THEY have handled the best, now they are ready to take on the rest.

After seeing off Fowler and Owen, cancelling out Viduka, Keane and Kewell then proving more than a match for Bergkamp, Henry and Wiltord, the Wanderers' back four have won the respect of the Premiership.

It isn't a grudging respect either.

Anthony Barness, Gudni Bergsson, Mike Whitlow and Simon Charlton might not have figured in too many "fantasy football" line-ups but their reputation is growing with every impressive performance they turn in and every precious point they bank.

"Hopefully that will bode well for us," Barness said, counting the scalps they have taken so far. We've played against these players and done well so it's in our hands now whether we continue to do well against the other strikers in the Premiership and prove that we can do it more than on just the one-off occasion. It's been a great start now, hopefully, we can all grow as a unit."

Though proud of their clean sheets against Leicester, Middlesbrough and Leeds, the events of the day and the strength and quality of the opposition prompted Sam Allardyce to describe the Highbury draw as "the best result of the season".

It would have been a different story but for the heroics which thwarted the Gunners' best efforts for 76 minutes then limiting them to just the one, enabling Rod Wallace and Michael Ricketts to fashion a stunning and priceless equaliser.

There were good blocks and lucky blocks, cool interceptions and downright dramatic ones and a crucial clearance off the line by Charlton to prevent Matthew Upson putting the game beyond Wanderers' reach at 2-0.

But nothing was more breathtakingly dramatic than the Barness toe-poke that took the ball off Thierry Henry's forehead when the Frenchman looked sure to net the winner in the dying minutes.

"I nearly ripped my hamstring," the Londoner joked after going full stretch to make the clearance.

"It was one of those last ditch things. Everyone was throwing themselves in the way of everything ... you're just glad when one of your tackles makes a difference."