The costs of the French manager's failure to strengthen his
squad this summer were there for all to see as Aston Villa
ensured the Gunners' season started in the worst possible way
By Oliver Platt  The opening day of the Premier League season is
a time for optimism and perhaps the Arsenal supporters at the
Emirates Stadium allowed themselves to put the club's failings
in the transfer market to one side before kick-off against Aston
Villa.  There was, after all, a starting XI on the field filled
with talent; Jack Wilshere was fit to start and immediately set
about linking up with England's other great young starlet, Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain.  Less than six minutes in, the cautious
optimism had been replaced by a real buzz. Olivier Giroud had
completed the swiftest of moves upfield to give Arsenal the lead
and the 'You can't buy class' banner in the stands suddenly
seemed a display of defiant confidence rather than hope.  Then
everything came crashing down on Arsene Wenger's team, and all
the flaws that the one