Confidence

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
03 Oct	3:00 PM	P	Blackburn Rovers (H)	6	2	Win

Seeing the attacking line-up before the start of the match, you would not have been wrong to assume that Blackburn Rovers were in for a serious beating. However, four minutes into the game, a chance NZonzi header into the Arsenal net brought the Gunner fans down to reality and reminded them the cardinal rule of the game – never underestimate your opponents. But, four left-footed goals from our regular strikers (Oh yeah! Thomas Vermaelen is turning out to be one) completely sucked the winds from Blackburn's sails. Two more from the comeback kid Theo Walcott and substitute Nicklas Bendtner just added insult to the injury and Blackburn did take a serious beating at the Emirates.

Francesc Fabregas proved how much of a vital pin he is in the Arsenal wheel. Setting up four sublime goals for his team, then scoring one got him the well deserved man of the match. Tomas Rosicky seems to have finally hit full throttle and seems every bit the player he was before his year long lay-off due to injury. He was fast, neat in his dribbling and constant menace to the Blackburn defence with his clever play.

Though the Blackburn goals were just speed bumps in the silky Arsenal game, they did question the character and mettle of the Gunners. And boy, did Arsenal respond in style! No dropping shoulders, no signs of frustration, not a hint of 'not again'. The team rallied with belief in their abilities, with confidence in their game, continuing their patient intricate short passes, opening up the defence and coming out on top. In fact, they seemed to relish the challenge and were quite keen to prove themselves. That is the new zing in the Arsenal camp. They play with a positive mindset and it shows in their game. This not only shows their desire to win but also shows their level of maturity they have achieved. The team has learnt lessons from their mistakes of the last two seasons, rectified the wrongs and have finally seem to have got the belief that they are capable of competing for the top honours.

The string of positive results emphasizes what Wenger has been telling us - the current team does not need any modifications to be counted as the top team in Europe. The talent is for all to see. The one-touch precise passing, the trickery to fool defences, the sweet finish and the pace to outrun the opposition. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the confidence and belief in the team's game and more importantly in the player's own ability. This may or may not be attributed to some rotten apples, who thought themselves to be bigger than the team and the string of adverse results that kept Arsenal away from any kind of silverware. But, that is all history. The new Arsenal has arrived!

The only thing Arsenal need to continue doing is stay with the positive mindset and not let minor setbacks weaken their mental strength. Only time will tell how the team has matured and how strong their mental resolve is. But for the time being, it is all good and the honours are all up for grabs. Seeing Manchester United stumbling to a draw at home, and Liverpool losing their third game of the season, the race to the title promises to be very tight.

With the international break coming up, it will give a break to some of the Arsenal squad, who do not feature regularly for their nations. And Wenger will be hoping that the first team national regulars come back to the Emirates injury-free.

Until next time!

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