Arsenal fall back on old virtues

Arsenal 1 Blackburn 0The Highbury supporters would prefer to be presented only with pace, skills, understanding and excitement, yet they also have to accept ludicrous drama. Spirited as Blackburn Rovers were in the second half, Arsene Wenger's side should have had the fans debating their favourite in a beauty parade of lovely goals.

In practice, the result was evocative of old Arsenal. Jens Lehmann, plucking crosses and stretching to a Barry Ferguson shot, following a pass by the substitute Andy Cole in the 68th minute, became an unexpectedly significant contributor. Seven minutes from the end, he reached Craig Short's header from a Steven Reid corner and Dwight Yorke clumped the rebound over.

There was even a spurious row about what ought to have evolved into an indisputable rout. After an hour, Markus Babbel clambered on top of Kolo Toure to nod home Ferguson's cross and the Blackburn manager brooded over it. "If it happens at the North Bank, the Kop or the Stretford End and the home team is kicking in then it's given," said Graeme Souness.

During the afternoon, he also made a confrontational, beckoning gesture towards Robert Pires, vexed by the conviction that the Frenchman was fishing successfully for fouls and Blackburn bookings. The resentments and frustrations, however, would have been replaced by bone-deep misery had the opposition been ruthless in their chance-taking.

For a team who have regained the leadership of the Premiership, Arsenal are oddly merciful. Having been startled into life by their narrow escape, when Yorke put a Lucas Neill shot wide in the first minute, Wenger's players put themselves on course as they took the lead, but then wandered into a labyrinth of their own making.

Henry, thrilling at times, often charged into dead ends. There was a hint of self-absorption about his work, as if he could not repel thoughts of the FIFA world player-of-the-year award to be announced in Basle today.

Whether Henry had also been unsettled by increasing talk of Chelsea's consuming interest in him can only be speculated on.

A few hours after the game, Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein denied reports that Roman Abramovich had made a £50 million bid for Henry after last Wednesday's Champions League tie against Lokomotiv Moscow - but admitted he had rejected a "face-to-face formal approach" from the Blues earlier this week, just as he did last summer.

Dein also made clear attempts by any club, such as Real Madrid, to "unsettle" Henry would fail as he stressed Arsenal's determination to keep him: "Thierry is not for sale. He doesn't want to leave, we don't want to sell him and he's under contract to 2007."

As for yesterday's performance, others did let Henry down slightly. When Henry spun and passed in the 22nd minute, Patrick Vieira slotted the opportunity well wide and the captain's efforts throughout were redolent of a man just creeping out of months of injury. Team-mates were only marginally more responsive to Henry in stoppage time, with Edu unable to connect with one cross and Pires foiled by Neill in front of the target.

Before the interval, it had looked as if goals would be added inexorably to Dennis Bergkamp's 11th-minute opener, with each miss treated lightly as if it were the kind of luxury Arsenal could well afford. When Pires's bending drive hit the post after half an hour it prompted no more than an amused wag of the head from his team-mates.

Nor did they hound the officials when Bergkamp was incorrectly given offside. Five minutes from the interval, though, when Tugay lost possession and the Dutchman fed Henry for a sloppy drive against Brad Friedel, the notion crept into the mind that Arsenal were courting danger.

Unable to snap up goals on the counterattack, Arsenal were dependent on their durability.

Of the defenders and goalkeeper, Toure stood out because of his dynamic and purposeful contribution to the goal.

He hurtled past the uncertain Vratislav Gresko and when the defender attempted a recovery in the penalty area he only grazed the ball and could not stop Toure from setting up Bergkamp. The veteran's finish ran through Andy Todd's legs to slip inside the near post.

There was steadfastness, too, from Ashley Cole and, more surprisingly, Pascal Cygan.

Last season, the latter had appeared an ill-considered signing even for the modest £2 million expended on him, but he is no longer a guardian in need of protection himself. He coped with the late onslaught well, imposing his will in the air and on the ground.

In a first-half cameo, he had also found Pires by chipping the ball nonchalantly over the head of Brett Emerton. This from a man who once might not have been trusted even to find the stands with a clearance. His experience is a small, evocative part of Arsenal's surprising tale.

Like him, the side is achieving more than had been expected.