Premier League - Match #2

Blackburn 1 Dunn
Arsenal 1 Van Persie

I attended the Champions Youth Cup Third Place Play-off and the Final itself at the Bukit Jalil Stadium. How I wished that Arsenal were involved in either one of these matches.

Anyway, the final ended at around 10 pm which was around the same time Arsenal kicked off at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers. Thus, needless to say I missed the whole chunk of the match on my journey back home.

Actually, part of me wanted to go to Bangsar to catch the match with the Malaysian Gunners there but thinking it would take a whole lot of time for me to get there, I headed for home instead.

There were around 10 minutes left of the match when I finally reached home and the score was 1-1. Earlier my nephew told me it was 1-0 to the Arsenal when he came to pick me up at the LRT station.

I did not get to see the goals but I did get to see what Arsene Wenger said later about the rough tactics employed by the home side. Their skipper Ryan Nielsen was cautioned for the second time during the match after preventing Robin Van Persie from going one on one with Brad Friedel in the last five minutes.

Given the Dutchman scoring record against Blackburn, it was odds-on it would have been the winner if he managed to get through, thus he had to be stopped at all cost. I think Kolo Toure, William Gallas and Phillipe Senderos would have done the same should David Bentley burst through at the other end.

But the replays of the goals scored certainly gave me mixed feeling with Van Persie finishing a determined effort convinces me that the young Gooners had it in them to put up a serious title challenge.

Ironically, it was the oldest man on the pitch that day changed the score to 1-1 and allowed Blackburn to share the spoils. To add more irony to this was I was watching "goalkeepers' blunders" clips on YouTube, and our Jens certainly featured in a number of them.

Now, the editor would have two more to add to the clips.

I have stood by Lehmann since he came from Borrusia Dortmund. Despite conceding a number of goals which I believe would have seen him packing his bags if the son of Fergus was in charge of Arsenal, I continued to believe in him.

Perhaps, because I could relate to him as I also play between the sticks.

Being sentimental perhaps the worst trait that you could have as a football manager. However, I believe Arsene is not a sentimental person, not as Arsenal manager anyway.

I certainly would like to see Lehmann playing this season and cement his spot in the German squad for the EURO 2008 but a few more howlers like the ones already committed in the first two Premier League matches this season, I would start calling for Lukasz Fabianski to be given his chance.