On the back of Man Utd's comeback against West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal came into the game knowing that a victory was vital if their title quest was to remain manageable. A struggling Blackburn side appeared the perfect opponents for a Gunners' side who were struggling for form themselves, and it was to be hoped that the international break, and the realisation that the Premier League was the team's last opportunity of collecting any silverware this season, would help to refocus minds. Arsenal were also boosted by the return to fitness of Song and Walcott, and the presence of Fabregas on the bench. Almunia, at fault for West Brom's 2nd goal in the last game, was preferred to his age old adversary Lehmann.
First half
As with most Arsenal matches, the pattern of the game was set from kick-off. Arsenal looked like they had taken out exclusive rights on possession of the ball, whilst Blackburn parked the metaphorical bus in front of the goal, employing a tactic well used against Arsenal by countless other teams of inferior quality. And in the first 10 minutes, Blackburn's players, as if loyal to their Indian owners, seemed like they had one eye on the Cricket World Cup final.
Following a well-known script, Arsenal wasted a number of well created chances, the most glaring miss coming from Wilshere, and sought refuge in pretty but ineffective passing triangles. The pace of the game, which had been well established early on by the returning Walcott and the threatening Arshavin on the flanks, was not helped by breaks enforced by knocks to Sagna and Hoillet, and a very nasty blow to Nasri's head.
In an otherwise dull half, comedy and constant distress for the fans were provided by Almunia in goal, who almost spilled a tame effort into the net, and flapped around his box in the face of the aerial bombardment like a bridesmaid trying to catch the bouquet at a wedding. Half-time arrived without complete calamity, however, and with Arsenal requiring a new approach after the break.
2nd half
Arsenal's play was no sharper at the start of the 2nd half. Nasri's superb run ended with a poor final ball, and Wilshere chose to pass when he should have shot, prompting Wenger to introduce Fabregas for Arshavin. Despite a few neat moves, this change produced no real chances of note, with Arsenal's crosses aimed at a box filled with Blackburn players and devoid of red shirts.
Chamakh and Bendtner were summoned to rectify matters. With the match seemingly petering out into a draw, and Blackburn looking just as threatening as the hosts, Arsenal's chance seemed to come with N'Zonzi's sending off for a shocking two-footed foul. After excellent build up play from Van Persie and Wilshere, Chamakh's tame effort was blocked, before Bendtner put a header over the brand Van Persie mistimed his header.
Though it seemed that the players had at least woken up to the necessity of grabbing a late winner, Arsenal were not exactly bashing down the door. Bendtner's header, cleared off the line by Salgado, was the closest they came to grabbing a late winner. An insipid match ended 0-0, the point of much greater use to the relegation battlers than the title chasers.
Conclusions
Yet again Arsenal flattered to deceive, with the same old failings very much in evidence. Whilst the indecision at the back, and the unreliability of the keeper, did not affect this result, thanks largely to Emerton's repeated failure to put in a threatening ball from the set-piece, defensively the team still looks weak.
Likewise, when the goal was needed to keep the Gunners in charge of their own fate in the title race, the strikers' finishing was again found wanting. Chamakh in particular, after a bright start to his Arsenal career, seems less confident by the game, whilst Van Persie's form has tailed off after his great start to the year.
Most of all, the leadership so crucial to any title winning team remains conspicuous by its absence. Who was prepared to die to win the game, as Wenger has said of Vieira during his time as Arsenal's skipper? The contrast with Man Utd, an average team who keep grinding out the result when it matters most, could not be more stark.
Certainly, Arsenal could not be mistaken for a club with Charlie Sheen as its sports psychologist. For this Wenger must take a large share of the blame, for his increasingly autocratic management style has bred a group of mentally weak clones, supremely talented but insecure. With the title still a possibility, now has to be the time for the form players, like France captain Nasri and the plucky and confident Wilshere, to lead by deed and word and drag their team-mates up to their own high standard, where difficulty is a challenge to be met head on, and victory the only goal.
MoTM: Nasri
