THERE WAS one moment against Middlesbrough when William Gallas pulled down a ball from head height with one foot and volleyed it to a colleague with the other.
It was different class. It was the best thing in the game.
Gallas is not match fit yet but he has two great feet and he was Arsenal's best player by a country mile.
JOHAN DJOUROU was flummoxed by a simple ball down the line that he did not kick or head away. He allowed it to hit him on the chest and break to James Morrison, who played a one-two with Jason Euel and scored.
It was a soft goal that came out of nothing and put Arsenal 1-0 down in 22 minutes. A Boro academy youngster walked through the Arsenal defence and scored. It was Middlesbrough's only shot of the game.
Proper defenders don't let balls like that bounce off their chests. Djourou is a good player and he will be a great player. But he's not ready.
Toure played well, Hleb was OK, Lehmann had nothing to do.
The reason Arsenal took an hour to score was simple : Henry, van Persie and Ljungberg played badly.
Henry was anonymous, van Persie miscontrolled three out of every five balls that went to him, and Freddie was trying to out-run people from the halfway line, as he used to do four years ago. His brain will not accept that his legs can't do that any more.
It's been sad to watch his decline. Freddie Ljungberg joined Arsenal eight years ago today and he is by far the best £3 million player the club has ever signed.
ON SATURDAY almost every shot Arsenal hit went straight at Schwarzer, apart from an early Hleb strike and a terrific effort by sub Rosicky, which was going just inside the post.
Stewart Downing fouled Eboue in the box with a stupid "tackle" and give Henry the penalty that prevented Middlesbrough from winning the game 1-0.
In defence, it's as simple as this : Djourou is not ready. Arsene is kidding himself.
If it was a great idea to have a 19-year old centreback then every big club in Europe would have a 19-year old centreback.Gallas should be at centreback.
FABREGAS did not get in the box last season. But now he does. He has added that to his game and that's why he scored those two goals in Zagreb.He will get in the box in Hamburg.
In fact, I expect Rosicky and Fabregas to take Hamburg apart. The Germans are missing several key players, including Rafael van der Vaart.
But what happens at the other end is important.
Clean sheets got Arsenal to Paris and another is needed on Wednesday.