You just can't beat being back at Ewood for the first home league game of the season.

Intertoto Cup games and friendlies are all very well, but as Rovers hard earned draw against the Gunners showed, the Premiership is what it is all about.

A sizeable home crowd in good voice got their first chance to see Roque Santa Cruz in action, while at the other end the sight of Jens Lehmann tangled up in toilet roll just before kick off was an appropriately predictive metaphor for the German goalkeepers performance during the game!

Despite what may be said in other parts of the national press, looking for a sensational scoop rather than concentrating on the game itself, Rovers can draw a lot of positives from this performance.

There was nothing in my mind to be described as "bordering on violence" from our players, although they gave as good as they got. Wenger is an experienced manipulator of the media. He knows full well that by being critical of Rovers physical approach he can take attention away from his own sides failings, but both Rovers and Arsenal are a far cry from the sides that met at Cardiff in the FA Cup Semi in April 2004.

The fact is that a Thierry Henry-less Arsenal just aren't that special anymore, and moaning Arsene Whinger knows it. Robbie Savage was spot on in his post match comments when he said that Rovers really felt they could win the game, while Wenger and his Gooners, who once in my opinion played the most attractive football the Premiership has ever seen, now have to resort to pre match referee intimidation and post match propaganda, (eagerly lapped up by some parts of the lazy national media) punctuated by in-match rolling around and time wasting.

Rovers can play much better but the fact remains that we have 4 points from our opening 2 fixtures, both of which could have easily yielded a zero return. A first goal for Dunny in his second spell at Rovers was a delight to see, as we all know how lethal he can be once he finds his range. Expect his name on the score sheet a lot more this season. It was also an excellent reminder of the strength in depth Rovers now have to see Santa Cruz replaced by McCarthy late on.

Special mention must go to the Groundsman and his team, who had left Ewood's pitch in such a dazzling green condition that the Arsenal players just couldn't stop getting down to ground level to admire it, and also hats off to referee Alan Wiley. It isn't easy for Premiership refs to get worse, but in the off season his hard work seems to have paid off, and the reward is even more bizarre decisions and some impressive weight gain. Roll on Everton!