Against Chelsea, 2-0 down at the interval, the manager went for broke at half-time, replacing Alex Song with Theo Walcott. A tactical switch. Yesterday against Stoke, Tomas Rosicky as withdrawn for Carlos Vela at the interval, although that change was more likely based on the display of the Czech up to that point. He has not sparkled much lately in fairness. But I’m struggling to remember when Wenger has previously made changes so early in the game, other than for injuries. There is a definite change of tack here, indicating a lack of tolerance with sub-par displays (either as a team or with individuals). Even against Sunderland, Aaron Ramsey was withdrawn with less than an hour on the clock in favour of Arshavin. It is symbolic of the reality that Le Boss cannot afford to wait for things to happen to the extent he has in the past.

Traditionally, Wenger has made his substitutions at 67 and 73 minutes, occasionally making a really late one when the game is dead to run down the clock a little or allow a player an individual ovation. Rarely has he varied from this path. What’s changed? Perhaps the realization that, after so many seasons of believing in and trusting the players since they last actually won a trophy, that he needs to be more pro-active.

The other change I perceived yesterday was that the formation was less 4-3-3 and more 4-5-1. Or from 4-1-2-3 to 4-1-4-1 if you want to distinguish your midfielders between holding and attacking. As far as I could make out, the wide men – Rosicky and Eboue in the first half – seemed to sit a little deeper. Arshavin was isolated, but the way the team played, he was not asked to perform as a hold-up player. Perhaps, with all the goals conceded of late, Wenger is attempting some kind of solidity as opposed to the fluidity we’ve seen so far this season. Running around everywhere and being difficult to keep tabs on is all well and good for Arsenal players when they have the ball, but boy, has it made the side vulnerable when possession is lost.

The team actually put in a decent performance yesterday, although the mindset of the crowd was critical after recent disappointments, so it is difficult to view events from a neutral perspective. However, a hatful of chances were created and, against Stoke, you would have to say that the change in the line-up, both positionally and with Arshavin as the spearhead, seemed to work out. Whether or not this will be the case in the forthcoming matches will probably determine the success, or otherwise, of the current campaign. It’s impossible to judge on one match against poor opposition, but at this stage, it’s an experiment worth persevering with. God knows there seems little other choice at the moment.

Arsenal have to continue getting three points home and away from teams more concerned with avoiding relegation than planning for a Europa League adventure in 2010-11. It’s what Manchester United did last season and they bagged the title. Wenger knows his team have to stop dropping points, and a greater attention to stopping the opposition is going to help if they only score one goal in that regard. This is the platform they have to work from. Liverpool away is a tough fixture regardless of their current form, but Burnley away has now become a must win. A bleak (almost certainly) wet Wednesday night in December up north. It will be exactly the kind of test that will tell us everything we need to know about the character of our current squad. Let’s hope we’re singing this after the visit to Turf Moor...