Of butter fingers and simmering boiling point

Just when I thought that the points might be safe against a resurgent Blackburn. Out came another howler by our German custodian.

From the outset, it seems that the home team’s game plan was to unsettle the young Gunners with a rough and musclar approach. Arsenal took the lead in the first half through a close range Van Persie strike. The ball fell invitingly to Van Persie’s path after Rovers’ Brad Friedel had earlier blocked Dudu and Fab4’s shots in a defensive mix-up.

Though leading 1-0, Arsenal were under pressure for long periods in the second half. The equalizer came when David Dunn fired a shot from distance, Lehmann grasped the ball. However, it slipped and bobbled in…

It was a simple shot that should have been a routine catch. What a way to gift a draw in such a bruising encounter. In the other big matches, Man Utd lost away to Thaksin’s Manchester City. Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1. The penalty that led to Chelsea’s equalizer sure looked soft.

I was glad to see the new found toughness among the young Gunners. It seems that when Savage and the rest were attempting footbrawl, Fabregas, Van Persie and Flamini were likely to be there to give them an equally good whack back. They played the enfant terrible roles superbly and I like it.