Latest Arsenal transfer news: Magic midfield trio to match Chelsea's Hazard, Oscar, Mata

The battle of Europe is won in the midfield. Ever since Barcelona’s golden squad changed the game – Xavi-Iniesta-Messi – teams have gone from defence-attack to the creative thrust coming from midfield.

The battle for this year’s English Premier League is set to follow suit.

It is in this department that Arsenal and Chelsea, for the moment at least, and on paper at the very least, seem best equipped to win the English Premier League (and possibly, go further than the usual quarterfinals for the Gunners.) The Chelsea magic trio of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata compare with the best in the world. They have had time to settle down and get used to each other over a season.

Arsenal have their own great threesome – Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere (or Tomas Rosicky).

This trio too has had the time over one season to iron out the understanding and get the ‘no-look’ through balls working to a cinch.

Arsene Wenger has played this transfer market quite unlike any other. He has zeroed in on Luis Suarez and stayed there unwavering.

Unwavering in part surely because he knows if his midfield gets clicking, all he needs is a sure-fire finisher upfront – Podolski and Giroud were far from convincing last season.

Jose Mourinho on the other hand is less worried about his misfiring striker – Fernando Torres, because he knows if his midfield trio get going, they can score bagfuls by themselves.

This gives him time to do the turnaround project on Torres and use Romelu Lukaku to good effect.

Manchester United, compared to these lineups, look undercooked in midfield.

Anderson and Tom Cleverley are not Cazorla and Hazard. Not yet, anyway.

Michael Carrick is not enough and Ryan Giggs, surely, can’t be playing every week.

Ahead of this Saturday’s kick-off, if it were up to the midfields, Chelsea and Arsenal will be favourites to be Champions.

Arsenal as Champions? Yes, Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla… and Suarez.

Over to you, ‘Special One’.

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