After a disappointing draw at Burnley, the Arsenal got themselves back to winning ways yesterday by comfortably seeing off Hull City courtesy of goals from Denilson, Eduardo and Diaby. With Chelsea and Manchester United again dropping points over the weekend, the Gunners have kept themselves in contention at the top of the table.

In freezing cold conditions at the Grove, yesterday’s first half was a scrappy forty-five minutes of football. Until Denilson stepped up to bend home a gorgeous free-kick on the stroke of the break, the most interesting thing that had happened was the minor scuffle that had ensued a few minutes earlier involving several players from both sides. It was nothing but handbags but it did spark a bit of life into what had been an otherwise flat half.

Arsenal looked a good deal more coherent in the second period though. With a goal lead, they passed the ball more convincingly and played like a unit. The match turned as the hour mark approached. Referee Bennett awarded Hull a quite ridiculous penalty which Manuel Almunia saved. Justice was very much done. Three minutes later a wonderful Arsenal passing move presented Eduardo with a tap-in from a couple of yards out and the game was over as a contest. The Gunners often get accused of trying to walk the ball into the net, but on this occasion they did just that.

Abou Diaby - who had one of his better games yesterday - finished the job in the 80th minute with an emphatic strike following another set of neat passes. Walcott might have added a fourth late on but his lob missed the target.

Overall, it was a pragmatic and efficient display rather than a spectacular and breathtaking one but it was good to see the team bounce back from the draw at Burnley so convincingly. Up at Turf Moor during the week, the Gunners could have - and maybe should have - sown up the game in the first twenty minutes. Aside from Fabregas’s goal, they had two or three really decent chances to kill the home team off. Arshavin was unlucky to hit the post and Cesc might have done better with the other major chance that came his way.

Unfortunately, Burnley weathered the storm and got a foothold in the match. They drew level when Thomas Vermaelen clumsily conceded a penalty and Graham Alexander converted the spot-kick. From that point, it was a pretty even game and a draw was probably the fair outcome as the home team wasted a few chances of their own towards the end.

The chief concern coming out the trip to Burnley was seeing Cesc Fabregas trudge off with a hamstring pull. Arsenal lost a tangible amount of momentum following his departure. Though the players still passed the ball around nicely enough, it felt like there was no one really driving the team on. We all know how vital Cesc is to the side and, apart from being the most creative player in the squad, he appears to have really grown into his role of captain too. In his absence though, it was frustrating that none of the other players seemed to have it within themselves to step up to the plate and fill in for the skipper.

Thankfully, his injury only appears to be minor and it is likely that he is in line for a swift return. Equally heartening though was the way the rest of the players reacted against Hull yesterday. In the second half in particular, there was a sense that a few of them did take responsibility for their performances and the victory was attained more through team effort rather than reliance on individual brilliance. Last season, Arsene Wenger talked about the team having "eleven leaders". This is great in theory but the reality is that the players rarely show a great deal of individual leadership. Yesterday though, there was a sense that, with Fabregas missing, the team pulled itself together to earn the result.

There are certainly several players in the squad that really do owe the manager and the fans a few performances and there could be no better time to start delivering those than whilst the squad is so stretched by injury - particularly with the busy Christmas period coming up.

Having negotiated tricky away trips to Liverpool and Burnley and beaten an awkward Hull team at home, three out of Arsenal’s next four games in the Premier League are at Ashburton Grove. This is a real opportunity to build a solid run of results going into the New Year. During this time they will also play their game in hand - at home to Bolton.

Looking a little ahead, the team faces a potentially pivotal period beginning on the 31st January when they have to face Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the space of eleven days. This three-match run could make or break the Gunners Premier League challenge but to be in a position where it could possibly be a "make" scenario, they have to focus on picking up as many points as possible at home over the next few weeks.

First up over Christmas will be the visit of Aston Villa to the Ashburton Grove. In the corresponding fixture last season, Martin O’Neill’s men ran out easy two-nil winners and could afford the luxury of missing a penalty too. The Villans are on a decent run of their own at the moment and this will be a tough match for the Gunners. A win though would keep the momentum moving in the right direction and be just about the perfect Christmas present for the Ashburton Grove crowd.

Have a happy and peaceful Yuletide.