A brilliant game we really didn't deserve to win, but could have. It did raise a number of points, in particular when compared to the Chelsea game at the weekend. Firstly, the pitch does make a difference. You can't play quick one touch football on a potato patch. Secondly, I thought we choked a bit against Chelsea. Once their equaliser went in, even from miles back in the stands you could see everybody's shoulders drop. You somehow knew we weren't going to win. The team instantly looked tired and drained. I wonder if the occasion got to them.

One thing that did come out of both matches is the fact that we don't have a right back at the club, who knows how to defend at the far post. I seem to remember Pat Rice, in his day, being pretty good in this department, so why isn't this knowledge being passed down to the players? Malouda's goal on Saturday was an utter joke. The crossfield pass from Lampard must have been up in the air for a good half an hour, during which time Eboue could have rolled a fag, read a chapter from the Good Book, and still got close to his man. He hardly moved his feet. Last night Sagna was as equally uselesss in dealing with that kind of ball. Is he suffering from 'second season syndrome'? I don't know. The problem is coaches pick up on that sort of thing and I've noticed recently teams putting their tall men at the back post against us. That will continue to happen if it gets results.

Mind you, they needn't bother. Silvestre and Toure don't get the ball away either. Fabianski came in for a load of stick, quite rightly, for coming off his line at precisely the wrong moment, but give the kid a break. He's forced to play behind a pair of centre backs who, at the top level, just aren't good enough. Wenger thinks he'll come good and I'm inclined to believe him. Seaman had the distinct advantage of having Bould and Adams in front of him, remember.

All those people who thought Arshavin and Song should have started in the semi have now been pretty much proved right. I'm not sure that Arshavin is fully match fit, but if you can score four goals in a match where the team are being dominated, then he should be in there somewhere. Likewise Song. He makes an enormous difference. I'm sure Denilson will make progress, but at the end of the day he will always be too slow. He and Fabregas are a bad pairing because up against a quick mobile midfield they get overrun, which then means foregoing a winger for someone who gets up and down eg Diaby. When that happens the balance goes.

The games against United are going to be interesting. Let's hope Arsene get his selection and tactics right.