Arsenal 0 Blackburn 0

It died a sad little death in north London on Saturday. Arsenal’s season, which had held the rich prospect of titles and trophies, simply gave up the ghost, mourned by a disconsolate crowd and a miserably bewildered manager.

The maths insist that Manchester United can still be caught, that tables can be overturned and redemption achieved. But, as Arsene Wenger knows all too well, the maths lie. And so, while he could not concede that the race was run, he struck no false notes of optimism. Instead, he poked at the corpse of his team’s championship challenge, shaking his head and cursing his fortune.

‘A flat performance,’ he declared. ‘A lack of energy and sharpness. It’s difficult to identify why. Very few of my players had the resources to raise the pace of the game. I didn’t expect this.’

Midfield battle: Blackburn's Jermaine Jones holds off Arsenal's Jack Wilshire

By contrast, Steve Kean of Blackburn was as happy as a man can be with a goalless draw and a point beyond price. And with good reason. Blackburn had achieved what they set out to do; nullifying Arsenal’s midfield and coming through to create chances of their own. It was not the Blackburn performance we had suffered in recent seasons; dour, dull and drearily cynical. They played their football, worked for their fortune and fully deserved their reward.

It is, of course, far too soon to predict survival, but they did not play like a side beset by fear. Even when they had Steven N’Zonzi harshly and probably erroneously sent off on 73 minutes, they stuck to their task commendably and came through in some comfort.

Arsenal had lost to the likes of West Bromwich and Newcastle at home this season, but this draw was as damaging as any.

Yet they had begun in merciless mood. When they pass and move with such freedom and appetite, they are pretty well irresistible. Certainly, Blackburn had nothing to offer in response. Sitting deep, trying to soak up pressure, they endured a neurotic start as the half-chances came and faded......here

Winging it: A bandaged Samir Nasri (right) takes on Blackburn's Steven Nzonzi

Nothing doing: Paul Robinson stops Arsenal's Theo Walcott