By Tim Vickery

Edu and Gilberto are influential in Arsenal's midfield

Over a quarter of a century after Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa landed at White Hart Lane, it is surprising how little impact South Americans have made on English football.

A quick comparison with Germany is enough to make the point. Adapting to life on and off the field should surely be no easier in Germany than it is in England.

But strikers from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Peru regularly figure among the leading scorers in the German league.

South Americans have not had comparable success in the Premiership.

It is certainly the case that English football has not always attracted the top South American stars.

At times English clubs have made strange decisions - signing ordinary players or those whose gifts were not best suited to the style of play.

Or, in the case of Southampton's Ecuadorian striker Agustin Delgado, buying a player whose knee problems were common knowledge.

Wenger tapped into a part of Brazilian football that fits with his philosophy of football as a mixture of power, pace and precision - the defensive midfielder

At times the English clubs have maybe not done enough to make their new signings settle into strange surroundings.

Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel was astonished at the lack of back-up he received when his wife was taken ill soon after he joined Aston Villa.

Whatever the reason, the traditional formula that works so well elsewhere in Europe has yet to take the Premiership by storm - that of local players providing the graft and South Americans adding the extra flair. But Arsene Wenger has done something different.

The Arsenal coach has looked beyond the usual view of South Americans as fancy dan ball players.

Instead he found something else on the other side of the Atlantic that has helped his team stroll to the title.

Wenger tapped into a part of contemporary Brazilian football that fits perfectly with his philosophy of football as a mixture of power, pace and precision - the defensive midfielder.

Gilberto Silva and Edu are tall, strong players, imposing athletic figures brought up in Brazilian football's sophisticated culture of physical preparation.

Many of their more flamboyant compatriots would struggle, but Gilberto Silva and Edu are well capable of holding their own in congested Premiership midfields.

Both - particularly Gilberto Silva - are well schooled in the art of protecting the defence by filling space in front of the back four - where English teams often leave a gaping hole.

Edu, with his splendid left foot, is the better passer of the two, but both aim to deliver the ball quickly and safely to their creative team mates.

Arsenal move the ball down the field with devastating speed, with some of the early passes frequently coming from a Brazilian boot.

Gilberto Silva and Edu would be labelled in Brazil as piano carriers. Wenger was sharp enough to see that they, rather than more celebrated South American soloists, would supply important notes to the collective concerto.