Abou Diaby's learning how to curb his enthusiasm

James Olley
4 Nov 2009

The sight of Arsenal players marauding forward in the final throes of matches despite only holding the slenderest of leads has often had Arsene Wenger pleading for sanity.

It recently cost them valuable points both at home and in Europe and caused him to throw his jacket down in disgust on Saturday, even though his team were beating Spurs 3-0.

But when one of the beneficiaries of the Gunners' recent over exuberance, AZ Alkmaar, travel to Emirates Stadium for tonight's Champions League encounter, they will find a side who have redoubled their efforts to show greater maturity in maintaining a lead.

Seconds before David Mendes da Silva snatched a point in Holland two weeks ago, Wenger could be seen frantically gesturing for Abou Diaby to return to defend a set-piece, only for the French midfielder to then be beaten in the air as the ball found its way into the Arsenal net.

It was a harsh lesson for a player who has assumed the mantle of quiet efficiency from the injured Denilson and after the subsequent reminder against West Ham, it appears from Saturday's victory over Tottenham that Diaby is curbing his attacking instincts and providing the balance Wenger is looking for.

"I must say he is attracted like a magnet by the opponent's goal," said the 60-year-old. "You do not want to take that out of their players when they are at such a young age but what we can be as well is a little bit more controlled.

"We do not need to have seven players running forward when you are 1-0 or 2-1 up with five minutes to go. That is something I have told him to take responsibility for in the team. He has done extremely well since he came in for Denilson. He gives us a good mixture because he is a player who is very strong in the challenge and we have been a little bit criticised before for having the capacity to be intimidated.

"He is good in the air, has a work rate and gives us a good balance in midfield."

The 23-year-old's form has been all the more impressive given it comes as a riposte to scoring the most inexplicable own goal in recent memory to gift Manchester United victory at Old Trafford back in September.

With that nightmare behind him, Diaby has settled into the first team and after experimentation as a second striker - where he played during the early part of his career at Auxerre - and as a left winger, he appears settled in his present position although Wenger is not ruling out further modifications.

"Diaby likes to play up front just behind the strikers and in time he will want to play there," he said.

"But he is such a strong player in the challenge that I think he will play a bit deeper in front of the defenders later in his career. He is very quick and when he wins the ball, he can accelerate the game and I can see him playing deeper."

At 6ft 2in tall and with a strong physical presence, Diaby (left) has been compared to Patrick Vieira but he believes a desire to attack more than the former Arsenal captain sets him apart.

"It is a compliment if people compare me to Vieira," said Diaby. "People make the comparison because we play the same position and even physically I look like him a little bit. But I think our game is a bit different.

"I like to go forward and score some goals. Sometimes after training I am working on my finishing and things like that."

Diaby believes he has come back as a better player after a badly broken ankle sidelined him for eight months during 2006 and forced him to miss Arsenal's appearance in the Champions League final. He went on to make the first of two international appearances in the following year and started 31 times in all competitions last season as he looked to repay Wenger's decision to award him a new contract while injured. Diaby said: "Definitely mentally I am stronger because I had a lot of problems in the past. Even in the games I am getting more confidence as well."

Victory for Arsenal tonight against an AZ side bereft of their best attacking player by some distance - Mounir El Hamdaoui has an ankle injury - will all but secure qualification from Group H.

Wenger added: "We have to show we can focus every three days, that we can play for each other every three days all along the season, that we can prepare every game with the same conscientious attitude and that we can win.

"There are a lot of things that we have still to accomplish. It is in front of us and for example tonight we have to show that we can go into the game with the same seriousness that we have done on Saturday."