It wasn't my intention not to blog yesterday. But a small series of events conspired against me. Arriving at football on Thursday night, I discovered that a meet up I was having with Steve the QPR season ticket holder, his daughter Kiara, my sister Helen and my mum was not taking place at Steve's, it was taking place at mum's. This is significant only because it is easier for me to get home from Steve's than it is mum's. So I decided to stay the night at mum's, but she doesn't have internet access. And as my younger sister Helen was came back with me before we went to see the new Massive Attack show last night, there was no opportunity to blog. Which was a shame, looking at the back pages of the tabloids in Tesco's. 

Incidentally, it's ironic that I was talking about the first birthday of this blog earlier in the week, a blog that began life as I took a week off work with a badly sprained ankle and what do you know, I woke up yesterday morning barely able to walk, because my ankle has swollen up again. For no apparent reason. I can take solace in the fact that I had a blinder on Thursday, setting up one goal, as well as numerous other chances before blasting in my first goal for months, but it wasn't ideal preparation for a gig. Good thing Massive Attack is generally "music for the head". If I can indulge myself a little bit longer, they were supported (and joined) by the excellent Martina Topley Bird- who reclaimed, as part of her support act, the song Black Steel, previously recorded with Tricky. She performed it with a human beatboxer providing the, um, beats, and a guitarist. A truly memorable moment, and much as I love Tricky, that song doesn't belong to him anymore.

Anyway, football, football. I mentioned the back pages of the tabloids yesterday and I did look at the back of The Sun to see a headline featuring Adebayor and the words "Why I did it". Well, I'm sure you can guess that I didn't feel the need to dwell on that one. We all know why he did what he did. Yes, it's because he's a big lanky basterd (sorry JC). On the other hand, we had Cesc Fabregas in the Mirror fearing the big lanky basterd had broken his leg with that ridiculous tackle. As the young Spaniard observed, all he had ever done was try to create goals for Ade, so quite what he did to deserve such a tackle, God only knows. There's no gratitude in football anymore.

It's interesting though, isn't it? Whatever Ade did in 2008, it seemed he was never going to win over those who preferred the more elegant football of Robin van Persie, the victim of that stamp last weekend- though Robin may have asked for it with that tackle. And in that infamous Football Focus interview, of course, Adebayor bemoaned the fact that Cesc had been flirting with Barcelona without being subjected to the ire of the crowd. Clearly Alex Ferguson is not the only person in Manchester trying to knock people off their "perch" and Mr Adebayor has some jealousy issues he may need help with. The fool. When you have Emmanuel Eboue bemoaning your on field behaviour, maybe it's clear you've gone too far.

Anyway, Dara O Briain has a nice take on it all, as we try and move on.

And speaking of Emmanuel Eboue, of course he was subjected to a barrage of abuse in the Arsenal Wigan fixture last season. A barrage, I have to say, the like of which was ten times worse than anything Adebayor ever got, as the bleak midwinter tensions reached boiling point- boiling point in midwinter? You know what I mean. Anyway, Arsène reckons Eboue has learnt from the experience and changed accordingly. Um, I don't know about that. He certainly has improved his effort and attitude, which is good, but he is still prone to the odd theatric, as we all saw at Old Trafford. And I still don't think he's quite up to it and I wonder, at the age of 26, if he's ever going to be up to it. But the manager likes him and that's the important thing.

Robin van Persie returns to the squad today, but that's it on the return front. Calamity Manuel is back in training, but not ready to play, so Don Vito continues and it seems Andrey Arshavin will be ready for next week's match. One confirmed starter in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night is Philippe Senderos and I guess, with no game time so far this season, he will be partnered by Mikael Silvestre. So that should be fun. I'm quite keen to see what happens with Senderos this season, thought to be gone forever just over six weeks ago, Johan Djourou's potentially season ending injury has opened a window to Senderos he would never have thought possible. I'm rooting for him on Tuesday night because we all know that Silvestre at the back for any length of time is going to be a disaster, so Senderos needs to get going again.

Right, lunch at my aunt's beckons. Enjoy the game if you're going. If you're not and don't have access to DodgySat, internet streams and suchlike, you'll be like me and waiting for our three minutes of fame this evening. Three minutes that will hopefully have seen us close the gap on the top four, all playing each other tomorrow.

Come on you reds!

You know, as frustrating as it is to be without club football for a couple of weeks, it does mean that you get a chance to experience a weekend as a normal human being does. So this weekend, without coming over all Myles Palmer on you, I went drinking with Kev the Everton fan and Gabs the part time Gooner on Friday night. We had great fun carousing our way down Upper St, finishing our night at the McDonalds of curry houses, the Masala Zone- soft poppadums? Saturday was spent in quiet mode until Jo and I went to see Inglourious Basterds, which was- in my opinion- a top notch slice of cinema. Two and a half hours flew by, which is some acheivement when the majority of the film is in French and German. It strikes me that Inglourious Basterds might be a good moniker for the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, John "English players don't dive" Terry, et all.

Today I have a very sore shoulder, but that is a result of 4 hours playing cricket in the park yesterday. My spin bowling took four wickets, but I managed to get out 7 times in 7 overs. As I said to a work colleague joking about recreating the Ashes earlier, I was the Headingley Test version of England. But much, much worse.

I'm sure by now you will have seen the wonderful goals scored for their countries by Nick Bendtner, Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie. You will also have heard that Johan Djourou is expected to be out for 6 months- for 6 months, I guess you might as well say the season- so he definitely will not be featuring in the Carling Cup this season. With Alex Song now first choice in the midfield screening role, we are a little bit light at the back now. Of course, Ramsey and Diaby can slot into the midfield, with Denilson dropping back, but if Song goes to the ACN, then any injury to Gallas... well, we've talked about the alternatives at length. It might sound odd, but I don't think Senderos will be that much of a problem given a run in the side, it's the odd game here and there where he's not fully tuned in, or up, that is the issue.

Anyway, it seems safe to say in the face of shrinking options, that we will be- headline news alert!- drinking from the cup of youth once more when the competition begins in a couple of weeks time. 

Is anyone surprised that Cesc made a substitute appearance for la selección at the weekend? No, me neither. I wouldn't be surprised if he got him back and he was unable to walk for the rest of the season. One of his best mates, Tomas Rosicky must really be in dire straits- no, not the band- as he didn't appear for the Czech side at the weekend, despite his statements last week about how important it is to play for your country. I must confess I was a bit annoyed by that, I mean, I understand every player wants to represent his country, except the peazzo Manuel Almunia that is, but surely the priority should be on making sure you're available for the club that has paid your wages for the last 18 months and seen very little in return for that outlay. Or is that just me who, admittedly, couldn't give two flying ones about the national team?

A week later, having had the time to think about it, I wonder if Arsenal will ever be able to taken seriously when we go to Old Trafford playing a 4-3-3 with Emmanuel Eboue as part of the front three? Not to scapegoat him, I don't blame him for the defeat there- how could I?- but leaving Eduardo and Nick Bendtner on the bench, whilst deploying someone who is demonstrably not a forward seems to me like it was the first in a long line of decisions we took that resulted in us shooting our feet off.

Anyway...

I spent a bit of time yesterday afternoon talking about the new single from one of my favourite bands. It seems appropriate today as Eduardo and Arsenal Football Club endure a "massive attack" following the dubious penalty awarded to us yesterday evening. A penalty so dubious that even Arsène had to admit it was "not a penalty"

It was a historic moment, wasn't it? The first in a soon to be lengthy list of penalty box misdemeanours created by strikers the world over. Never let it be said that Arsenal are nothing if not innovative. From the creation of the "WM" formation; the floodlights, the renaming of a tube station, the numbers on players' backs, the idea that players might need proper diets, full backs as wingers, central midfielders as wingers, wingers as centre forwards, Arsenal have given the football world so much. Last night, our number nine added the word "diving" to the football lexicon and so shocked ITV commentators that they couldn't stop talking about it throughout the match. Well, apart from those occasions when Clive Tyldesley felt the need to keep reminding the Arsenal fans watching about Ronaldo's free kick and Manchester United's subsequent win at the Grove last season, that is. Did he mention the similarly soft circumstances that free kick had been awarded in? Of course not.

Whilst on the subject of ITV, if anyone can explain the presence of Kenny Dalglish in the studio last night? Celtic (and Liverpool) legend he may be, but last night his every utterance just screamed "Drunk man at the pub". Perhaps that's a touch harsh, I don't know, he certainly wasn't on Tony Adams' level from a couple of years back. But it winds me up that from Sky to ITV, us Arsenal fans seem doomed to be treated as the enemy. A perfect example is the way the commentators last night repeatedly suggested the penalty award turned the game somehow. At that point in the match, Celtic had added precisely zero shots to their total shots on target from the first leg, this left their total at the decidedly unlikely to win a 2 legged tie total of 1. One shot in two hours of football. And a total they didn't add to until injury time and that spectacular consolation goal. 

So, it wasn't a game turning moment. And for that, I guess Celtic can feel fortunate. When I say game turning, it wasn't like when Mike Riley decided to give Manchester United a chance on goal they'd never have created for themselves in 2004. It wasn't like when Arsenal dragged themselves to the brink of the Champions League semi final two seasons ago, only for the referee to buy Ryan Babel's dive with only two minutes left. Where was the UEFA investigation then? I wish Eduardo hadn't done what he did, this single act will remain in the average football fan's mind longer than the tackle he suffered last February, it will have eroded much goodwill felt towards him. But then again, we're Arsenal, we're used to people hating us and so should we care what anyone else thinks?

It was ironic that as Eduardo (who had as many shots on target as the entire Celtic team across two legs) was recasting himself as the pantomime villain, Emmanuel Eboue was busy having one of the best games of his Arsenal career, topping it off with the goal of the game, following good work from Diaby and Bendtner. A comment from Jim Beglin about how Eboue seemed freed up in the new system put me in mind of the 94 World Cup, Nigeria and a Lenny Henry joke:

"Brilliant athletes- they didn't give a fuck about the ball".

With Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy as brilliant as ever, Denilson showing what a good player he can be and Gallas and Vermaelen showing they could stand up to a hurricane- a good thing, with the Manchester double header imminent- it was a night of many positives. But the most positive, for me anyway, was the introduction of Arshavin and Wilshere with twenty minutes to go. Okay, it was Arshavin who opened his account for the season with that smartly taken goal, but in the visible speed of thought and movement, these two lads- separated by 11 years- showed how destructive a pairing they could prove to be. No, Arsenal might not have Cesc Fabregas on Saturday evening, but we might not need him.

And it is that thought I'd like to leave you with today.

Sky Sports are reporting that Kolo Touré has agreed terms with Manchester City, I doubt that took very long. Whatever your take on this, and I think mine has been made abundantly clear over the last few days, weeks and months, it's going to be mighty odd to see Kolo plying his trade for another Premier League team. Mighty odd, indeed.

But I think we'll get over it. It's funny to look at the posting on the Arsenal-Mania forum and see the panic setting in over everyone. Do these people not stop to think that the manager is not just going to hand over two players that weaken his own side, whilst strengthening a rivals? He has made huge amounts of money on Adebarndoor and Touré and will surely be able to invest some of it in recruiting reinforcements. I have noticed a consensus forming over a couple of Arsenal blogs that the manager may choose not to invest, but I think that would be uncharacteristically reckless on the manager's part.

I'm just repeating myself at this stage, but I think a factor in Kolo's departure is undoubtedly the transfer request he put in in January. Keeping a player initially and then shipping them out at his earliest convenience is becoming a Wenger speciality- see Vieira, Adebayor. But also, Wenger will have looked at stats like the ones Sky Sports published last night. I can't remember them off the top of my head, but it was something close to this:

Headers won: 44%

Tackle success: 78%

You'd think the tackle success was pretty good, but he's way down the list of defenders on that one. Twenty seventh or something. I don't need to say anything about the first stat. I hope.

Anyway, whilst Kolo's departure is all but a done deal, it seems as though Emmanuel Eboue's departure may be a small matter of agreeing a fee with Fiorentina. As was noted elsewhere yesterday, the days when a buying club agreed a fee with the selling club before talking terms with their intended seem a long time ago, another lifetime. I've touched on Eboue's departure and the effect it will have on our squad depth before. Football365 makes a similar point here, though- again at the risk of repeating myself- the main problem with Eboue going, as I see it, is cover at right back. To suggest he is more suited to playing the right wing than Andrey Arshavin is bizarre, whilst saying he is back up to Theo Walcott ignores the fact that Theo is himself back up to the fit again Tomas Rosicky.

In short- yes, his departure creates a gap at right back. But not on the wing.

With all this upheaval, you might think those associated with the club are throwing in the towel, as sections of the "support" seem to be. Not so, Thierry Henry has called on the Gooner nation to trust the boss and Ray Parlour has lent his support to Arsène. Ok, he's not neccessarily talking titles, though he does say,

"If Kolo Toure does go, if they can get three more players - another forward, another centre-half and a real good central midfielder - then I think they'll have a great chance."

But he he is confident that Arsenal will finish above City. And rightly so. I say this now and I mean it, City do not have anyone up front, that I would swap Eduardo, RvP and Bendtner for. I would not swap Rosicky for SWP, nor Arshavin for Robinho. Cesc for Stephen Ireland? No. And so on... It must be galling for some of you to look at City and the money they are spending. But really, who have they spent that money on?

Think on it.

Much to catch up on this Monday afternoon, then. The lack of posting over the weekend a result of a monumental reminder to music lovers that yes, we really have missed Blur and of the power of Roger Federer. I wanted Roddick to win, thought he could win and he should have won (and is probably having nightmares about the second set tie break). But full credit to Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player in Major history.

Whilst on my way to Hyde Park, via Wagamamas on Friday afternoon, I had my first sighting of the new away kit "wild". And, I have to say, I thought it looked quite good, to be fair. Still don't think blue is an Arsenal colour, at least not a "primary" one, but it's not as bad as I thought.

I see Keiran Gibbs is the latest youth to be tied up long term. Which is good news. It'll be interesting to see how Gael Clichy, who has been unchallenged in his status as left back numero uno since the move to the new stadium, responds to having this young, talented if raw, youngster breathing down his neck in the years to come. Importantly for us, if we could somehow hang on to both of them, it means that Clichy can be rested as and when with an imperceptible drop in quality.

The transfer front is fairly quiet. Opening the Observer yesterday, you can imagine how thrilled I was to read the headline "Adebayor ends Milan links..." That said, even a paper like the Observer can be prone to extrapolating excessively. They report his agent as saying "No. No. It is the same situation as last week" Parallel to Arsène's noncomittal attitude towards his number 25, "No. It is the same situation as last week", this comment hardly seems like the sort of thing any Arsenal fan who wants him to stay (and despite my thoughts on the matter, it seems there are a few of you who still do) would want to hear. 

Au contraire, the news that Arsenal target Felipe Melo would be allowed to leave Fiorentina, if we gave them some cash and Emmanuel Eboue, came as music to my ears. I'm not sure if this is the latest postion though, or whether Melo is intent on honouring his contract extension, on which the ink is probably still drying. Perhaps Eboue doesn't see Fiorentina as appropriate for a player of Eboue's talents, or perhaps Arsène is unwilling to let the Ivorian leave. And, to be honest, I can kind of understand why. After all, Bac Sagna is not superhuman and I can't advocate depth on the left, whilst dismissing the concept on the right. Kolo Toure has failed to convince when played there of late, which leaves us with Gavin Hoyte, who- with the best will in the world- would face quite a jump, if Sagna were to pick up a long term injury. And you just know that it would happen as soon as Eboue went.

It seems that the Cesc story is one that won't be left alone. Not by Anthony Kastrinakis anyway. The continued pressure on Arsenal has, allegedly, led to a bounty of £40m being placed on Cesc's head. Which is a little less than the price tag Cesc himself quoted last week, when asked about his future. I remember the summers spent cursing the newspapers, 2001 stands out in this regard when every day seemed to bring news of Patrick Vieira's departure. So, I won't let yet another piece of speculation from tomorrow's fish and chips wrapper get to me.

Yet.

A brief Saturday round up then, for any of you sad enough to be like me and near a computer on a cloudy Saturday evening in London.

The good news first. Thomas Vermaelen is officially an Arsenal player. I say good news, but as I think I've mentioned before Rachid is quite well up on Dutch football and doesn't rate him. Or at least, a mate of his is. But with Arsène expressing "delight" at the arrival of a "great" player, I think it it would be premature to write off the former Ajax captain. Captain? At 23? Oh yes, one for the future but already with some experience behind him. Also experienced in European campaigns, he has also been capped 21 times by Belgium and is a left footed centre back, who can also play left back. Arsène describes him as "multi functional". That just makes me think of the (crap) photocopiers in our office. And Thomas is very definitely not a photopcopier. He looks to have something of the Jean-Claude Van Dammes about him too, I think it's in the eyes. I hope he's better at football than the other guy was at acting. And, as a left footed centre back, that he's more Tony Adams than Pascal Cygan. How many Belgians have played for Arsenal, by the way?

As mentioned elsewhere, Manchester City are believed to be putting together a £12m bid for the last true untouchable. I think I've made it clear throughout the season that I don't think Kolo is good enough to be first choice anymore, but I wouldn't neccesarily want him to leave. But if the money alleged to be on offer is right, then it's a lot of money for someone who, in my opinion, has seen his best days and could also leave on a free next summer. Not to get too far ahead of myself, as speculation persists over William Gallas's future at the club, but wouldn't it be weird to see Kolo playing in a nother Premier League club's shirt?

As it goes, taking its' lead from the Times' story, Football365 reckons Vermaelen's arrival could also trigger departures for Sylvestre (hopefully), Djourou (hopefully not) and Senderos (probably). Milan have decided not to take up their option on Senderos, but even so it seems unlikely he will return to London, N5. Is Vermaelen that good we can afford to lose all these players? Clearly not, but the usual suspects are being mentioned as reinforcements; Bassong, Hangeland and... Bolton's Gary Cahill!  

Speaking of defensive exits, the French media have linked "Tigger" Eboue to a €7m Euro move to PSG. I wonder, though, if that's by the same sources that had Bac Man off to Real Madrid. Which is, coincidentally I'm sure, also a possible destination for Gael Clichy, if the Mail on Sunday last week is to be believed. Seriously though; if it were true, I think £5.9m, which is what 7 million Euros work out to apparently, represents a serious profit on the Ivorian- who the boss bought with some spare change found down the back of his Mercedes in 2005- and I would snap PSG's metaphorical hands off.

No surprises there then.

Milan are supposedly about to make a £15m bid for Adecan'tscore to appease fans upset over the seemingly imminent departure of Kaka to Madrid. How is that going to work? 

"We've lost a player who we loved, he loved us and mamma mia he was a genius! I think I'm going to kill myself!"

"Don't be so silly, my friend"

"Why not?"

"Well, Emmanuel Adebayor's on the next flight to Milan.."

"Where did you say the nearest bridge was?"

Can't see it myself. Can you? Anyway, in the midst of all this, one man, a hero for our times has stood up to say "Never fear Gooners, for I am here and I will deliver you all from Adebayevil!" Yes, Nicklas Bendtner is looking to this season coming as his "breakthrough" season. Given that he already has around 30 goals in two seasons for us, the prospect of more to come from the young Dane, well it may have you looking to follow the imaginary Milan fan over the bridge, for me, I find the prospect quite exciting.

It surely won't have escaped your notice that Arsenal are said to be close to signing, or have signed, 23 year old Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax. He's a Belgian centre back. Where such a signing leaves the futures of William Gallas and Kolo Toure is anyone's guess. Because I don't think Vermaelen would be coming to sit on the bench anymore than I think Toure or Gallas would be happy to sit there. What I do think is critical is that the only centre back to leave the club is Micky Silvester and that we add one- assuming Senderos doesn't return. Even if Senderos was to return, surely Arsène Wenger now realises there is a reason why George Graham collected centre backs in his time as club manager?

Eboue is said to be considering his future. I say "is said", but he clearly is considering it and so he should be. I do confess my icy heart has melted towards the Ivorian over the last few months, as perhaps yours has. It is amazing to think, just months after he was barracked to breaking point on a dark day for everyone connected with Arsenal,  that he is now not even close to being public enemy number one. However, for someone who has said that the right side of midfield is his position now, with the abundance of players who can play there and offer genuine threat already at the club, he must realise he's on borrowed time. Perhaps his best slot at the club is as back up to Sagna, but then he must consider how many games Sagna is likely to be dropped for- not many, I think is the answer.

He seems to be on borrowed time, and so, this lunchtime, am I.

Well, thank fuck for that, eh? Admittedly, it comes from a newspaper with a serious agenda, but the news is that Arsène Wenger is staying with Arsenal. To borrow a phrase our chairman uttered just under twenty years ago, I don't think it was ever in any doubt and nor should it have been, but it's nice to have it confirmed. Not that Arsenal.com (Samir Nasri predicts great things for hometown club) were that bothered about it either.

The Mail also runs a piece under the byline of "Ash Wednesday". This piece, whilst I would certainly agree with the point about the highest ticket prices to watch the 4th best team (whatever your opinion of the team, the league table doesn't lie) in the land and the fact that maybe the board could have stepped in at the Q&A last week, is so ridiculously over the top in its' criticism of the board and our chairman as to leave me wondering whether "Ash Wednesday" is, in fact, a pen name for David Dein.

Let's get it straight, it's been made abundantly clear that the board would much prefer to work with Stan Kroenke, incidentally the subject of a Steel Cage match challenge from WWE supremo Vince McMahon following a double booking snafu, than they would Usmanov. The fact that Stan hasn't come to a home game and isn't pretending to be an Arsenal fan, unlike Executive Box Ally has nothing to do with this. What's important is that the right steps are taken to safeguard the club's future. And doesn't mean selling the club out to Baron von Greenback (or should that be Baron von Rouble?)

With all this furore, it's sometimes easy to forget that not only have we not hit July yet- the silliest of silly season times- but we still have one more league game to play. With 4th place secure, it will be interesting to see what kind of team the boss puts out. I'm sure we'll see a few youngun's but after the season we've had, the encouraging display at Old Trafford last week and the defeat suffered at Stoke earlier this season, the manager will want to finish the season guns blazing, if you will.

And so do RedAction, who to show the world, well Holloway, just how much the Arsenal manager means to the majority of Arsenal fans. If you're going to the game, or are in the area on the day then there is also the Rocket end of season party. Which will take place in the Rocket, after the game and, shock horror, at the end of this season. And why not? We have a bank holiday Monday to recover in. Jesus, it's flown by, hasn't it?

Speaking of flying... any hopes Gooners have of seeing public enemy number 1- some feat in the season of Bendtner and Eboue- Adebayor getting on a plane to Italy could yet be dashed. His Mr 10% has said there have been no talks with either Chelsea, Internazionale, or Milan. The only thing certain is that talks are to be held- again- with Mr Wenger.

I mentioned Bendtner and Eboue there, and I think Ade really could take a leaf out of these guys' books. Eboue in particular has experienced some terrible abuse this season, but he didn't go on Football Focus to complain about it, no, he pulled his socks up, knuckled down and scored a few goals. Unimportant ones really, but it all helps and so we have a new found respect for the guy, even if we wish he stayed on his feet a little better than he does. Likewise, Nick Bendtner may never be a Dennis Bergkamp, but he makes the best of what he's got and more importantly, he never gives up. As we saw on that day against Blackburn. Compare this to Ade- the fans will never sing my song like they did, so I'm giving up.. Is this the strength of character we need at this football club? I don't think so.

Tales From Gillespie Road would like to take a moment to congratulate Ben Ingber and his wife Lydia on the birth of a baby girl yesterday evening. Rumours that the birthing process was triggered by the shock of seeing Eboue smack in two late goals on Saturday afternoon have yet to be confirmed, but Ben, if you're reading, congratulations my friend.

Of course, we are now in 4th place thanks to Tottenham's win over a faltering Aston Villa and our superior goal difference. The booing of Gabby Agbonlahor yesterday afternoon, a product of Villa's youth system, showed that perhaps football fans the world over aren't so different as we like to think. Speaking of boo boys, Brian Dawes at the Online Gooner has something to say about them which I wholeheartedly agree with

Back to Eboue, how quickly things change in football. The Ivorian, who appears to be garnering something of a cult following now, has been held up by the boss as  an "example" to our wayward centre forward, Nick Bendtner. He also revealed that a new contract for Eboue has been "tied up" for some time. Argh. I'll have to swallow this, but will swallow it gladly if Eboue can maintain his current contribution to the side. On that note, it may have been just me, but Eboue's late goals on Saturday struck me as the equivalent of watching someone get beaten up across the street and then running over to kick them whilst they're bleeding out their eyes. Which is all the sweeter given the opposition and combative nature of the opposition on Saturday.

A nature that resulted in Andrey Arshavin needing 4 stitches in his ankle at half time, hence the celebration with the newly appointed club doctor Gary O'Driscoll, and Manuel Almunia sustaining a sprained ankle as a result of Diouf's ludicrous, largely ignored by the media, tackle. Interesting to see Arsène say that Jens probably would have headbutted Diouf, as that's exactly what Sam Allardyce said he did do. but then Big Fat Sam didn't see the tackle as anything other than "silly". And to think this man wonders why he didn't get the England job. It is truly a stain on the national game that he was even considered.

Birthday boy Theo Walcott was next in line for managerial props, being described as "incomparable" from a year ago. I think he was truly impressive on Saturday in that he got clattered early, but didn't let it affect him, he just got up, got on with his game, kept coming and kept coming to show what I already felt about him, that he will not, unlike certain past Gunners, be kicked out of the game.

Someone you could say is a bit like that too, is the new boy. Of course, he showed that in the way he had those stitches and then came back out to score that wonderful goal. The manager feels that he has shown tremendous strength of character, moving from being the star of Zenit, into a foreign country and adapting so quickly. In crediting his toughness, perhaps the manager highlights an overlooked factor in why he worked so hard to get Arshavin in. Yes, he can play football, but he can also take the rough and tumble. For this team, seen as a soft touch by so many, maybe that was... not the most important thing, but something neccessary to take the team on a level, to make them newborn. 

It's all down to me, you know. No, really.

I'm sitting here in Bromley, at Jo's new desk, having received text updates from Rachid and my auntie Susan and I'm thinking "My God, I can actually watch Match of the Day and enjoy it tonight". That being said, we'll probably be last on, so maybe I should make use of this evening's Football First where we apparently are the match choice- and this on a day where Liverpool destroyed the champions of England, champions of Europe and league leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford. Didn't see that one coming. Did you?

Anyway, I said it was all down to me, didn't I? Let me tell you why. Let's go back to September 1995 and the time I left home to go to University in Leeds. Arsenal were playing Southampton that day and a certain Dennis Bergkamp hadn't scored in the six weeks since making his debut for us at home to Middlesbrough- a game that I was at and if you look closely you can see me at the bottom left of the screen on the replays of Ian Wright's headed equaliser. Anyway, the Iceman hadn't scored, leading to headlines like "Hartlefool" after he didn't score in  a league Cup game against Hartlepool. All that changed on a sunny September day as we made our way north on the M1, listening to radio commentary as Dennis, quite frankly, tore the Saints a new one in a 4-2 win.

Flash forward 7 years, almost to the day. An older, wiser (though not by much) version of me takes in the Leeds Arsenal game with my oldest friend, and fellow Gooner, Harry. We watch in the Skyrack in Headingley. Many beers have been drunk in those intervening years, copious spliffs smoked and hearts broken. And more heartbreak is to follow for Leeds fans who aren't quite aware of it yet as Kanu, Wiltord, Toure and Thierry smash Leeds United to bits. This is particularly sweet for me as this day marks the end of my Leeds oddysey. Harry has rented a van and has come to bring me home. We even, mistakenly, pass Elland Road on the way home. London may not be down the other end of the M62, but at least I got a last two fingered salute to the place in before I left...

The first weekend of the new year 2004, Arsenal are a couple of months away from something incredible on the weekend I move in with my mate Gabs. Yet again, we are playing Leeds United at Elland Road. This time in the FA Cup. A howler from Jens Lehmann presents Mark Viduka with the opening goal of the tie and cues much foul foul mouthed invective from myself. At least until the soon to be Invincibles take over, Thierry scoring a beautiful volley from a Ljungberg cross and again, we run out 4-1 winners.

So to today. Andrey Arshavin has shown flashes of genius in his fledgling Arsenal career, but hadn't made it as far as the scoresheet yet. That changed in the second minute of the Blackburn match today, as he converted a Theo Walcott cross- a super early goal! Good to have you back, Theo. He went even better with a goal described as "genius" seemingly everywhere I've read it this evening to put us 2-0 up. And then... and then, Emmanuel Eboue... I can hardly bring myself to type these words because I can barely believe it, scored twice in the last three minutes to put an incredible icing on a delicious slice of cake. Ok, so one was a penalty, but so what? At this rate, I'll be declaring undying love for the Ivorian before Spring is out. To top it all off, by the time we play Manchester City on April the 4th, the day my brother gets married, we should have Cesc and Adebayor fit and available to play. Now, I ask you, could today have happened as it has, if I hadn't have been moving home?

I just hope my uncle avoided his predilection for leaving early this afternoon, my little cousin James will have been very disappointed to have missed out on not one, but two Eboue goals...