Arsenal have not had a really physical presence in the middle of the park since Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva left the club. Arsene Wenger, understanding the need for a ball-winning powerful midfielder, admitted he would be on the lookout for a physical player in the transfer window, with Victor Wanyama and Mohamed Diame topping the list.
Both these players will bring that bite in the midfield, needed to stop the teams flowing forward as well as to give defenders that extra protection.
Arsenal are not a great defensive team, there is little doubt about that. A lot of times, defenders make individual errors, which invariably lead to goals.
Bacary Sagna, a shadow of the player he was in the previous seasons, was at fault for Chelsea's opening goal, caught in an advanced position when Arsenal did not really have possession of the ball.
Thomas Vermaelen, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Kosicelny and Kieran Gibbs have leaked in goals through individual mistakes at one point or another this season.
However, some of the time it has also been a case of a lack of protection. Physical play will always be a part of the game, and Arsene Wenger, swayed by the Barcelona way, seems to have forgotten that Arsenal's success was as much built on power and pace as it was on technical ability.
Mikel Arteta, who has been given the defensive midfield mantle, has done an admirable job; but the Spaniard will be even more effective were he to play alongside a more powerful and defensive-minded player, with Jack Wilshere pushed into a more advanced role, like he has been in the last couple of games.
Celtic's Wanyama or Diame of West Ham fits that bill perfectly. The Celtic midfielder was the subject of a bid from Arsenal in the summer, which was rejected. However, for some reason Wenger failed to pursue the target, when a bigger bid would have seen the Kenyan international wearing the red and white of Arsenal.
Diame was available on a free transfer from Wigan in the summer, and his wages would not have been too high either. As he has proven with West Ham this season, Diame has the ability to drive teams on, something that Arsenal have lacked, apart from a certain Jack Wilshere - but one player cannot do it all.
Understanding his error in not sufficiently finding cover for Alex Song, who departed for Barcelona -- although Song is far from a defensive midfielder - Wenger is keen to not make the same mistake twice.
Wanyama, though, will be cup-tied for the Champions League, meaning Diame, who is available for a mere £3.5 million ($5.5 million), looks the better option.
On top of that the Celtic midfielder will cost Arsenal between £10-15 million ($16-24 million), although Wanyama is better defensively than Diame.
There is also the wildcard in Yann M'Vila; but the Rennes midfielder has been woefully out of form this season, and coupled with his off-field issues, that deal looks unlikely.
Etienne Capoue is another player that Wenger is looking at, and a £10 million ($16 million) bid should suffice.
Whoever it is, Arsenal need a screening midfielder; and the sooner he arrives the better for the Gunners.
