Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 0 Arsenal

The match last night was effectively over when Eboue got sent off. I know plenty of Arsenal fans are raging at him, but you've got to admit they might have a point. It's not that he doesn't seem comfortable playing in midfield where Arsene has put him since Sagna displaced him at right back, nor is it his tendency to hit the ground whenever poked in the back, nor is it his lack of discipline and running his mouth off at the ref. It's a combination of all of these, plus his lack of commitment. Add this to the fact that Eboue is pretty much a confidence player, and you have a recipe for disaster.

The game was pretty good at first, hinting of exciting times to come as both sides attacked when with the ball. Arsenal were getting more possession but Spurs had 6 corners to none for Arsenal at one point. Fouls were aplenty, which is what you'd expect in a keenly contested derby match, but Eboue's first yellow was stupid and pretty much needless.

He'd shown signs that he would be a handful in this game at first, cutting in from the right and drifting to the left, catching the Spurs defence unawares at times. I was just thinking maybe there was some redeeming quality for this much maligned player when he had the ball in the net. True, Woodgate tripped over Adebayor and it shouldn't have been a foul, but I'm not exactly sure that there would have been a goal if play had continued anyway. Cudicini was about the only one who reacted to Eboue's shot.

Then our daft no. 27 picked up a second booking by flicking his leg at Modric. That would have gotten him a certain red card, if not a yellow. It says much for the lad that to the average Arsenal fan, that was a worse offence then van Persie charging and knocking down Sorensen against Stoke.

The rest of the game descended into rearguard action for Arsenal. Gallas was commanding at the back while Toure looked shaky. It seems losing the captain's armband has done wonders for Gallas. Now he can just concentrate on doing what he does best, and there are few central defenders of his quality in the country. Toure though, has fallen well past his once lofty standards. It was summed up early in the game when he tried to shape his body to clear but ended up sprawling on his backside and allowing the delighted Spurs player to skip past him. Djourou might be willing to step up, but I don't think he's quite ready and evidently, Wenger agrees too. However, it was amazing to see Clichy coming in second best. He's clearly one of the fastest left backs in the EPL but I had the feeling that Lennon unnerved him. The Spurs right winger kept running at him, cutting to his weak side and Clichy earned himself a caution when he hacked him down in the first half.

Denilson was MIA and hardly made an impression. Without Fabregas, he's had more chances to feature in the first team and yet... I have hardly seen him make much of a difference. It's mind boggling. Alex Song doesn't look like your typical Arsenal player. He tried his best last night, especially as the game wore on, but his passing is not up to scratch and he's not hard enough for a hard man. Samir Nasri was the only one looking dangerous as he went forward, yet I still feel he's not suited for a wing role. By the time he goes forward, the wingbacks have tracked back and are harrying him. He has the skills to beat a man, but he doesn't really have Robert Pires' ability to create space or bring a teammate in.

van Persie almost got a goal with a quick turn and snapshot. It's becoming a specialty of his, fashioning half volleys from an acute angle. He got one chance like that against Everton and scored it. The thing is, defenders now play him so tight that it's his only chance of scoring. Apart from a shot on goal at the death, Niclas Bendtner was ineffective but we've sort of come to expect that from Bendtner. Don't expect too much from the Danish youngster, and perhaps you'll be happier when he does make the difference from time to time.

Overall impression? Yet another match where I failed to witness a comprehensive Arsenal victory. The wait continues. God knows if I'll be able to catch the EPL regularly enough Down Under. Maybe I'll start supporting Melbourne Victory. Mind you, at least they still have a shot at clinching a league title this season.