Blackburn Rovers 1 Arsenal 2…ratings

Blackburn Rovers 1 Arsenal 2…ratings



This was a potential banana skin. I mean going to Ewood Park against big, bad Blackburn; managed by bulldog-lookalike Sam Allardyce; and led by ugly-duckling, bouncer-to-be Chris Samba (nice rhyming there!)


Well, the records show that we hadn’t won in the league there since 2002 and it had nothing to do with lack of effort or anything of the sort. The same fixture last season left a very vile taste in every Gooners’ mouth as we all watched Fabianski being shoved all over the place on the way to us losing 2-1.


Prior to Saturday’s fixture, Wenger had pleaded with the match officials to be on the lookout for ‘rugby-style’ tactics. He carefully didn’t mention the team guilty of such, but it was clear whom his alert was directed at.


Since taking over from Mark Hughes two seasons ago, Allardyce has gradually constructed a team very much in his own image. Tactics such as long balls; overphysicality; intimidation of opposing goalies;


long throws into opponents’ areas; crowding opponents’ goalmouth at setpieces, etc are very much his stock-in-trade. Just like he successfully did during his Bolton days, the heavy-jowled Allardyce has become something of an antagonist to everything beautiful and romantic about the game.


Saturday was to be another chance to smear Wenger and stop us playing.


But all good things, as they say, come to an end.


Our so-called fear (or weakness) against physical teams like Blackburn, Stoke and the like was trumpeted loud ahead of this tie – as if the more mention made of it, the more we were supposed to shiver and quake before opponents lacking in any form of skill.


Well, two well-taken strikes from Theo (again!) and the unpredictable Russian Arshavin put paid to all that. Intimidation, allied with Allardyce’s tepid tactics all went out of the window as an early shower gave way to a midday sunshine, helping us see off Blackburn and navigate this tricky tie in flying colours.


Below are the ratings for the game:


*Almunia (7/10) Stood up very well to all the push and shove manufactured by Samba and his gang. Banged his head against the post in the first half but recovered to deal with all the aerial bombardment that followed. Couldn’t do anything about their equalizer, but did well to organize his defence and withstand intimidation thereafter. There were reports of him throwing his shirt into the crowd of supporters after the game as a sort of parting gift. Don’t know where that came from!?


*Sagna(7/10) On top of his game once more. Kept a tight rein on the roving pair of Elhadj Diouf and Pedersen with his tireless marking. Supplied the crucial cross that led to the winning goal with a gutsy, overlapping burst from deep. Good game all round for the Frenchman who has started the season in uncompromising mood.


*Koscieny (6/10) Did well also. Picked up from where he left off against Liverpool. He is a battler and scrapper all rolled-into-one and can mix with all that is offer in the Premiership. At fault or their equalizer as he allowed himself to be beaten with pace by Diouf (of all people). But he stood up to all their antics and aerial balls in the second half and kept their attack quiet in the second half. So far, so very good for the new boy.


*Vermaelen (7/10) TV was just TV. Good tackling; great awareness around him; superb organizer; fine allround defence play. Lost Mame Diouf for their equalizer but did everything else asked of him or the rest of the game. He is a gem of defender indeed.


* Clichy (6/10) Stuck to Diouf (Elhadj that is) like a glue and though the wily Senegalese escaped a few times in the first half, it was a different story in the second. Not Gael’s best game, but not his worst either.


*Song (7/10) Reverted to his tradition DM role or the first time this season and how so natural he looks in it. Harried and disrupted the Blackburn attempts at attack and ran his socks off as he continually shadowed the hulking Samba everywhere. Looked quite unrecognizable in his dyed, cornfield hairstyle but long as he maintains his form, no one is complaining.


* Diaby (6/10) Quiet but effective game or the gangling Frenchman. Also helped to keep Samba quiet and I’m sure Wenger preferred him alongside Song due to the height advantage. He almost scored the opener early in the first half when his shot ricocheted off Gael Givet and Robinson.


*Fabregas (6/10) Another one with a quiet performance. The captain started his first game of the season and it showed in the first half. To be kind to him,he was very anonymous in the first period apart from heading a goalbound shot of the line.. Things changed though in the second and he upped his level, which unsurprisingly saw him involved in the winner. It was his deflected shot that fell to Arshavin which the Russian buried for what turned out to be winner. Cesc lasted 68 minutes before making way for Rosicky.


*Van Persie (6/10) For someone who lasted only about 30 minutes, he ought not to command such a rating. But his perfect pass to Walcott produced the opener in the 19th miunte and that assist was worth its weight indeed. It was also his first start of the season and it must be an indication of how much importance Wenger attached to this game that he rolled out both his World Cup stars for this one. Robin succumbed to a twisted ankle though, cutting short his appearance.


*Walcott (8/10) Well, well, well. Looks like the real Mr Walcott is standing up now. Theo looked quite on fire as he served up another tasty, all-guns-blazing performance right in front of the watching England boss, Fabio Capello. He cracked a sumptuous opener from a difficult angle after being played in by Van Persie and could have easily got a couple more in the second half. His running, passing, positional play and allround game clearly marks him out as one to watch this season. Whatever may have happened to him over the summer break, Theo is a very different person now. Man of the match for the second week running.


*Arshavin (7/10) The unpredictable Russian went up a level in this game as he seems to prefer a step-by-step introduction into the news season. Linked up well with Cesc and took on the Blackburn defence with relish. Scored the winner by blasting through a forest of arms and legs in the 59th minute after arriving at the end of Fabregas deflected shot.


Subs


*Chamakh (5/10) Came into the game in the 30th minute as a like-for-like replacement for the injured Van Persie. Held the line well and full of running as usual. His presence kept the Blackburn defence busy, which prevented them having any ideas about roving forward.


* Rosicky (5/10) Replaced Fabregas and linked up well with the frontmen. Not up to the standards of his two previous games this season though.


* Wilshere (5/10) Came on in the 80th minute as we were seeing off the game safely. Almost nicked a goal for himself at the death if not for some inspired goalkeeping by Robinson.