Tuesday night’s victory was fantastic. Who can argue with a 6-2 aggregate win in the Champions League round of 16? Most of us would not have expected that, even though Porto have sunk meekly into their shells at the Emirates before. Bendtner in particular must be given great credit for the way he responded after missing all those chances against Burnley. He is no Thierry Henry, but he showed considerable mental strength last night which is very pleasing. Nasri scored a superb goal, as did Eboue. Arshavin created havoc on the left.

However, even after all those goals rattled in (against a desperately poor Porto side it has to be said – did they even look that bothered about losing?), I found myself vociferously nodding in agreement at the screen when our former legendary captain, Tony Adams, was giving his opinions on the game. Tony has played over 600 games for Arsenal. He has played under the great Arsenal managers. He has played with some of the best players and the best teams in our history. He knows what it takes to be a winner. He is worth listening to.

Tony said this Arsenal team only knows one way to play – attack – and that for them to progress against the best teams in Europe they have to win by three or four goals. More seriously, Adams believes that, however talented is this Arsenal team, it lacks something that is required to win crunch games at the sharp end of competitions. Missing a key ingredient which means they fall short. It is a stark, brutal admission, and, to be honest, one that I – for now - sadly agree with.

Why do I say this? You only have to look at Tuesday night’s performance for evidence. We were in total control – cruising at 2-0 up. Then the second half started and we had a very shaky 15 minutes, giving Porto chance after chance. We have all seen this before. If they had scored the game would have been very different. Vermaelen had to produce a series of crucial blocks to prevent the Portuguese scoring. And throughout the game, there were many, many sloppy passes that were completely unnecessary and put us on the back foot and in dangerous situations – guilty culprits of this include Arshavin, Song and even Nasri. It seems strange to say after a 5-0 win, but on so many occasions I thought to myself: ‘We are in trouble here. We look open’.

This team is not built to defend, to hold tight, to protect a lead. It is not able to with the players we have – technical, tricky, nimble, small, playful. It is not in their nature, in their DNA, to solidify, firm up, press, control.

In my opinion, Wenger’s greatest teams (reaching a height with the Invincibles of 2003/4) had the perfect blend of poise and power. They had skill in abundance of course with world class players, but also that raw, dogged determination – starting from the back with Lehmann, Lauren and Campbell, and going through midfield with the likes of Vieira, Parlour and Ljungberg – not only to completely outplay the opposition, but crucially, to dominate them.

I remember going to the Aston Villa game at Highbury, the final game of the 49 match unbeaten run. Even at one nil down, everyone in the stadium knew Arsenal would win. It was self-evident, it was inevitable. Henry scored to equalise, took the ball out of the net and made a gesture to say – We KNOW we are the best. The superiority was eviscerating, and the confidence in that superiority was total.

Now I believe that, however entertaining is the football, the balance in this Arsenal team is not quite right. It does not have that experience, that power, that combination of security with adventure. It is a cake with too much icing and not enough flour.

We have too many similar players. All attack-minded, all technical, all adventurous. Do we have enough hardened characters in this team? Players who will drag the team through key moments to victory? Cesc is one, Vermaelen is another, Campbell knows the winning mentality. But can this team create that spirit of a champion, to say: ‘No one will beat us today’. Do they actually believe they can be winners?

I am not sure why Wenger made this transition, this change of emphasis, in his Arsenal teams, but the one you see today is very different to the one he had six years ago. It is a confirmed transition with clear changes in his strategic thinking. However, this alteration of styles and personalities is a key debate for another time. This is now, this team, this season, these weeks ahead.

The victory away against Stoke was the first time in years when I had a genuine flashback to Wenger’s greatest teams. A killer’s instinct when the game was there to be won. Vermaelen punching the air, belief coruscating through the veins. This was when I thought: ‘We can do this’.

For the rest of the season, the psychology of the players is the most important factor in whether or not we win one of the big trophies. This is what Wenger has to spend most of his time working on – to convince the players that they are ready to win, to achieve. To drill into their heads that they can beat anyone, that if they want it enough it is all there in front of them. To make them go on the pitch and think, this is my moment, when I will be victorious. The whole season comes down to these final weeks. This is the moment of opportunity. Take your opportunity Arsenal and make your supporters proud.