I love it - LOVE IT ! - when people come around to my way of thinking. Sometimes it takes years, often it's begrudgingly, but it happens not infrequently. Whether the subject be the benefits and extra taste of so-called full-fat milk (which is still only 4%, give or take) or my scepticism of the probably expensive distraction that is Global Warming (I'm an agnostic, but please read "Scared to Death: From BSE to Global Warming" if you think the Thames is about to flood). Now I know what you're thinking; that I'm about to gloat after a tremendous home display on Tuesday night by our supposed journeymen no-hopers. But things on-the-pitch must wait until the next paragraph but one.

Eight minutes into the game I was called a "Stupid Arse" by the charming 50-something lady who often sits on my immediate left and with whom I occasionally exchange a few words, though never before with such vitriol. It being a European night, a few suits were late, though not as late as Kolo and Gallas were for the start of the second half. [Contrast with the travelling Romans, all in their places and singing with gusto from 7pm.] The suits took an age to find their seats, even though a process of elimination should have made obvious where they were sitting, assuming of course they were in the correct stadium. Not the least bit embarrassed, they were as oblivious to those of us watching the game as to what we were watching so, me being me, and having paid almost £1 per minute for the privilege, I serenaded them with not one, but two, renditions of "Oh sit down, oh sit down, sit down next to me." And it was the second jibe that was too much for my female companion; hence her protestations on their behalf. When they still refused to sit down, even she got a little uppity while my friend on my right proffered a gentle hand on a shoulder with his plea to take a seat quickly. Why do they bother attending, one wonders?

On the pitch, from what I saw, Eboue had his best ever Arsenal game, which some may uncharitably say does not mean too much. One criticism is obvious; his glaring miss after taking longer than the time remaining on his contract. Boy, is he laid back. Sometimes I wish I could be that way. My friends would certainly concur. yesterday Ian Henry has been rather complimentary to me, in recalling my previous posted piece, but rather less so to Eboue. Had he put us 2-0 up, he'd probably have been my Man of the Match.

The almost equally maligned Denilson had a stormer and he's still only just 21, please remember. Diaby was immense and there was a general sense of foreboding when he had to be replaced by Song. Almunia also deserves a mention. Again he had little to do but his first-half save was top drawer; had Petr Cech made it we'd be raving. Fellow bean-counters may note that that's five successive clean sheets, 3 goals conceded in 11 games and 17 matches unbeaten if you are charitable (i.e. ignoring 2-0 away reverses at Porto and Burnley by our second string), or a mere 14 undefeated if you are not.

The game reminds me of the AC Milan contests last season. Abedayor headed against the bar at the end of the first leg stalemate. Cue universal moaning: we've blown it, we can't go through now etc. We thoroughly outplayed them over there and the goal which had threatened for so long, and for which the travelling Gooners had so impatiently awaited, duly came. This time we do not need to score but Roma will be fearful of needing to breach our defence three times. Make no mistake, we out-ran and out-passed them to such an extent that several suffered cramp long before the end. All in all, not a bad night's work for the worst Arsenal team that Arsene has managed.

Keep the faith.