Senderos is Arsenal's answer to Federer.

Arsenal's young players are maturing at a rapid pace.

This is the positive theme in Arsenal's story of 2004/05.

Ewood Park is not an easy place to gain a result. Yet Flamini, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Van Persie, Reyes, and 17 year old Fabregas demonstrated a collective maturity beyond their young years in containing a hungry Blackburn team and achieving a one-nil victory.

This maturity has developed far quicker than expected through consistently having being thrown in at the deep end this season.

That a team who has featured so many inexperienced players are lying level with money-bags Man Utd is a big marker of Arsene Wenger's coaching ability.

In the past five games the team has stabilised. Five clean sheets on the bounce is to be respected after a run of matches where defensive weaknesses were badly costing Arsenal.

The tipping point for this resurgent stability is a player I first talked up 20 months ago.

His name is Phillipe Senderos.

Or as I like to refer to him: Arsenal's Federer.

This Swiss youngster captained his unfancied Swiss under 19 team to European championship victory, upsetting sides like Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal.

The European giants targeted Phillipe. They all wanted him. They all saw that Switzerland has produced another sport's sensation. They all wanted Swiss football's answer to Roger Federer.

So Arsene made a coup when he convinced Senderos that his footballing education would be best under his tutelage.

It is not only that Phillipe has a good physical presence that impresses. And it is not only that he defends with no-nonsense and is not easily knocked around- a'la the hapless Cygan- that heartens Gunner's fans.

A key indicator of Phillipe's potential is the determination in his eyes. This determination, this focus on the pitch, is reminiscent of the Arsenal legend Tony Adams.

Kolo sees it and it gives him confidence. Kolo got the shakes playing next to Cygan. His game has picked up eighty percent since he's had Phillipe as a partner.

And with the centre of the defence strong, the rest of the team has picked up. Jens Lehmann is visibly enjoying a fatherly role in encouraging and applauding his young centre-backs.

The introduction of Phillipe Senderos has therefore been a huge plus for the Gunners. And he shows Arsenal supporters that despite the relative disappointment of season 2004.05, at least their team look assured for a bright future.