If any further proof was required that Gunners are severely lacking in midfield creativity during the absence of Cesc Fabregas, then Sunday's FA Cup tie at Cardiff provided a perfect illustration of this worrying fact. Though Samir Nasri is capable of making the occasional impact during matches, the likes of Alex Song, Aaron Ramsay and the hapless Emmanuel Eboue contributed very little towards Arsenal's attempts to break Cardiff down. In the end, the home team managed to keep their visitors at bay with relative ease.

It was a rough day for Ramsay in particular. Selected by Wenger in the centre of midfield against his former club, his display was one to forget. From the outset his passing was poor and he squandered possession time and time again. He is still a young player and maybe he will develop but right now he looks a long way from being the finished article. He was substituted on the hour for Abou Diaby who, in turn, showed very little in the way of being an improvement. Over the ninety minutes Alex Song had his usual ineffective game and how Emmanuel Eboue has managed to secure so many starts for the club this season is a mystery that only Arsene Wenger can answer. The Ivorian's form has been nothing short of abysmal for months now.

Cardiff had started the game dangerously and had much the better of the first twenty minutes but once Arsenal settled they held plenty of possession despite struggling to open up the home team. Though Arsene Wenger praised the hosts for their tenacity, in truth, the Gunners had neither the guile nor the imagination to create enough openings to finish this tie at the first time of asking. Their best two chances fell to Samir Nasri in the first half and substitute Emmanuel Adebayor in the second. Both fluffed their lines and, having survived a late Cardiff free-kick hitting the bar, the Gunners will have to take the Bluebirds back to Ashburton Grove next Tuesday. It was a disappointing game from an Arsenal point of view and one that showed yet again that the inventive, flowing football that we were treated to last season is fast becoming something of a distant memory.

With the January transfer window coming towards its close, most of the Arsenal-related speculation has centred on Andrei Arshavin of Zenit St Petersburg, who could possibly be seen as an answer to the Gunners' creative deficiencies whilst Fabregas is recuperating. Whether that turns out to be the case remains to be seen but, as usual with Arsenal transfers, progress has been long, slow and painful - and still seems to be a long way from completion. The next few days will tell whether the deal is going to come off or not before the window slams shut but, as much as Arsenal do need some more artistry in midfield, one cannot help feeling frustrated that this is the only deal that is being talked about. The squad needs strengthening in several critical areas - most notably a midfield enforcer who can actually tackle and a centre-back tall enough to properly cope with any incoming aerial threat are both required.

This transfer window could prove the making or breaking of not only Arsenal's season, it also could put Arsene Wenger's tenure as manager in jeopardy. Many supporters are still exasperated by his lack of assertiveness in the transfer market during the summer when three big midfield players departed and only Samir Nasri came the other way. In the space of seven months, Arsenal have gone from being a team who finished only four points behind the eventual Champions, playing some scintillating football in the process, to one who are now fighting for their lives to stay in the top four and serving up performances that are more akin to a mid-table outfit. Injuries and the lack of form affecting certain players have also been contributory factors to this season's problems but that lack of strength and balance in the squad is likely to be seen as the core reason why the team has seemingly been going backwards since May last year - and only the manager can do something to address that particular matter.

Arsenal travel to Everton on Wednesday night for what could be a highly significant match. With Aston Villa beating Portmouth on Tuesday, the Gunners could find themselves somewhat cut adrift in fifth place if they fail to win. The Toffeemen have turned in two very determined displays against their local rivals Liverpool in the Premier League and the FA Cup over the past week and are going to be a tough nut to crack. Arsene Wenger's players will need to be at their best if they are to get anything from the game. Following this, West Ham come to visit Ashburton Grove on Saturday and, again, it would seem there is little margin for error then too.

Arsene Wenger has been something of a lone voice crying out in the wilderness in declaring his belief in some of the players in this current squad. Now would appear to be an appropriate time for those individuals, particularly those whose form has been well short of what is required, to start repaying the manager's faith before this season starts slipping away completely.