoon they both looked as inept as each other.

Kaboul seems unsure of himself and largely off the pace, a sad sight for those that revelled in his best days. His return has been intermittent and underwhelming, and many question whether the Frenchman can ever return. We saw it with Aaron Ramsey, serious issue breeds uncertainty and often leaves the individual bereft of the self belief that made them such a force in the first place.

It is a tough call; Spurs have outgrown Dawson and without another fit centre half they are woefully short. Vertonghen and Chiriches would appear the long-term centre half partnership, but aside from that there isn’t a lot of depth.

Persevere with Kaboul or look to change things in January?

For me this is another head over heart argument. There is always the belief that Kaboul can get back to the level he was at before, but for me it is a question of time. Spurs have ambitions in the short term and the shrewd move would be to cut their losses and change things up.

Who knows Kaboul could find some semblance of his former self on the continent, this is just a risk the club will have to bear. I think the pragmatists amongst you will see the need for depth during the busy festive period and in the ensuing months. The possibility for a number of cup runs and a tilt at the title, Spurs need to have four fit and firing centre halves and until they sort the Kaboul problem I see them falling behind.

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It will be with a heavy heart that Spurs and Kaboul part ways, but in my opinion it is a necessary one. Some may see this as ruthless and perhaps even heartless, but unfortunately this is the nature of our game.

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Arsenal loanee Nicklas Bendtner has been labelled too fat by his new employers at Juventus.

The Danish international was a deadline day signing for the Italian champions, but lacks fitness as Arsene Wenger allowed him to miss training to try and find a new club throughout pre-season.

It is said the 24 year old is carrying too much weight to be effective Serie A, and his transfer has also been questioned in some quarters. The Daily Mail report that former star midfielder at the club, Alessio Tacchinardi said, “I will not say Bendtner is a bad player, but he does not help improve Juventus either.”

A key club objective for the Gunners this summer was removing disillusioned, out of favour players, Bendtner and Andrey Arshavin from the wage bill, who earn £52,000 and £80,000 a week respectively.

However the diminutive Russian remains at the club, enquiries were made for Russia’s captain to take him back to his home country. But Arsenal’s £5 million evaluation proved a sticking point and the 31 year old remains an Arsenal player for now.

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Whether it’s because of the array of outspoken managers, the passion and loyalty of the fans or simply the quality of football on display, the Premier League is quite simply the best in the world. However, while the elite clubs attract the very best players from every corner of the globe, the national team continues to suffer. With this mind, does the Premier League have to sacrifice its quest for global superiority in order for things to improve on the international stage?

England’s journey at the recent European Championships ended in the alarmingly familiar cliché of ‘so close, yet so far’. In the aftermath of yet another failure in a penalty shootout, triumphant Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon delivered a painfully truthful assessment of English football.

“Having a competitive league doesn’t necessarily mean having competitive players,’ he said. For a number of years now, the English league has had the best football and is the best league in terms of quality.

“The money that’s in the game means they can go and buy anyone from all over Europe or the world. This can happen in Spain and Italy as well as England but the league in England is no longer very faithful to what the national side needs.

“With this footballing globalisation, it’s very difficult. You struggle to have players from your own country playing in the top league.” (Daily Mail)

In a survey that was conducted during the first weekend of football after the transfer window had closed, it was revealed that the Premier League had just 31% of home-grown talent in starting line-ups. This startling figure was a far cry from the 64% that graced La Liga, which highlights one of the many reasons why there is a widening chasm in class between the two countries. How can we expect our national team to shine when we don’t cater our domestic league for their own benefit?

Two years ago FIFA president Sepp Blatter flirted with the concept of the ‘6+5 rule’, which proposed that clubs should have a minimum of six home-grown players in their starting line-ups. The idea was eventually dismissed as it contravened EU labour laws and instead gave way to the ruling that each 25-man squad within the Premier League, had to include a minimum of eight home-grown individuals.

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The same problem solved by a different solution right? Wrong, the new changes have arguably further hampered development. Take Manchester City for example, a team that boasts a wealth of international stars, they have merely tweaked their transfer policy to ensure they meet the requirements. Does anyone truly believe Jack Rodwell or Scott Sinclair’s career will be enhanced thanks to their arrival at Eastlands, especially considering the recent frustrations highlighted by the outgoing Adam Johnson? Mancini decision to sign Richard Wright surprised everyone, but he was merely filling his quota without further jeopardising his indispensible foreign stars.

Speaking of the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City recently announced plans for the imposing ‘Etihad Campus’, which will be the most advanced and expensive academy in England when it opens in 2014. However, while this should have been another milestone in ensuring the improvement of domestic talent, Sporting Director Brian Marwood indicated otherwise:

“Our priority is to produce players who will get into City’s first team. From a selfish point of view, that may mean to the detriment of the England team,’ said Marwood.

“And while it would be great (to help England) because I came through the system and it helped me, we also have to be realistic.

“If we are trying to produce real top quality to play for City, if they happen to come from another country and we’ve developed them, we shouldn’t be ashamed to embrace it.” (Daily Mail)

Is this a selfish and somewhat arrogant mentality of a club that is in an optimum position to develop future generations or merely the honest opinion that players from Europe possess a greater natural ability?

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The FA have just unveiled their own multi-million pound campus for the development of English football so perhaps City are fully justified in focusing on their own success. And yet we seem blinded by the misconception that if we possess the best facilities, we will naturally produce the best players. Wayne Rooney, perhaps the countries most gifted player to have emerged within the last decade, harnessed his skills on the streets of Merseyside and not on “330 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland”.

Perhaps it’s time for English football to be slightly more narcissistic as it looks towards the future. It would be crude for me to suggest that we cap the number of transfers from outside the British Isles but maybe there could be a significant financial reward for teams who develop and play home-grown players. This would cause a drastic change in the direction and philosophy of many teams while it could even help create a more healthy and competitive league.

English football is well aware of its previous mistakes, there’s an entire population and critical media that won’t let it forget. However, rather than simply trying to emulate the finished article of the likes of Spain, we should learn from their methods at grassroots level and work our way up.

Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub

Since the 2011/2012 season when Sam Allardyce took over West Ham after their relegation to the Championship, the former Bolton manager has come under heavy scrutiny from the fans, despite guiding them to promotion and keeping them in England’s top flight for the third season in a row. Quite a feat with the managerial merry-go-round an unpredictable theme, year after year, not just in the Premier League, but in all four divisions in the country. But with calls for Big Sam’s head being made from all four corners of the Boleyn Ground and a vast amount of managers available, why are the owners ignoring the demands of the fans?

With the 2014/2015 Premier league season well and truly under way, a more attacking style and attractive brand of football was instructed by the club’s board in order to bring the famous traditions back and please the club’s fans. However, this is not Allardyce’s philosophy, and has never played passing football while he had spells at the Trotters, Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. Asking a manager to play attractive football on the deck which is not in his nature is an absolutely stupid ultimatum to make. With the season only just kicked off, sacking Allardyce wouldn’t be the worst decision to make.

With the dreaded international break in full swing, dismissing Big Sam would allow a new manager to put plans in place, and get to know the squad ahead of their away trip to Hull City in two weeks. One man that most would like to take to the helm at Upton Park is former Everton and Manchester United gaffer David Moyes. Despite his unsuccessful spell with the Red Devils last season, Moyes’ credentials and achievements at Goodison Park are good enough to convince most people associated with West Ham that he would be a vital asset. On a low budget, and playing quality football, Moyes took the Toffees to fourth place and into the Champions League qualifying round in 2005, were they lost to Villarreal. This is exactly what West Ham need ahead of their anticipated move into the Olympic Stadium in time for the 2016/2017 season. However, getting rid of Allardyce is harder than most people think.

Allardyce is in the final year of his contract at West Ham, but would be eager to sign an extension considering how much he is earning – a staggering £2.95m a year. In 2013, he was the 13th highest paid manger in the world, earning the same amount as current England gaffer Roy Hodgson, and earning more income than Napoli chief Rafa Benitez, Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone and Germany national team coach Joachim Loew. On that sort of salary, Allardyce is not going walk out on his own free will, getting him sacked would mean paying off the rest of his contract, and with over £25m spent on bringing new players to club, it wouldn’t be sustainable or financial healthy. For a manager, whose only expectation is to keep his club in the top flight, Big Sam is driving the Hammers into the middle of nowhere.

For a club, that is based on bringing home grown players from the famous ‘Academy of Football’ whom are taught from a young age to play football on the floor, Allardyce has completely ignored what has been with the team for years, even failing to convince academy director, Tony Carr MBE to stay in his role. A man who has served the club with great distinction and produced players like Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard is no longer in a position to produce more players of the same calibre.  When was the last time the Hammers brought through a youngster from the academy into the first team?

David Moyes, who brought through Wayne Rooney and bought the likes of Mikel Arteta and Leighton Baines to the club, this is a man who can lead West Ham to success especially when the Hammers move into the Olympic stadium.

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West Brom continued their strong start to the season with victory over Wigan at the DW Stadium.

The Baggies have began well under new boss Steve Clarke and their first away success under of the season keeps them fifth in the table.

Peter Odemwingie was a surprise exclusion from the visitors starting lineup, despite scoring both goals in the win over Southampton on Monday, with Romelu Lukaku preferred up front.

It proved to be a shrewd move as they easily beat the Latics who continued their jekyll and hyde form, failing to build on last weeks excellent performance at Tottenham.

And Roberto Martinez will be unhappy with the manner in which they fell behind in the 31st minute against the run of play. Chris Brunt delivered a pinpoint cross into the penalty area and James Morrison ghosted in to plant a header past Ali Al-Habsi.

More sloppy defending followed two minutes before the break as the away side doubled their advantage, Billy Jones seeing his effort heavily deflecting of Gary Caldwell after he charged into the box.

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But there was hope for the hosts as Arouna Kone converted Jean Beausejour’s superb low cross from six-yards to halve the deficit on the stroke of half time.

However there wasn’t to be an equaliser for Wigan as Boaz Myhill, making his first start of the season, was rarely troubled in the West Brom goal, and it was infact Al Habsi at the opposite end was busier of the two keepers making an outstanding save to thwart Lukaku from 12-yards.

Manchester United finally completed a deal to bring Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha to Old Trafford in the summer after he signed a five-and-a-half-year-contract which will come into effect at the start of next season after he finishes off the current campaign in south London, but the timing of the switch itself strikes me as odd – is manager Sir Alex Ferguson simply legacy shopping now?

The 20-year-old England international, born in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, has been linked with practically every top club in the Premier League over the course of the past year or so. That’s what the newspaper rumour mill does, it identifies one player and then starts off its own ‘saga’, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all involved at one point or another. It’s both tiresome and dull but it distorts the truth too as it misleads whether there was ever any genuine concrete interest in the player, which as far as I can see, apart from United’s bid this January, there wasn’t.

Zaha was named the Football League Young Player of the Year last season and this prompted United to ‘enter the race’ and seal a deal that will see them pay approximately £10m up front and a further £5m with add-ons. Ferguson sounded somewhat reserved on the signing, most likely because the fans won’t get to see him up close right away, telling reporters: “We like to sign players with potential. We develop players and that’s been proven many times. Hopefully the boy enjoys it here.”

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Given that Arsene Wenger stated that Arsenal were looking at Zaha but denied ever making a bid, while Liverpool are firmly after Tom Ince and neither Chelsea or Manchester City showed a sniff in months, you have to question why Ferguson felt the need to tie up a deal right now – is it because if they run the danger of Palace getting promoted, his price doubles? That would seem to be the only logical explanation, and this way they get the best of both worlds.

The form of the club’s wingers this term, though, will have worried Ferguson no end and it seems as if Nani’s time at Old Trafford may finally be coming to an end. The 26-year-old has made just seven league appearances, only four of them from the start so far, featuring in just 12 games across all competitions. It seems as if the 71-year-old boss has grown weary of the Portuguese’s inconsistencies, ranging from the brilliant to the abject with consummate ease.

It would seem a shame if Nani is discarded to the scrapheap because when fit and on form, he offers an end product both in terms of goals and assists that neither Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young can match, but it’s got to that stage in the season where a catch-22 situation has developed – Nani needs games to get match fit to be of any use, but an extended run is out of the question at the moment given that the club are chasing silverware at both home and abroad, and now is not the time to tinker. He’s lost the manager’s faith and it could be a simple one in, one out deal in the summer.

It’s not as if Valencia has inspired any confidence either, and the 27-year-old Ecuadorian seems to be enjoying a crisis of form and his worst spell out wide since joining the club. Unsure of when to take on and beat his man or come inside and look for the pass, Valencia has been well below par, looking every bit the one-dimensional attacker his critics say he is, with Young on the other flank only being saved by his versatility.

First with Chris Smalling, then Phil Jones and now Wilfried Zaha, Manchester United appear to be taking the old Old Firm’s approach to transfers now, namely buying up young players of real potential so that their rivals cannot get near them. At the moment, there is no real need for him, but that could swiftly change in the future come May, with Ferguson set to reshuffle his pack and freshen up an ageing squad in several key areas.

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The purchase of Robin van Persie in the summer was a rare indulgence on his behalf, but the Zaha deal shows that the Scot still has an eye on the future and the smooth handing over of the baton to his successor and while it might look strange to move for Zaha now given the lack of competition for his signature, in the long-term, it could save them millions.

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Amid a summer window of prolific spending at Arsenal, the Gunners are also expected to say goodbye to club captain Thomas Vermaelen.

Indeed, the Belgium international still holds the armband at the Emirates, but a mixture of recurring injuries, poor form and the talismanic partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker saw him make just seven starts in the Premier League last season.

The 28 year-old has been known to be considering his options for some time, and recent speculation suggests both Liverpool and Manchester United are baying for his signature.

But should Vermaelen leave, Arsenal will undoubtedly need to source a replacement with only three centre-halves, including the want-away defender, currently on the Emirates roster.

With that in mind, here’s SIX replacements Arsene Wenger should consider this summer.

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FABIAN SCHAR

Arsenal have been strongly linked with Fabian Schar before, and should Thomas Vermaelen leave the Emirates this summer it would be incredibly surprising if Arsene Wenger didn’t revive his interest in the Basel defender.

Statistically, the Switzerland international was the best defender in the Champions League last season, as detailed below…

And his World Cup performances weren’t too bad either, making eight interceptions during two outings at Brazil 2014.

The 22 year-old has an interesting knack for scoring goals, even taking up spot kick duties for Bebbi:

//www.youtube.com/embed/MIe6I323HPc

And also netted this incredible strike as a youngster at FC Wil:

//www.youtube.com/embed/dH1mLudmGgg?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist= dH1mLudmGgg

A proactive, forward-thinking centre-back with considerable quality on the ball, Schar would fit perfectly with Arsenal’s possession-based philosophy.

But there are a number of suitors allegedly baying for his signature this summer, including Barcelona, Manchester United and local rivals Tottenham:

WINSTON REID

In terms of Vermaelen replacements with proven Premier League pedigree, the stand-out option remains West Ham’s Winston Reid, whom the Gunners were closely monitoring ahead of the January transfer window:

A move failed to materialise due to the New Zealand skipper being sidelined with an ankle injury, and by no great coincidence, the Hammers’ league form tanked in his absence.

The season prior, the 26 year-old claimed the Hammer of the Year award at Upton Park, celebrating the enormous progress he’s made since first joining the Irons after impressive showings at the 2010 World Cup.

Despite his sideline bout, Reid was in good form last season, as detailed below:

And although the All Whites centre-half may be more rugged than your average Arsenal defender, that difference in style offers Arsene Wenger some much-needed variation at the heart of defence.

Furthermore and most importantly, Reid’s contract is set to expire in 2015 and he’s continually delayed on a new deal – meaning he can be picked up for cheap this summer.

But Hammers chairman David Sullivan is keen to tie the 6 foot 3 centre-back down to new terms:

MATIJA NASTASIC

According to the tabloids, Arsenal have already targeted a direct replacement to Thomas Vermaelen in Manchester City’s Matija Nastasic:

The 21 year-old is an impressive talent, having already plied his trade with Fiorentina in Italy and the Premier League champions. Here’s a short clip highlighting Nastasic’s strengths:

//www.youtube.com/embed/LxnfKoOWmWE?rel=0

But the Serbia international will be concerned that his progress is being stifled at the Etihad – injuries and the rise of Martin Demichelis saw him make just 14 Premier League appearances last season, and he now has to contend with all-but-confirmed £32million signing Eliaquim Mangala.

An Emirates switch would be an interesting move for Nastasic. He lacks physicality but is clearly a very intelligent defender, also offering significant Champions League experience . And as viewable below, his quality in possession is second to none:

But the Gunners face stiff competition for his signature, with several Serie A sides including Juventus, Inter Milan and Roma also strongly linked:

TOBY ALDERWEIRELD

The Gunners could swap one Belgium international for another if Arsene Wenger decides to reignite his interest in Toby Alderweireld from last summer.

The former Ajax star joined Atletico Madrid instead in a £6million deal, but the Mattress Makers’ sensational rise to La Liga title and Champions League final glory saw him make just ten league starts last season.

No doubt, the 25 year-old is a talented defender, capable of playing at centre-back or right-back (as he did for Belgium at the World Cup) and famed for his consistency, as visible below:

A product of the total football academy, Alderweireld comes with an impressive all-round game. Here’s a look at him in action for the Amsterdam outfit:

//www.youtube.com/embed/RFL2-xH2cis?rel=0

The 6 foot 2 defender has already made plenty of noise about leaving Vincente Calderon and was reportedly offered to Napoli in January.

But recent speculation suggests Liverpool are currently leading the race for his signature:

NEVEN SUBOTIC

Jurgen Klopp appears determined to hold onto World Cup-winning centre-back Mats Hummels this summer, but that in turn could spell a departure for fellow Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic.

The 25 year-old has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City in the past, earning a reputation as one of Europe’s most underrated defenders as the unassuming-yet-sturdy partner to Hummels.

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The Serbia international was in customarily strong form last season until his campaign was cut short through injury:

Here’s some highlights from last term, with Subotic’s pace, tackling ability and composure in possession particularly standing out:

//www.youtube.com/embed/YV1uB16MEgQ?rel=0

But that eight-month sideline spell saw Greece defender Sokratis thoroughly excel as understudy, and it remains to be seen who will be given the first team berth on a regular basis next season.

With three high-quality centre-backs to choose from and just two years left on Subotic’s contract, a bid around the £15million-£20million mark could convince the Black-Yellows to sell.

FEDERICO FAZIO

Another, slightly more outlandish, option said to be on the Arsenal radar is Sevilla’s towering centre-back Federico Fazio:

Measuring in at 6 foot 5 whilst also capable of playing in defensive midfield, the La Liga man-mountain has drawn many comparisons with Per Mertesacker.

The Argentina international was in strong form last season too as Los Palanganos claimed the Europa League title, as viewable below:

Oh, and don’t mess with him, or he’ll punch you in the stomach:

The 27 year-old is a well-experienced, composed defender that could certainly do a job for the Gunners.

Furthermore, according to TalkSport, Fazio’s release clause stands at an incredibly cheap €10million.

Chelsea will look to bounce back from their first Premier League defeat of the season when they travel to the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea on Saturday.

Both teams enjoyed Capital One Cup victories in midweek, with Chelsea running out 5-4 winners over Mancheseter United, and Swansea recording a superb 3-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield.

Swansea will be in confident mood, and will look to last seasons fixture for inspiration. The Swans were seconds away from recording a famous victory over the men from Stamford Bridge, until a last minute Neil Taylor own goal meant the game finished 1-1.

Michael Laudrup is sweating over the fitness of Chico Flores who picked up a dead leg in the win at Anfield.

Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Juan Mata are all set to be assessed having played the whole 120 minutes against Manchester United on Wednesday.

Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanovic are available having both served a one match ban for the red cards they picked up in that controversial defeat last Sunday.

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Prediction: Swansea City 1-2 Chelsea 

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