Once more Sam Allardyce outwitted Arsene Wenger, his old foe, as Blackburn bullied Arsenal into defeat.
The Rovers manager has made no excuses for the aggressive tactics he has adopted in the past against the Gunners.
And yesterday was the same. Blackburn targeted Lukasz Fabianski, the Arsenal keeper, with a set-piece barrage and it was no surprise both goals came as a result to turn a deficit into victory.
Two minutes before the break, Morten Gamst Pedersen swung over a corner that caused panic as Fabianski could not come out and clear.
The ball dropped to Ryan Nelsen, who found Keith Andrews and his low ball made its way to the unmarked David Dunn who slotted home his 10th goal of the campaign.
The winner followed in the 68th minute. Again Pedersen delivered and Fabianski was stuck on his goalline and Chris Samba had an easy header.
But Wenger was fuming with the performance of Martin Atkinson, the referee, for not protecting Fabianski. "I think it was a foul on both goals," he said. "They had two players whose only purpose was to stop him from coming for the ball.
"The referee cannot allow that. There's no chance for the keeper to go for the ball. It's completely unfair.
"I think he [Fabianski] had a good game. It should not affect his confidence, but that of the referee."
But Allardyce countered: "If you expose opposition weaknesses enough, they will be exposed. We know these tactics work well against Arsenal. I think we won the game because we deserved to."
The goals also typified the character of Rovers under Allardyce. This side may not boast stellar names, but they have spirit in abundance.
Manchester United and Chelsea found that out when they came here. They came with big reputations and left with bruised egos and just a point for their title ambitions.
Arsenal do not have that to worry about, but will lose third place if Tottenham win their last two games and the Gunners falter on Sunday against Fulham.
Strangely, Arsenal took the lead through a set piece in the 14th minute.
Samir Nasri floated a corner for Bacary Sagna to flick backwards and Robin van Persie headed home. Both were unmarked and unchallenged.
It was very unlike Rovers, but van Persie has a fine record against Rovers.
This was his eighth goal in as many games against them, but also a significant first since October, before his ankle injury left him sidelined for almost six months.
When you have back-up players like Carlos Vela, it shows how badly Van Persie was missed. Predicted to have a bright future, the Mexican has struggled in the spotlight and lacks conviction and confidence at this level.
His Arsenal record and yesterday's performance seems to support that theory. In only his third league start for the Gunners, he was handed a glorious chance to dispel the afore-mentioned doubts.
Theo Walcott sneaked in behind the Rovers defence to reach a ball that Paul Robinson, the Blackburn keeper, thought was going out.
As he was left stranded and the goal empty, Walcott laid a pass back for Vela, who somehow steered his shot wide from six yards.
Van Persie showed him how to keep a cool head in front of goal and almost grabbed a second when Robinson made a good save to keep out his 20-yard free kick.
But Arsenal looked like a side ready for the end of a gruelling campaign that has once again brought little reward for their efforts. And Rovers took control as Wenger admitted the hosts were "sharper in the fight".
But while Fabianski's ability to deal with crosses might be questioned, his shot-stopping should not. He showed great reflexes to deny the influential Pedersen, who had gone clear from a pass by Andrews.
And when Dunn released Juinor Hoilett, the substitute, Fabianski - also criticised after his performance in the 3-2 defeat at Wigan recently - stood up well to push over his rising shot.
Arsenal offered little in response as Rovers moved up three places to 10th with the prospect of an extra £2 million (Dh11.2m) if they stay there.
@Email:akhan@thenational.ae
Man of the Match: Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn)
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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On racial profiling at airports
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
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SPECS
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BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
Company%20Profile
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FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
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Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)
Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (5.30pm)
Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim (9pm)
Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg (11.30pm)