Blackburn 2 Arsenal 3

I approached last night’s game fearing the worst, for this incredibly young and patched together Carling Cup side going to Ewood park always looked like their hardest test yet. Say what you like about this competition, but for Blackburn this was their only realistic chance of silverware, with Hughes opting for his first choice 11. The self-appointed underdogs were in actual fact slight favourites, the more discerning of football fans (myself and Martin included) would certainly have not been surprised to see a Blackburn victory, and so the first 45 minutes were a slightly surprising joy to behold.

Watching Arsene F.C. Mk.3’s B side completely out-pass, out-run, out-think, out-tackle and out-score a seasoned and consistent premiership side in the first half, was a magnificent testament to the deeply ingrained application of Wenger’s footballing philosophy. Short quick passes out of defence; prolonged periods of midfield possession punctuated by sharp one twos; penetrative full back play; a willingness to provide physical presence and flair in equal measure from central midfield; and clinical and precise finishing are just some of the qualities that define the aesthetic brand which sees Arsenal at the EPL’s summit. Precisely the same methods and precisely the same results were in evidence during that mesmerising first 45 at Ewood park. It was a case of same system; different personnel, as Arsenal’s youngsters emulated their (only slightly) older colleagues.

The second half was a reality check. Buoyed by a highly dubious Santa Cruz poke just before half-time, Blackburn came out fighting as the inevitable headed goal came, courtesy of a Bentley free-kick met with precision by Santa (which sparked numerous seasonal puns). Having been under the cosh for so long Denilson’s sending off could have finished us off, but it conversely placed extra pressure on the opposition, whose increasingly committed attacks allowed Song and Eduardo the space to craft the winner. I believe that no team is better than Arsenal at playing with ten men, in the premiership fixture at Ewood last season Gilberto’s sending off broke Blackburn’s game plan and gave us the room we needed to play our natural game (remember that Henry goal?!). Going as far back as the trip to Anfield in the 2001-2002 season, a combination of the style and spirit of Wenger’s Arsenal sides has meant that a sending off is never as catastrophic as it could be.

This performance was down to a number of individuals, here’s a myarsenalbloggers player-by-player:

Fabianski: Some shaky moments, could do nothing about the goals and made an excellent save from Dunn early on. Grew in stature as the game progressed.

Hoyte: One of the best games I have ever seen from our token Englishman, was an absolute colossus at the back, and looked good going forward. His double tackle/block against McCarthy in extra time exemplified his commitment. It was great to see a more senior member of the side lead by example.

Traore: Excellent. Pacy; skilfull; increasingly comfortable defensively, and a good crosser - one second half ball whipped in at pace was particularly mouth-watering.
Senderos: Made some excellent defensive headers and clearances but his positioning was still incredibly poor, could have easily been caught out on a number of occasions, and could have done better for the second. Though it was heartening to see him visibly supporting the injured Barazite towards the end.

Song: What can I say? Other than a misplaced clearance in the second half which could have proved costly, this was a near perfect centre half performance. Excellent in the air, quick; skilful and strong in the tackle, a much-maligned player came of age at Ewood park last night. What was particularly encouraging were the Toure-esque forays forward, which grew increasingly frequent with Denilson’s untimely departure, and bore great fruit with his excellent run and pass for the winner.

Randall: Some shaky moments but a solid debut. Integral part in the first goal, showing that English youngsters can play with craft and subtlety, also got me purring with a couple of Hleb like touches early on.

Diaby: Superb in the first half, less involved in the second as we put our defensive cap on. Mesmerising ball retention and physical strength were again the defining features of his performance, beat upwards of three Blackburn players on more than one occasion and took his goal with aplomb.

Diarra: MAN OF THE MATCH – This guy is incredible, he was everywhere last night: matches superb work rate and defensive ability with an instinctive attacking mindset. Please Arsene, do everything to keep him.

Denilson: His short passing game was integral to our early dominance, came deep for the ball and linked defence and attack with fluency and skill. Was less prominent in the second half, and was rightly sent off for a two-footer. His corner taking is woeful, even by Arsenal’s standards.

Bentder: An untameable threat, leading the line with aggression and selfless vision. Was extremely unlucky not to score on two occasions, but he is so much more than a goal scorer, as his cross for Diaby’s opener showed.

Eduardo: He is no Baptista, and he will come good in the premiership. Took his goals with the accuracy and sharpness we have already come to expect. Don’t listen to pundits who said he did little else, he was constantly chasing down their defenders and midfielders, and I wasn’t surprised when cramp got the better of him towards the end.

Subs

Barazite: Some nice touches and tackles but his miscontrol created the situation which resulted in Denlison’s red card. Hugely disappointing for him to get so badly injured.

Merida: Some very good touches, and some useful passes. Did not look out of place.

Gibbs: Looked tidy and competent in the 5 minutes he got.

David Forrest