Paddy power! Rice hails Arsenal display

Hands up. Who would have taken a draw before the game? So 1-1 away to Borussia Dortmund in the opening Champions League group game last night is a decent result for the Arsenal I say. RVP scored a great goal to give the Gunners the lead before a last-gasp wonder strike from substitute Ivan Perisic denied us three points.

And so to this morning’s papers and it is Pat Rice who has the glare of publicity upon him for once with AW being banished to the Gods and disallowed to give us his thoughts after the game because of his touchline ban. Paddy told reporters: “We battled really hard and we knew it would be a hard, hard game. To be able to defend well is a high quality skill and that is something all of our players did this evening.

“I shouldn’t think many teams will come to Dortmund and beat them and we were very, very close to doing that. Don’t forget Dortmund are a really good side. There is no question about that. Would we have liked to have won the game? Of course we would.We were so close and so very, very near.

“But the same thing happened to us in terms of the goal as happened when we played arch rivals (word omitted so as not to offend) and the boy (Danny) Rose hit an unbelievable shot from about 35 yards. It was the same this evening. I should imagine that he could try that 25, 30, 40 times and he would hit it over the bar or at the goalkeeper. It was a great goal.

“Have we turned the corner? Very much so. It seemed, especially the game on Saturday, it was our start of the season. Because of the uncertainty as to who the players would be that leave us and whether they wouldn’t. The players that we have acquired are very, very good players, contrary to what other people have said. I have no doubt that they will show it and in the games to come.”

Elsewhere in the papers we are linked again with some players. It is reported that we are on high alert after hearing Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic has delayed signing a new contract with the club. And target Marvin Martin has signed a new deal with Sochaux, but revealed he has an end of season get-out clause, which could finally pave his move to the Gunners.

CARL ELDRIDGE – Follow me on Twitter @eldomedia