There is not actually a huge amount of difference between the quality of Blackburn and a number of other sides that have taken points from Arsenal this season. Equally, there is no doubt that a team that come to the Grove with the main ambition of not losing rather than winning have to change their approach if they go a goal down.

At the same time though, Arsenal seemed imbued with a confidence that the team seemed to have lacked in matches where they have not scored early. Psychology is a huge part of the game, teams used to talk about feeling they were beaten by the Gunners when they lined up next to them in the tight tunnel at Highbury. And mental strength is something the manager puts great store in, but it’s an asset developed over time. It is unrealistic to expect it from a team with such a young average age.

One of the reasons many were pleased with the arrival of Andrey Arshavin was that the Russian had been round the block a few more times than many of his current team-mates and would not be phased by some of the situations that have accounted for Arsenal too often this season. So the man looks for an incisive option as opposed to a cautious one. He was nominally playing wide midfield with Samir Nasri as the link man with Bendtner, but his ability to drift and take up a position that invited team-mates to use him was key to the performance against Blackburn. He has featured in a handful of matches in England, but it is already obvious Arsene Wenger has purchased a very intelligent footballer. Going by his spoken English, that may go for his personality too.

I get the feeling he may be quite a complex character, but the same could be said of one Dennis Bergkamp. And some of Arshavin’s link play yesterday brought the Dutch legend back to mind. Some of it was very very simple, but it was done at pace, often with a single touch, and often he seemed to be playing the ball before it had even arrived at his feet.

Crucially, it lifted the performance of those around him, invigorating both Song and Denilson to forget the Ray Wilkins tribute act for an afternoon and play some of the type of football Gooners pay such high prices to enjoy. People would not be pondering so readily over whether to renew their season tickets this summer if this was the kind of approach Wenger’s teams had offered us more often during the current campaign.

It was an afternoon to lift the spirits. Arsenal went fourth in the table, something a few (including myself) did not expect to see at all for the remainder of the season. How much Villa continue wobbling remains to be seen. I can’t see Spurs getting anything at Villa Park this afternoon, but as yesterday showed, confidence counts for so much. We’ll see how much Martin O’Neill’s side have been affected by their recent loss of form, but a neutral would have to say that Spurs at home is probably as easy a game as they are likely to face. Harry Redknapp’s boys are already on the beach.

A few words for Nicklas Bendtner. Not good enough.

In fairness, I will expand that to say that although he did have one of those days yesterday, the pro-Dane lobby can argue that he was getting into the positions to make the errors he did, and indeed played a part in the build-up to the first goal. He is capable of some wonderful football. He is also capable of missing a hatful of chances. It mattered not against Blackburn, it mattered against Burnley in December. Bottom line is the boy is not going to improve in front of goal. If we are to have one lump of a centre forward who is going to impact on matches, better to go with Adebayor. Really though, I’d trade the pair of them in for a Roque Santa Cruz. I was pleased when it was announced he would not be starting for Rovers. It’s in tight matches that you need a clinical finisher, and if Bendtner has to be relied upon in these situations, the team is sunk. It was significant that for Arshavin’s wonder goal he rejected the option of pulling the ball back to a team-mate in front of goal and decided to trust his own abilities as a finisher instead.

As for Blackburn, after the assault by Diouf on Almunia, I hope they go down. No-one in the Premier League is going to miss a Sam Allardyce-managed side. Football at the top level will be a safer place. Managers who pump up their sides to maim (Alex McLeish anyone?) are a stain on the sport.