Rising at the first hurdle.

Borussia Dortmund arrived at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night armed with more than just the lethal finishing prowess of Robert Lewandowski. They were well aware of the fact that Arsenal's previous two Champions League defeats at home have been to German clubs. Even though the dugout was bereft of Jürgen Klopp's menacing presence, Dortmund's pressing style was sufficiently enough to inflict a night of despair on Arsenal and birthday boy, Arsene Wenger.

Any defeat is not without a measure of learning though, and on a rain-lashed night in north London, two of Wenger's most influential summer signings were placed into retrospect. Arsenal were left a little fragile in a midfield devoid of Mathieu Flamini's unremitting industry and positional sense. Also missing was his ability to shield the defence, avert any potential threats and essentially shore up proceedings that might have prevented two rather soft Dortmund goals.

Arsenal's other failure was in the form of Mesut Özil. Largely subdued and denied any space to work his craft, Özil was reduced to a bit-part role in Dortmund's half. It's not as if to say Özil is solely responsible for Arsenal's creativity. But it does greatly reduce the propensity to create chances when Wenger's most potent weapon can't get anywhere near the trigger. In recent weeks, Özil has sparked the club to life, but on Tuesday night, the magic was sadly missing.

Arsenal now have it tough to get out of the Champions League's most challenging group, with precarious visits to Napoli and Dortmund still to be negotiated. Pessimists would argue that Arsenal failed their first major test of the season. But even at the cost of three points, this Arsenal team look organised, seem to have cutting-edge and know how to remain optimistic. Is this defeat the beginning of a slump? Or the springboard to a glorious season? Have your say.

Written in the stars.

Chelsea finished sixth in the recently concluded Premier League season. But how that statistic pales in comparison to their latest achievement is something that only Roman Abramovich can describe. That long-coveted piece of silverware which eluded him for eight seasons in a row – amid a despairing series of events – finally has pride of place in the trophy cabinet at Stamford Bridge.

Agreed, it might not have been a brand of football that Abramovich has advocated since he took over the club in 2003. In fact, it blatantly veers from 'beautiful' football; a notion that has ushered a revolving door of managers. But after having bank-rolled millions of his pounds over the years into building and rebuilding this Chelsea team, he has finally earned the most prized return on his investments.

Purists may argue that Bayern Munich were the better team on the night while Chelsea merely repelled projectiles and fed on scraps throughout the game. But to those still struggling with the concept of giving Chelsea credit, here's a simple truth: with four key players banned, they won the Champions League in Bayern's own arena. So, enough said about which was the 'better' team.

Ironically, the man so often guilty of falling to ground at the slightest prod was the one to rise the highest and plant a game-changing header into the back of the net. His remarkable aerial prowess was pressed into service even in defence. The architect of numerous cup wins and titles, Didier Drogba can finally stake his claim for greatness and stretch his palm out for that two-year contract.

Chelsea's season-ending flourish may not have existed even as a fragment when Andre Villas-Boas was shown the door after the successive losses at West Brom and Napoli. For many, it spelt the worst time in the club's history. But how Roberto Di Matteo has raised them from their lowest ebb and into the ambit of greatness should have the manager's job served to him on a gilded platter. Surely!

Not many would have placed their bets on the FA Cup winners. In fact, Chelsea were only two minutes away from yet another heartbreak when their new-found self belief finally rose to the occasion. So often awarded with bitter agony having lost out in two last-16 rounds, one quarter-final, three semis, and a final, at long last, glory was written in the stars. And no team deserved it more.

Changing the game.

It's exactly a week on from the moment Bolton's Fabrice Muamba collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest in the FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Shock and horror gripped the global footballing fraternity, leave alone the 28,000 gathered inside the stadium. While the miracle makers at London Chest Hospital have set Muamba on the long road to recovery, the FA has ascertained that Premier League footballers could be screened more regularly for heart defects. It's a decision that has been greeted with immediate agreement from coaches and administrators alike. And it's a change the game badly needed.

As Gary Cahill's deflected goal on the hour gave Chelsea a lead they did not deserve at the Etihad, Roberto Mancini turned to Carlos Tevez, back as a substitute in the City ranks. Until then, opinion remained divided on whether Mancini had made an astute decision or the other extreme. But as is the wont of the supremely talented, Tevez showed incredible composure and peerless vision in a heavily-populated penalty area to slip a sublime reverse pass into the path of Samir Nasri for City's winner. Game over. Three points earned, still firmly in the title race. And any doubts about Tevez's game-changing abilities were shot to pieces.

The frustration and anxiety that had been bubbling under Arsenal supporters not too long ago have been swiftly transformed into worthy praise. Seven wins in a row in the league - even amidst the unceremonious exit from the Champions League - have fast-tracked the Gunners into third place. It remains to be seen where they'll finish. But on the evidence of current form, there's every possibility Arsenal could leave Spurs and Chelsea trailing in their wake. What has Wenger done different since the 3-2 defeat against Swansea in January? Nothing, other than simply believe in his squad. And that's game-changing enough.

Who writes these scripts?

Not long after Manchester United put five goals each past Wigan and Fulham – without conceding any – they cave in 2-3 at home to lowly Blackburn. Aston Villa dump Chelsea 1-3 at Stamford Bridge shortly before their meek 0-2 surrender to Swansea at Villa Park. Manchester City, hailed as the invincibles only a few weeks ago, struggle to find the back of the net at West Brom or at Sunderland. Therein missing out on five points that they would have gleefully lapped up. Liverpool have been blowing hot and cold since September. Dropping points at home to Blackburn right after letting Wigan off the hook at the DW Stadium. At no point have they made a compelling case to finish in the top four, leave alone pitch themselves as title contenders. Distractions in the form of the Suarez sub-plot aren't doing their lofty ambitions any favours either.

For the most part, Arsenal's campaign seemed firmly on course before Fulham and Wolves upset the applecart. Chelsea couldn't buy a clean sheet at the moment even with the owner's millions. And six points out of a possible 16 don't represent credentials of a club aiming for the honours. Which leaves us with Tottenham, the only ones who seem to be ploughing through without any deviant iterations to the script. Here's a little spice to add into the melting pot now. The festive season is now a thing of the past. The transfer window is upon us again. And there will be a few clubs dipping into the coffers for a bargain. Speaking of which, there are a few players ripe for the picking. As for the title, it's a toss-up between the two giants of Manchester – the new claim to fame of the Europa League. That wasn't part of their script now, was it?

Such was the end.

Another season goes by. Battles were won and lost. Records were broken. New talents emerged. And some sterling performers bid farewell to the game. Paul Scholes – who was once lauded as the best midfielder in England and one of the best in the world – hung up his boots after a fulfilling season. It was only befitting that his last few minutes in a United shirt were played out in the company of the planet's finest footballers. Scholes couldn't match Messi, Xavi or Iniesta on that day. But it wasn't long ago when his thunderous strike from 35 yards sent United into the Champions League final at the expense of this very Barcelona team. Scholes leaves a significant void in United's midfield very few come close to filling. The only players that spring to mind are Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder and Tottenham's Luka Modric. If perfect timing, precision and placement served him well on the pitch, his exemplary model of professionalism earned him the highest respect off it. Paul Scholes will be missed, everywhere.

It took another masterly display from Xavi, the genius of David Villa and the small matter of Lionel Messi to deny United in yet another Champions League final. Barcelona spent 10 minutes dusting off their boots before inflicting a 3-1 defeat and even greater indignity than what United suffered in Rome two years ago. Almost everyone in a red shirt turned in a blink-and-you-miss performance, with the exception of Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic. But United took defeat – painful though it was – with resignation and in admiration of the exhibition they had witnessed from the Spanish champions. If Sir Alex Ferguson felt a measure of confidence enough to crowbar into the smooth workings of Barcelona's passing carousel, he was left with more questions this time. He didn't stop short of endorsing Barcelona's brilliance. But scantily veiled in his glowing tribute was an evident admission of his own team's shortcomings. Reinforcements though will be top of the agenda and knowing the Scotsman, the resurgence may have already begun.

The end of the football season isn't about entirely being forlorn or crestfallen. With the prospect of the transfer window looming, the rumour mill will slip into overtime, in no time. Manchester City will be linked with every man and his dog. Almost every goalkeeper on the planet will be masqueraded as a potential successor to Edwin Van Der Saar. And the revolving door of managers at Stamford Bridge may see yet another big name being wheeled in. But it's hard to imagine there's anyone with greater pedigree than the man who has just been jettisoned. Abramovich may yet manage to prise Guus Hiddink away from the comforts of Turkey and pitchforked into the mess at Chelsea. But it may take more than one generous waft of his chequebook to remedy the situation. Likewise at Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger faces a struggle to hold on to Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Nip and tuck will have to make way for wholesale changes if Arsenal harbour any hopes of filling that near-bare cupboard of silverware.

It's not all doom and gloom though. Adulation is in order as Swansea City, Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City make the step up to the Premier League. The Championship is one of the hardest leagues to compete in at the moment as Leeds, Middlesbrough and others would testify. While the Swans have received a £90 million cash boost, QPR are bankrolled by millionaires, which leaves Norwich City to eke out a living on a shoestring budget. Nevertheless, the League will be a better place with the new additions. It's no longer a foregone conclusion that newly-promoted clubs are the ones to go down though. Times have changed. So have strategies, attitudes and budgets. There will be few managers counting their pennies carefully when the market opens for business on July 1st. Expect a flurry of activity with clubs especially casting their nets into the dressing room at West Ham for a quality catch. Right then, until the window opens, it's back to feeding on scraps. Thankfully, FIFA has been kind enough.

Another bitter pill to swallow.

Arsenal may mathematically still be in contention for the Premier League title. But the prospect of a sixth season without any silverware looms large. The cupboard remains bare. The clamour from the supporters is reaching a crescendo.

Arsene Wenger's philosophy has been called into question once again. But the script was written at the start of the season. Thomas Vermaelen was ruled out of the campaign, but a world-class centreback wasn't forthcoming. Even though goals seemed to dry up, a world-class striker was nowhere on the agenda. Mooting for a goalkeeper with proven pedigree still echoes around the Emirates. Nothing much has changed since 2005. It's not to say Wenger's policy is a failure. But there are flaws. And those flaws have come at a price. Sadly, the only person on the planet to disregard the evidence is Wenger himself. It would be a shame to see him leave. And he shouldn't. But then, this must be the time he owns up his fallibility and rings in the changes that are to create the blueprint for Arsenal's quest for silverware, going into the new season.

Arsenal's woes that have surfaced lately haven't been any different from six seasons ago. When Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry walked out the door followed in tow by Gilberto Silva, Arsenal lost the soul of a team that strolled through a Premier League season unbeaten. Dennis Bergkamp's retirement signalled the loss of another leader. The reinforcements – if any – didn't measure up to the credentials of the departed, and the signs were ominous. It was almost as if Wenger tried to fit a Ford engine into a Rolls Royce. Sooner than later, the frailties would be brutally exposed. The litany of failures that followed only confirmed that fear.

Arsenal caved in at Bolton on Easter Sunday with more to suggest that the team was running on empty. Fleeting passages of brilliance for long periods but displaying the threat of a shark in a sand-pit has been the drift for the last few games. Wenger must now cast a cursory glance in the direction of the Board Room after yet another season laid bare the case for fresh investment in the squad. And while inquests are to be encouraged, it's hard to imagine Wenger will move away from his principles even in the face of regressing credibility. He holds his head up high with only glowing reviews for his underperforming team. But the smoke is there for all to see.

Totally against the run of play.

Just as the Premier League wallowed into another month of surprises, everyone's predictions were swiftly buried in the snow. Manchester City's ability to turn logic on its head acquired legendary status with another opportunity frittered away. Everton's fourth successive victory away at Eastlands ensured Roberto Mancini's chin kept wobbling more furiously than a turkey's on Christmas Eve. If City can take one positive from last evening, it was Carlos Tevez's sudden reversal of his transfer request decision. However, it's anyone's guess if he'll stay at Eastlands beyond the summer.

Manchester United now seem in pole position to cement their spot at no. 1 with two games in hand and a squad injected with a new sense of belief. It remains to be seen if Chelsea on the other hand have turned over the tide and can get back to winning ways. There is little evidence to suggest Arsenal can still mount a serious challenge. They give a good account of themselves every time they step out on the pitch. Sadly, it doesn't always last the duration of 90 minutes. And the results are always against the run of play. Just like the Premier League falling foul of the adverse weather.