Alexandre Song is a real Hardman now.

Many are still hoping for the return of a snarling and aggressive holding player in the Arsenal midfield, but they should be very proud they have one of the best players around in midfield. Alexandre Song-Billong after February has becoming one of the key components in the team, and when he was 'rested' in some matches last season, many openly questioned why he was rested when the team have so dearly needed him.

Alexandre Song-Billong has now shown he can hold his own for the team, and this comes after a very impressive outing in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations where he was elected into the team of the tournament, playing and aiding his team all the way to the final, and his presence was missed after he was injured in the final and Egypt took control of the midfield.

Now he has shown he has a true side of a winner, not taking any nonsense. There is a saying, 'a man who can sacrifice even his best friend is a man without weakness', and Alexandre Song-Billong is one who this applies to. Despite Emmanuel Adebayor crying when he left and some of the squad regretting his departure, his actions when he played Arsenal and his team won 4-2 has drawn a clear line between him and and Arsenal squad.

In the game, Alexandre Song-Billong never acknowledged his former team mate during the game and after it, and this exploded further during the last World Cup Qualification match in Yaounde, which Cameroon won 3-0, Alexandre Song-Billong imposed his stature on the Togo captain.

During the match, Alexandre Song-Billong picked the pocket of Adebayor at least 4 times cleanly to show he is a player of the top level, but this descended when Adebayor landed on Alexandre, and then proceeded to try unnerve Alexandre, kicking him twice, to which Alexandre retaliated by kicking him back. One thing the players of Cameroon are not guilty of are backing down, and his uncle Rigobert came to his aid to ratchet up the pressure on Adebayor.

Adebayor was then shaken up, and like a scared captain, demanded to be substituted, leaving his team rudderless whilst Alexandre went on to dominate the rest of the game. It must be said, that without Alexandre in the team following his 3 game ban, Cameroon had won 0, lost 1, drawn 2, since his return, they have won both games, and are now back in serious contention to qualify.

This has been taken further by Adebayor admitting in open, he doesn't speak to Alexandre anymore, and that he 'lost his cool' at they way he was being pick pocketed by the Arsenal enforcer, and head trainer Paul Le Guen has also stated that Alexandre is his second name on the list after captain Eto'o-Fils. His persistence in the Togo game outshone those of seasoned veteran Makoun. Arsenal fans should be proud of their young intelligent warrior in midfield.

It is a far cry from the days when Alexandre and Adebayor were close buddies, even appearing on a music video on French TV with Bacary Sagna last season.