By Boris Mellor
December 24 2006

The past weighs like a nightmare on the mind of the living, and a lot of fans thought they were watching Groundhog Day when Blackburn went ahead after only three minutes. Meanwhile Blackburn celebrated their gift goal. Was this yet another grim draw about to be served up?

Fortunately the Arsenal players didn’t see it the same way and responded magnificently.
Within 20 minutes the Gunners had not only equalised, but were ahead. That is the first time this season they had achieved that, every other time they were a goal down at home they struggled to equalise, let alone go ahead.

The penalty was really bad luck, from where I was sitting it looked like a 50-50 tangle, and watching the replays it appeared the same to me. But the defence should not have allowed Bentley the time and space to run at them. It left Toure in a difficult situation, which old big head milked for all its worth. He was booed for the rest of the match, whether it was because of the penalty or his big head I am not sure. Probably both.

However the penalty only served to inspire Arsenal to greater things and with only ten minutes gone Gilberto headed in from Rosicky’s excellent corner. Gilberto is now joint leading goal scorer with Henry.

On 23 minutes passing between Fabregas and Adebayor saw Hleb pass the ball into the net in the style of Bergkamp. Only four minutes later van Persie was fouled in the area, and from the penalty spot Adebayor sent Friedel the wrong way. Only 27 minutes gone and Arsenal were so far ahead that the game should have been stopped on points. This was rock and roll, the whole team was playing magnificently, and it appeared they had buried the curse of the first conceded goal. Movement and tempo was fast and fluid, surely a tanking was on its way, or so it appeared.

In the second half the beautiful game continued, the crowd ole`d and the passing was a joy to watch. But for all that the red-hot sexy football they failed to increase the score. Three – one flattered Blackburn, but it was the score, and a lapse of concentration by the whole team that saw Blackburn pull the deficit back to only one goal on 69 minutes.

Now it was squeaky bum time as Arsenal were rocked back on their heels by Blackburn’s wave of attacks. The Gunners seemed to tire and drain of energy. If a team should score it seemed more likely to be the opposition. Eight minutes from time Lehmann was forced to save from Morten Gamst Pedersen. If he hadn’t have made the save all might have been lost, but it took the sting out of Blackburn. The shot had the effect of finally waking Arsenal up, the next eight minutes would see Arsenal score three times. Suddenly it was fantasy football.

It started with an individual goal by Van Persie, who ran down the wing then cut into the area, shrugged off several defenders and curled a beauty past Friedel. Four- two, the game was over, and normally Arsenal ease off, but not this time. Within a couple of minutes van Persie got his second. Five – two. Finally that goal machine Flamini knocked in the 6^th in injury time.

This was a great all round team performance, Adebayor was excellent again troubling Blackburn from both wings and down the middle, his link up play was exquisite, and he got a standing ovation when he went off. Once van Persie found his range he was rocking Robin. But even when his shooting had been wayward he played for the team and kept the opposition under threat.

The midfield of Rosicky, Hleb, and Fabregas had created numerous chances. Hoyte looked the real thing, and Clichy was his former self. The whole team had played well and the last 8 minutes was real rock and roll football. At last the Xmas presents were for Wenger and the fans, not just the opposition, and worth waiting for too. Wenger was right again, the Portsmouth draw was different, it was the harbinger of a better time ahead.

Most Magic Moment

Cesc Fabregas's several stepovers and a nutmeg to get past Savage, followed by a shot that led to a Flamini tap in. How come Savage didnt hack him like he did in thumbnail above? Answer he was already on a yellow. No wonder Hansen was so quiet on MOTD - in your face football suffered its nemesis in that moment of skill. "We got Cesc Fabregas" carolled the Gooner faithful. You can't beat the old evergreens at Christmas.