English FA Cup semi-finals: Arsene Wenger had predicted that Patrick Vieira would be the player of the second half of the season. Maybe the Arsenal manager merely got his fractions in a muddle: the midfielder and captain is in fine shape for the final eighth of the campaign.
His recovery may have its culmination in that crescendo to the domestic season, the FA Cup final.
It is peculiar to need a reminder that Vieira is superb. For most of his adult life that has been taken for granted. But whether his thinking was still fuzzy after a summer of frazzled deliberation about a move to Real Madrid, the contribution had been inconsequential during this campaign.
When he came to the fore it was for allegedly picking a fight with Manchester United's Gary Neville in the Highbury tunnel. That was a squalid episode for a person so associated with the grandeur of Arsenal on their better days. But in Cardiff we witnessed the completeness of Vieira's repertoire once more.
Blackburn must have got wind of his resurgence. The Arsenal players are convinced that Mark Hughes's side targeted Vieira. The accumulation of circumstantial evidence damns the losers, whose first three yellow cards were for fouls on the Frenchman.
Insult was added to multiple injury by Hughes's complaint that Vieira had "maybe spent a little too long on the floor".
Wenger, largely philosophical, bridled at the allegation. "He always wants to play," said the manager, "and when he's down it's because he's been kicked."
As the player lies stretched out on the turf, the impression is really of a man who has had too many injuries, too frequent surgery and too many slogs through the rehabilitation process. When the physio comes on, Vieira must be dreading bad news.
To Blackburn's cost, he did not shrink from the contest itself and showed a self-restraint which Wenger noted with pride: "Imagine the Vieira of six years ago - you know how it would have finished. He has maturity now."
As the captain controlled himself, the referee, Steve Dunn, imposed too little discipline, perhaps because he was overly wary of marring a showpiece fixture. David Thompson might easily have received a second yellow card and the substitute Robbie Savage would have merited a straight red.
Whereas the influence of the officials was intermittent, Arsenal's authority was unfaltering.
The breakthrough was denied by the reliably excellent Brad Friedel, but in the 42nd minute Robert Pires bagged the goal that put the game beyond the reach of a Blackburn side lacking in creativity. Vieira piloted the ball to Kolo Toure, who controlled it with his left foot before turning inside Lucas Neill and whipping the ball across the six-yard line with his right.
An appreciative Pires converted easily.
Arsenal also have a batch of youngsters who have amassed experience, and Robin van Persie enjoys new standing after his outing here.
The striker came to Arsenal from Feyenoord for only £3.5 million because of his reputation as an unstable character. A seven-minute showing in this semi-final does not dispel all concerns about him, but it did demonstrate, more emphatically than ever, why he is worth the trouble.
There were overtones of Dennis Bergkamp about van Persie's turn away from Neill, jink round Andy Todd and slotted finish for Arsenal's second. The next goal was a gorgeously flighted effort from a Pires cutback. As he turned away he took an arm in the face from Todd, but it will be impossible to prove intent and Arsenal have punished Blackburn sufficiently.
Sol Campbell may not be ready to make his comeback on Wednesday and Wenger expects Thierry Henry still to be missing, but the side travel to meet Chelsea in high spirits.
Guardian Service
