When I saw the list of players starting last night, I’d have imagined the defence and midfield would have looked like this

Defence (right to left): Hoyte – Song – Gilberto – Gibbs
Midfield: Walcott – Denilson - Diarra – Diaby.

Instead we get a pairing of Justin Hoyte and Song in central defence, with Gilberto in midfield rather than Diarra. Granted, the latter can do a job as a right back, so no weakness there, but Hoyte’s appearances at centre back have been infrequent to say the least. Pairing him with the makeshift defender that Song is was quite a gamble, especially given the Gibbs was also unfamiliar in his role.

Credit to Wenger. The team did not look weakened by what appeared an element of improvisation. So the positioning of Gilberto in the centre ultimately made no difference, but two things came out of this line-up.

There may have been some truth to the stories that Gilberto was unhappy to play at the back. Given that he needs games in the centre to prove that he is a better option than Flamini may have some bearing on this. But the decision to make the keeper the captain on only his second competitive first team appearance smacks of Wenger making a statement about who is in charge. Le Boss may have felt that, psychologically, he would not get the best out of Gilberto as a centre-half after whatever exchange they had on the subject, yet needed him in the team. So he played him, but made his point nevertheless.

The other thing that occurred about the players in unfamiliar positions controlling the game was that we were indeed watching the closest thing to ‘total football’ that has been seen in a long time. How do you define ‘total football’? To me it’s that a team has a system, a way of playing and that, at any given time, any (outfield) player can take up any position, without the system being changed in any way to compensate and for said player to not look uncomfortable in the role he is given. It can happen from the outset – where players are fielded out of position due to the selection – or during a game where players switch positions at will, making them difficult for the opposition to mark. Long and short of it is that the players are all familiar and comfortable with the system and technically good enough to play in a number of positions.

Ajax and later Holland are regarded as the masters of ‘total football’ and the phrase was born out of those two sides in the 1970s. It was raised during the Sky Sports commentary on the game by Brian Marwood last night. Wenger certainly aspires to his teams being regarded in the same light as fondly remembered sides such as the Real Madrid of the late 1950s, Cruyff’s Ajax and Sacchi’s Milan. Technically brilliant teams that could destroy the opposition with the quality of their football.

And here we were watching a second string Arsenal being talked of in such terms. Yes, the opposition was Sheffield United, from the Coca-Cola Championship (or whatever it’s called these days, but the second division to me). Yet, this side were in the Premiership last season and defeated a much stronger Arsenal less than a year ago. What has changed is that Bryan Robson has attempted to get the Blades playing more football on the floor rather than the charge and rush style of Neil Warnock. Allowing the Gunners more time and space on the ball was fatal. United’s only real chance was to try and rough up their opponents, but from memory there were no yellow cards in the game. That would never have happened under Warnock. Trying to take on Arsenal (even a second string selection) on footballing terms was always destined to be a huge ask.

The team’s performance was excellent. They did not even have to really battle to earn the right to play. But maybe William Gallas is right. Many teams do now fear Arsenal, such is their reputation. Liverpool, at home last weekend, chose to play on the counter attack, rather than take the game to the visitors. A big test awaits this weekend. I suspect Wenger will start the side that began at Anfield. I’d be tempted to go for a horses for courses approach and actually pick Gilberto based on last night’s display. However, there is every chance that United will be very physical early on and ride their luck with Howard Webb. So maybe Arsenal do need to start with their own enforcer.