SHOULD Arsenal have kept Andrey Arshavin on the field, rather than substituting him after 18 minutes of the second half? Certainly his bright, confident display was the chief consolation of the afternoon for Arsenal fans, who have clearly taken him to their hearts.

A late chance that fell to substitute Carlos Vela, who sliced a loose ball wide, was the final opportunity for the Gunners to break down a Sunderland defence which entrenched itself virtually throughout the second half.

Sunderland’s hero was Marton Fulop, their defiant goalkeeper. He made save after save with splendid courage, anticipation and agility, and was more than equal to the test when high crosses came in.

Late in the first half, when Robin van Persie curled in a right-wing corner to which Kolo Toure got his head, Fulop was for once beaten, but Andy Reid was there to clear off the line. In the next minute, when the enterprising Toure struck again, Fulop dived to save.

Sunderland, who had only a frustrated Kenwyne Jones up front in the first half, did show pleasing initiative at times, especially in the form of captain Dean Whitehead, who in quick succession had a couple of substantial strikes at goal. The first of them, after 19 minutes, saw him rapidly pursue a well-judged through-ball from Tal Ben-Haim, but the Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia courageously and narrowly beat him to the ball with a dive at his feet. Four minutes later Whitehead broke through in an inside-right position but Almunia threw himself to tip the ball away.

We already know that Arshavin is capable of the cleverly intricate. He is small but his prowess on the field shows what a physically democratic game football still is, despite the increase in athleticism. As early as the sixth minute, when Reid carelessly passed square across his own defence, the ubiquitous Arshavin, never ready to be confined to the right wing, shot from an inside-left position just wide of the post.

Later, receiving in an inside-right position, he drove in a left-footed shot at which Fulop threw himself to tip round the post. On the half hour, this time exploiting the right flank, he crossed for Nicklas Bendtner to send in a header which the ever-alert Fulop saved in similar fashion.

Late in the first half he saved again, this time from a deflected shot by Bendtner. While late in the second half he had substantially less to do, he comfortably took another effort by Van Persie. He frustrated Arsenal to the last when Van Persie, receiving from Bendtner, fired a shot which the keeper saved resiliently.

The slightly embarrassing truth was that when Sunderland shut up shop in the second half, Arsenal did not really know what to do about it.

Watching from the stands was Paul Davis, arguably the Last of the Mohicans, that’s to say the Gunners’ last creative inside-forward in the tradition of Alex James, Jimmy Logie and Liam Brady. You wondered how much difference such a playmaker might have made to a pedestrian midfield. “We missed our chances,” admitted Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. “I believe that they tried to frustrate us. They never came out, especially in the second half. The team gives everything, the attitude is very, very good, but in the final third at the moment we are not as efficient as we might be. It is very difficult when teams come here; they have one colossus up front. We have to learn to deal with that.”

Of Arshavin, he said: “He has talent. He’s not fit enough; but that can come. When he can be more on the ball he can affect the game in the final third. He nearly scored two goals. He can play anywhere from the right to the left or around the strikers.”

Ricky Sbragia, Sunderland’s manager, said: “We had a lot of luck. You need it when you come to clubs like this. When they hit the target, I thought Marton Fulop was excellent. The keeper made four or five decent saves.

“We knew we’d be under pressure; that’s why we had that system, to frustrate them. We’re actually delighted to come here and get a point.”

The big freeze

Arsenal have become the latest Premier League club to freeze admission prices for next season. Tottenham and Hull are among those who have already announced freezes. The sight of empty seats at Monday’s FA Cup replay when two goals from Eduardo, inset, helped Arsenal beat Cardiff 4-0 might have prompted the decision. The official attendance was 57,237, but many believe there were fewer inside the Emirates. Arsenal fans, though, will be hit with an additional cost because of their progress in the FA Cup and Champions League. Season ticket holders receive seven cup-tie credits, but that number will be reached when they play Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday. This means that the cost of the ticket for the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Burnley for season ticket holders who want to go, and any subsequent home cup ties, will be added to their bills for next season.

ARSENAL: Almunia 8, Sagna 6, Toure 7, Gallas 6, Clichy 6 (Gibbs 85min), Arshavin 6 (Vela 63min), Song 6 (Eboue 78min), Denilson 6, Nasri 6, Bendtner 7, Van Persie 7

SUNDERLAND: Fulop 9, Ben-Haim 6, Ferdinand 6, Collins 6, McCartney 6, Malbranque 6, Tainio 6 (Leadbitter 75min), Whitehead 7, Richardson 6, Reid 6 (Murphy 78min), Jones 6 (Edwards 88min)