Arsenal’s best player is having a difficult season. Why?

If found, will you please return the real Cesc Fabregas to Arsenal - they miss him dearly

The joy has gone out of Cesc. Or, to borrow that sporting cliche, he has been a shadow of the player he was last year. Arsenal fans have told us he hasn’t looked himself this season, and based on what The Spoiler has seen of him on the telly box, we’d have to agree.

Even Arseblog, one the most respected, not to mention most pro-Gooner (naturally) sites on the web, acknowledges that Fabregas is having a tough time:

“Cesc is going through probably the worst run of form since he broke into the first team. He looks sluggish and lethargic and he looks like a player who isn’t enjoying his football at the moment. He looks worn out and I don’t think the players he has around him make it any easier for him to get himself out of this slump.”

Fabregas certainly misses Mathieu Flamini and, to a lesser extent, Gilberto, both willing water carriers. Denilson is talented but he’s a season or two away - at least - from being ready to anchor a top-four Premier League midfield.

It’s no suprise if Cesc is a bit fed up with the way Arsenal’s season is going. What with injuries and key men leaving the club in the summer, it’s been a case of one step forward, two back at the Emirates.

It’s also easy to forget how young Fabregas is - still just 21. That’s several years off his peak - Gooners and Spain fans alike would hope - and yet many fans expect him to be the finished article already.

One thing is certain - you can bet Barcelona are keeping very close tabs on his mental state/form right now. If the Catalan club gets the faintest whiff that Cesc is unhappy at Arsenal, they will surely pounce with a bumper contract.

What do you think is up with Fabregas?