Arsenal:
Lehmann
Lauren Toure Cygan Cole
Ljungberg Vieira Fabregas Pires
Henry Bergkamp

Arsenal had almost all the early play. Vieira placed his header straight at the keeper Hoult from a terrific Lauren cross. Then a good Henry corner to the far post (after a couple of those wasted near post ones that never seem to come off for him) was heading for Toure's run when Cesc, not seeing the defender behind him, stecthed back to get his head on it and succeeded only in taking it away from a probably goal.

Henry made a nice break with Freddie and Dennis making similar runs ahead of him, but when he slippd it forward they got unusually confused and ended up leaving it for each other.

There were a couple of goalmouth scrambles up their end, and then Albion got their first bit chance when a cross from their left just evaded the dive of the striker it was intended for, but it spun as it bounced and made it over towards another striped shirt in space on the right hand side of the box. He stretched for the volley but could only put it into the side netting.

Cygan was having one of his dodgier games, giving the ball away a few times (but he certainly wasn't the only one). He did get a bit unlucky when he stooped to head a Pires corner from right towards goal, only to see a deflection and then a good save from Hoult stop prevent it going in.

Freddie hit a great cross which Henry controlled brilliantly by the post before trying to flick it back into Pires' path. But he had to play it blind and Pires had continued his run too much, the pass going behind him. Then Hoult made a good fingertip diving save from a Henry free kick.

Early in the second half there was another great run from Henry, coming in from the left before feeding Pires. His shot was blocked by Cole's legs, the full back having made a good run in support. It ricocheted to Bergkamp just beyond the far post, and he tried to hit it first time inside that post but it went the wrong side.

10 minutes into the half, Lehmann punted the ball downfield and it came to Pires, on the left, off of Darren Purse. He hit a curler towards the far post and Hoult dived to make the save. But the keeper (who'd had a pretty good game up till then) only half caught the ball, and dropped it is he landed. The ball bounced behind him and into the net. Replays seemed to show that Pires' shot was going wide!

Kanu had a few nice moments but basically you could see why he wasn't being used by Wenger any more. He did show good skill to beat Cygan soon after the opening goal, and was unlucky to have a free kick given against him.

Henry went on a great run into the box before hitting an embarassing air shot close to goal. Then he hit a couple more good deep corners from the left. The second came across goal to Bergkamp on the right, and he crossed it back to Cygan by the left post. He was standing unmarked but perhaps saw it late, and failed to get above the ball at all, heading it over the bar.

Vieira tried a shot from outside the box which went high and wide, then Bergkamp got the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside. Albion were attackign more and more and, with about 10 minutes to go, they got the equaliser. It started with an over-strong ball towards their right wing which Greening did really well to get to, not only preventing it going out but directing it into space down that wing. He pursued it and hit a greta cross which Earnshaw (recently on off the bench) stretched to poke home.

As the game approached its end, Wenger tried Reyes for Fabregas and then van Persie for Bergkamp (on 81 and 88 minutes - too little too late). We nearly grabbed the winner in injury time when Vieira ran backwards to get a glancing header on a corner, the ball squeezed beyond the far post, but too close to it for Freddie's lunge to get there.

One of those weird days. Perhaps our name is on the trophy after all. We were massively better on the day, but only ended up with the point that we got, thanks to a spectacular own goal (which appears to be being given to Pires officially but which as far as I'm concerned was Hoult's goal). And Chelsea screwed up too.