The way I see it - Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

Last updated : 12 December 2003 By Jason Hogan

As I thought, the game was indeed a cat and mouse affair as the Russians were content to stick players behind the ball. The Russian game plan was blown out of the water early on by a well worked and well-taken effort by Pires and then Freddie Ljungberg finished the job again applying a neat finish to another well- worked move.

It was really pleasing to see us playing a patient probing game. I thought that we looked unruffled throughout and unlike Saturday, we were properly focussed on what we had to do.

The best bit, of course, is the fact that we ended up topping our group just like two certain other English clubs. And, in the process, we have deprived the press of the pleasure of having the mother of all field days.

As we all know, they have mocked and ridiculed us about both our lack of investment in the team and the problems we have had with the AG project. Well now, we are more than justified in saying that unlike the other two English clubs, WE didn't need to spend anywhere between £30 - 120 million in the summer in order to be good enough to get into the last 16.

There a lot of words that are overused in football and the word "character" is one of them. All I know is that the Arsenal have shown that quality in abundance in Europe over the last few weeks - and that's something that no amount of money can buy.

With the European campaign now in a state of hibernation, it's time for the Arsenal to realign their sights on domestic matters and Sunday's game against Blackburn.

For me, Blackburn have had a poor start to the season and currently lie 14th in the Premiership table. True, they do not have Damien Duff or David Dunn anymore but nevertheless I am baffled as to why they have spent most of the season in the lower reaches of the table.

They are far from being the most inexperienced side in the top flight. People like Craig Short, Garry Flitcroft and Tugay have been around the block once or twice. The same could be said of David Thompson, Lucas Neill and Markus Babbel.

They are also not short of experience between the sticks as well. Brad Friedel was the man that single-handedly stopped Blackburn from being slaughtered in last year's corresponding fixture at Highbury.

At the other end of the scale, Blackburn have also unearthed a homegrown talent in Paul Gallacher. The 19-year-old striker is highly thought of at Ewood Park and he underlined his potential when scoring the fourth goal in Blackburn's demolition of Birmingham last time out. He will be worth watching.

I once remember reading an article in which Arsene Wenger claimed that he didn't believe in bogey sides. Well, sorry Arsene old chum, this lot damn well ARE a bogey side. We have only beaten them once at Highbury in Premiership history - and that was way back in 1994.

As I intimated earlier, we lost to this lot at home (and away for that matter) last season. To say that their victory over us at Highbury last year was surreal would be the understatement of all time.

The man who scored the winner that day was Dwight Yorke. It will be interesting to see if he starts the game alongside his old mucker, Andy Cole. Of the two, I believe that Yorke is potentially a bigger threat. This lad has put in some of the worst performances I have ever seen from ANY professional footballer from time to time but he has had a knack of scoring goals against us throughout his career. If the real Dwight Yorke turns up things could become fairly awkward for us.

Rovers may be coming into this game on the back of two straight wins but the fact is that Arsenal have a serious score to settle here. We owe this lot a serious hiding. We have let this lot get away with too much for too long particularly in our own back yard over the years. Time for a little payback methinks.