The result on Tuesday has left Arsenal in a strong position to qualify for the quarter finals against a distinctly average Roma side, but the glaring misses mean there is all to play for in the Olimpico come Wednesday 11th March. And what an important night it promises to be in both the short and perhaps longer term future of the club.

Arsenal Football Club has been in transition long enough, a fantastic six months in League last season apart, we have not looked like contenders for the big trophies since moving to the Grove. And the best players are getting restless.

I don’t believe there is a single player in our midst that is loyal to the actual club. The “loyalty” is based on three things: money, the manager with his style and the chance to win things. If we didn’t pay decent wages, players will leave, if Wenger goes then players will leave, and if we have little chance of winning trophies, players will leave.

Despite it being widely known we don’t pay absolute top dollar in wages, we are still good payers, just ask Gallas, Adebayor, Cesc and Arshavin. And regardless of people’s opinions on Wenger, I don’t see him leaving any time soon as he doesn’t want to go and the board still have faith in him. Which leaves one question, are we still capable of winning major trophies?

Should we get knocked out by Roma, this may well be the last straw for some. Van Persie is already making noises about ambition being the key to his contract and others have voiced the “need to win something”. Should we get through and make further inroads in the biggest tournament of all, it might just be enough to persuade the stars to stay.

For me, Roma away is now the most important match the club has played since Barca '06 in Paris.