When in doubt, trust Arsene Wenger.

That motto has helped the gooniest of Gooners persevere through times good and bad for Arsenal over the years.

And it will prove just as fruitful if Wenger does indeed bring Thierry Henry and Wayne Bridge aboard on loan during the January transfer window.

According to The Daily Mail, the Gunners boss is strongly considering a loan deal with New York Red Bulls of MLS for Henry, Arsenal’s all-time leading goal scorer, and could be in the running to borrow Bridge, who’s somewhat mysteriously fallen out of favor with Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.

At this point, a short-term deal for Henry is an absolute no-brainer. Wenger and Henry still share a close relationship, which dates back to their days as manager and player at Monaco in the mid-90s. The pair prospered upon their reunion at Arsenal, winning three English Premier League titles, four FA Cups and finishing runner-up in a number of other competitions, including the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal haven’t won a single trophy since Henry’s departure and while his return would hardly ensure glory on the pitch, it would help to bolster the Gunners’ thin attack while bringing a distinct excitement to the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have leaned all too heavily for their goal scoring on Robin van Persie, who’s enjoying an historic campaign but will be hard-pressed to carry the attack for too long, given his penchant for injury.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are expected to lose backup striker Marouane Chamakh and forward Gervinho for a time, as they compete for their respective home countries in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Henry may not be the same talisman who won back-to-back Golden Boots during his prior days in North London, though he still has more than enough left in the proverbial tank to be an effective player in the EPL over the second half of the season. He put through 15 goals in 29 appearances for Red Bulls this year and recently spent some time training with the Gunners, prior to the unveiling of a statue in his honor outside the Emirates.

Not quite “The Invincibles,” but not half-bad either.  

Bridge may not invoke nearly the same giddiness among Gooners that Henry does, but his addition would be just as consequential to the club’s hopes of contending for trophies this season, if not more so. Arsenal have been ravaged by injuries at full-back in recent months, with Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson all expected to miss another few weeks, at the very least.

With that depth depleted, Wenger has been forced to start the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djorou—all of whom specialize in central defense—out of position on the rear flanks at some point or another. Djorou, too, has struggled to stay fit, though he’s expected back soon from a groin injury.

Hence, the Gunners have plenty of bodies to man the back line long-term, just not enough healthy ones to be comfortable while contending domestically and in Europe right now.

A veteran full-back of Bridge’s repute and Premiership pedigree, then, would be a perfect fit for Arsenal in the coming months.

The problem? Bridge’s wages, which currently run at £95,000 per week—rather steep for a player who hasn’t seen the pitch since a spell with West Ham United last season. What’s more, City would rather sell him outright than send him on another loan. Wenger has little interest in adding another left back to his squad for more than a few months, seeing as how he already has several on three or four-year contracts.

Still, if Wenger can swing things in such a way that Henry and Bridge will be flying to the Emirates on loan be January’s end, then Arsenal should be in fine position to survive the next month or two until their roster is at or near full fitness.

At which point, the Gunners may well be prepared to hoist hardware for the first time since 2005.

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Thirty-four goals in 34 Premier League games this season. This is Robin Van Persie‘s success story.

A well-taken penalty at Aston Villa, that looked for a moment as though it was headed for the roof of the stadium, put him on par with Thierry Henry, who until now held the club’s record for the most goals scored in a calendar year.

Van Persie needs just two more goals to equal Alan Shearer’s record of 36, set 16 years ago. With two more matches to play before the year’s end, there’s a big possibility that the Dutchman might get the two goals and even more.

The striker has put his success down to the unprecedented fitness he has enjoyed this year. This is the only season in which he has started almost every match, having been plagued in the past by too many niggling injuries. More playing time naturally means more possibilities and opportunities to score.

But fitness has been the key.

It has allowed him to take more risks and try new things in matches, he says.

I didn’t miss one Premier League game [this year], and in most games I played 90 minutes, so when you have a good run and feel fresh and fit you try things. 

You take a few more risks than perhaps you would when you are coming back from injury. When you don’t have a run, you don’t really try things. 

As a striker it is really important to have a go. If you feel like having a chip or cutting the ball instead of shooting [you should do it].

If you look at my performances, I take more risks now because I know that, with the team I have behind me, I will get more chances. It’s not as if I will only get one chance – I always get one, two, three maybe four in a game, so I can take a risk here and there.

Arsenal‘s current position on the premiership table owes a great deal to Van Persie’s form. But instead of savoring his success alone, he is quick to give credit to his teammates.

Van Persie Celebrates with teammates

I have to give lots of credit to Mikel [Arteta], Per [Mertesacker], Yossi [Benayoun] as well. They are great characters and they’re really helpful in every area.

They picked it up very well and I do need assistance, they are always helping me. Mikel, he’s played seven years at Everton, one-a-and-half/two years at Rangers, you can tell that he is an experienced player. Yossi, similar. Per Mertesacker played [nearly] 80 games for Germany so that really helped.

Another thing beside his form, which has surprised many observers, is the noticeable maturity that now attends him. Last week, the Daily Mail had this to say:

Under the Dutchman, Arsenal are developing a camaraderie off the pitch where club insiders say the influence of Van Persie and his wife, Bouchra, has been enormous.

Team-mates: (L-R) Andre Santos, Robin van Persie and Mikel Arteta celebrate Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea

As well as the Christmas party, the couple have been organising golf days and nights out at restaurants for the team and their partners. Insiders say the squad are socialising in a way that has not been seen for years, with Bouchra taking care of the wives and girlfriends and her husband mobilising the players.

And in doing so they seem to be forging a team spirit. Arsenal were once labelled fragile but now appear to have developed a backbone.



Van Persie and wife Bouchra

On the pitch, Van Persie is very anxious to nurture this camaraderie, a commodity that can easily be lost when too many accolades are heaped on one person in apparent oblivion to the fact that success, such that Van Persie now enjoys, comes only through collective effort.

I want to help my team, I want to help them with assists, help them with goals, help them with good football. In some games that means holding the ball when we’re struggling. Football is more for me than just scoring the ball in the back of the net. Football can give you much more. For example [against Villa] I had a nice pass to Aaron [Ramsey]; I enjoy that as much as a goal. I like to play football – it’s a great game which can go many ways. I just love it at the moment.

Love, indeed, is the word. We love you Robin and hope you score more goals before the year’s end.

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