Arsenal 1 Blackburn Rovers 0: Bergkamp's cool wins 3 points

Vieira competes with Yorke

The alleged referee whom Pat very correctly adjudged to have no personality and the very same prat who let Bolton kick shit out of us last season. It wasn’t him though. The prat D’Urso arrived on the pitch later and failed to give us two penalties, booked Gilberto for a perfect tackle and generally showed all the brain-power of a fossilised turd. The assistant refs G Beale and K Pike were even worse, throw-ins the wrong way and offsides missed, then offsides flagged when they clearly weren’t. It’s fools such as these that make the Premiership such a lottery.

Blackburn had a great chance in the first 30 seconds when Sol misjudged a cross which York, who was in space, put just past the post, although Jens possibly had it covered. Blackburn put it about from the off, Freddie was taken out twice and when Gresko hit him the yellow card could easily have been red. Obstruction by Blackburn off the ball to stop runs before they started were also rife. Graham Souness, their manager, was always pure filth so it’s never surprised me to see how his players follow suit. Blackburn looked set to defend for the entire afternoon although they were not as negative as Fulham the other week, however we made the breakthrough with only eleven minutes on the clock.

There was a nine-pass move, maybe more, in midfield. The ball was down our left but worked via Rob and Freddie to Kolo in space on our right. Toure set off and despite having his shirt held for almost the entire run worked his way to the goal line and then into the box. He did well to spot Dennis and even better to pick him out with an exact left-footed pass at speed. Dennis the Iceman was at the near post and picked his spot two inches inside the post. He drilled it home perfectly. 1-0 to Arsenal, a fine move, great run and a clean precise finish.

Andy Todd was obstructing Henry. Pires was shoved over whilst taking a throw but the dimwit in the middle was oblivious. A Henry run was followed by a blocked shot from Dennis. Freddie found Pires who had a free header but couldn’t get the necessary power on it. Ferguson had a shot from range, well sort of. A great catch by Lehmann who did well with everything in the air today and was off his line fast whenever it was required. You sense that our defence now has total confidence in our German keeper, who today was clad in a rather garish orange top. Dennis and Freddie combined to steal the ball and put Henry away who in turn set up Pat with a great chance but his shot was woeful, wild and wide.

The players celebrate Bergkamp's goal

Friedel cut out a long ball from Thierry to Dennis. Henry was through but flagged offside, the West Stand were not convinced. Henry had a weak shot from afar. Pires blatantly obstructed, but not given. I missed the Blackburn chant but the Clock End responded with ‘Where were you on Wednesday night’. Campbell too good for York. Gilberto won a great tackle against Tugay who would have everyone believe he was about to be stretchered off if he hadn’t seen our Brazilian get a ridiculous yellow card even by D’Urso’s incredibly inept standards. The miracle recovery had us totally amazed, who’d have thought it? An Arsenal break through Freddie set up Pires with a chance that came back from what looked like the inside of their post, very unlucky. Pires played very well today and also managed to upset Souness, which was a great bonus.

Henry then had a good handball appeal ignored following a spin turn. Thierry was seriously upset with the Muppet in charge. Two offsides were missed against Blackburn by the assistant in front of the West Stand, so the crowd vent their feelings. Arsenal had been pulled up for both a moving ball at a free kick and one taken in the wrong place. Rovers did both in one play and got away with it. Dennis, Thierry and Freddie combined well. Great turn by Freddie. Pat Pires, Cole and Henry combined well. Then the useless lino missed an offside that was at least two yards off. Tugay screwed up big time and Henry found himself one-on-one with Friedel, but Brad’s leg got in the way. We could easily have been three up. Babbel at last got a yellow card for yet another blatant obstruction on Pires. Gallagher a yard offside but not spotted. Truly awful officiating. A henry run won another corner as Souness mouthed off at Pires. ‘Are you Fergie in disguise’ from the West lower. Halftime and our one way traffic was worth a bigger lead.

Reid replaced Gresko for the second half. Henry won the ball but Emerton won the free kick. I reckon D’Urso just wanted to see an entire Arsenal crowd with veins bulging out of their necks in frustration at the useless ****. Dennis put Freddie through who shot straight at Friedel, another good chance gone begging and we could’ve been four up by now. Jens saved well at his near post as Blackburn drums beat out a tedious rhythm that the Gooners turned into a Thierry Henry chant. Amazingly the crap lino in front of the West Stand picked up all our offsides this half plus a couple that were not. Dennis was having his shirt heaved off his back, which naturally went unnoticed. ‘Red Army’ ‘Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal’ Kolo with a brilliant tackle on Gallagher. ‘Kolo Toure der, der, der dut’. Lehmann fouled from a Rovers corner but Blackburn had started to play now. Dennis upended on a break – nothing given. Dennis wide left couldn’t hit Henry wide right and in space, shame.

Gallagher replaced by Andy Cole. Freddie to Pires on a well-timed run. Pires tripped – nothing given. A free kick against Gilberto and Blackburn netted but Babbel, I think it was, at the far post was climbing all over Toure to make the header. The only miracle was that D’Urso called the free kick correctly. A throw in which Kolo let run out was given the wrong way by whichever fool had the yellow flag. Pires and Henry combined well with Cole running into their box. Pascal upended someone for what I think was his first foul and got a yellow card. Ferguson had a shot that saw Jens make a great low save, more importantly he was also able to pull the ball into his body rather than parry it away.

Gilberto & Emerton battle in midfield

Henry worked down the left, skinned players in the box and was then shoved with two hands. Penalty! cried everyone at that end of the ground. The Muppet decreed otherwise and warded us a corner. Dennis won a free kick on our right from which Henry got a header on target but Friedel was well positioned. Henry then had a great little solo but managed to send himself as well as everyone else the wrong way during the course of it. A clever header away by Ashley to concede a corner at the other end. Both Pires and Gilberto headed clear before Dennis was replaced by Ray. Vieira played a poor ball to Henry who would have gone clear. Pat looked almost fully fit today but his passing was not quite back to his own high standards. He made up for it with a fine break down the middle shortly after from a Pires pass. Todd tripped Pires who was almost through, Sol Campbell has seen red for far less but Todd was only booked.

Another throw-in was given the wrong way. A great Cole saving tackle. Jens out quick to save. A fine Henry run and great pass to Pires who was just offside. Babbel was replaced by some geezer called Dino Baggio. ‘Who?’ Blackburn missed from a rebound at close range. Ljungberg was replaced by Edu. Arsenal won a quick free kick from which Henry was absolutely in line with me, the **** with the yellow flag gave him offside. Absolutely no way was he offside. Henry and Edu combined sweetly and Edu played it back to give Henry the perfect set up which the World’s greatest player shot straight at Friedel. Two fouls on Henry in the box won us another corner. Pires produced a brilliant spin turn and a cross which Edu was inches away from heading home. Another tasty Henry solo found Rob who won yet another corner, where we played out the time remaining.

A deserved win and back on top of the Premiership again tonight. Sadly today’s other results meant that Tottenham edged closer to the Nationwide.