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It was a five-way celebration for Arsenal on Friday as Arsene Wenger claimed his third Manager of the Month honour of the season and was presented with the LMA's Performance of the Week award, while three of his players picked up accolades. Wenger completed a treble of managerial gongs after leading Arsenal to five wins from five Barclaycard Premiership games, in which Dennis Bergkamp, Edu and Thierry Henry excelled. Bergkamp and Edu were named as the joint Barclaycard Players of the Month while Henry received the 20-goal landmark award for being the first player to reach that figure in the English top flight this season. The French striker also starred in The Gunners' incredible FA Cup quarter final display at Fratton Park last Sunday, scoring twice in the 5-1 victory that was selected as the Performance of the Week by a five-man LMA panel, including Sir Alex Ferguson. Last month, victories over Manchester City (2-1), Wolves (3-1), Southampton (2-0), Chelsea (2-1), and Charlton (2-1) helped Arsenal establish a nine-point lead at the top of the Barclaycard Premiership. It stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 27 games this season and 29 in total. If they avoid defeat at Blackburn this weekend Arsenal will equal their own record of 30 matches unbeaten, set in 2002. The decision to award the monthly awards to Wenger, Edu and Bergkamp was made by the Barclaycard Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football’s governing bodies, the media and fans. Nic Gault of the Barclaycard Awards Panel said: "Arsene Wenger has certainly turned up the heat on the other Barclaycard Premiership title-contenders with some excellent performances in February. They would appear to be the complete team at the moment, with pace, skill, vision and control. "The panel were equally split between Edu and Bergkamp so we felt it was entirely appropriate that we make a joint award in this instance. While Bergkamp has been a Highbury favourite for the last nine years, Edu is still a North London new boy but he has quickly adapted to the hustle and bustle of Barclaycard Premiership football and is one of their most influential players." Having made it through to the semi finals of the FA Cup and quarter finals of the Champions League this month, March has begun in a similarly successful fashion for the north Londoners, though they will have to get past Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, their main domestic rivals, in order to remain on course for an amazing treble.
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