Wenger on brink of completing remarkable transformation

A post-Christmas turnaround in form looks to have salvaged Champions League qualification from the wreckage of a season that tested patience and threatened embarrassment

The grim acceptance that engulfed the Emirates when Michu’s quick-fire double consigned Arsenal to a toothless loss against Swansea at the start of December spoke volumes about fans’ current expectations.

That loss - which further extended Arsene Wenger’s worst start to a domestic campaign - left Arsenal floundering in mid-table as things lurched from bad to worse, with the Gunners’ season threatening to be defined by embarrassing cup exits at the hands of Bradford and Blackburn.

So, how has Wenger done it? No, not downgrading expectations, but coaxing a revival out of a seemingly down-and-out squad. Learning from previous mistakes and installing a meritocracy that rewards performance seems to have played a big part