Despite the impressive scoreline of a 5-1 win on aggregate, I came away from the 2nd leg in a relatively bad mood. The standard of play was poor despite all the goals being constructed in a good way. The main reason for the downswing of my mood was the big talking point of the game, the Eduardo dive. Yes, it was a dive, but that should not take anything away from the build-up play which was quite frankly excellent, and then a mind boggling bit of quick thinking by Eduardo to slip the ball by two defenders. Did the carefully and skilfully constructed build-up get a mention? Not a jot. According to the commentators and analysers in the studio, had Eduardo not dived, Celtic would have got their way back into the match and would have gone on to win overall. As if Arsenal wouldn't have found other ways to score. And that goes for the two goals in the first leg, yes they were fortunate goals, but do you really think that if they hadn't gone in, Arsenal wouldn't have found another way to score?
My bad mood continued when Donati scored a consolation for Celtic. The commentators again insinuating that Celtic deserved more, when in reality, that was their first shot on target. Not only does that mean again no clean sheat (which looks like it'll be a challenge for us this year), but it gives reason for Celtic fans to think their team are good again. Which clearly they aren't. Luckily Arsenal scored two nice goals to finish with, because at 3-0 on aggregate, it was clear the excuse was their for Celtic fans to say Arsenal fluked their way through the tie (and conveniently ignoring the hugh gulf of quality between the two teams).
Then we get on to Dalgleish who was unbelievably biased towards Celtic especially at half time. The disallowed goal for Celtic which saw McDonald loiter about a yard and a half offside before sticking the ball in the net, was apparently 'tight' according to the slow-talking scotsman. And the reason for the difference in ability in the two sides is not because Arsenal are miles better, but because Celtic don't play teams of the kind of quality that Arsenal do week-in, week-out.
The bad mood actually started half an hour before kick-off when I saw the starting line-up which was woefully uninspired. There was no creative central midfielder (I was rather hoping one of either Ramsey or Merida would start), and then there was Eboue and Sagna in the same eleven. Indicating that Eboue would be playing out of position, normally never a good sign. As it was, Eboue turned out to be one our better players, and thoroughly deserved our goal. In fact, the highlight of the match for me was to see Eboue chase the ball the whole width of the pitch, forcing the Celtic players not to go forward but to go back. Eboue very much deserved the cheer he got from the home crowd. A cheer that co-commentator Jim Beglin managed to mistake as a goodwill cheer from the Arsenal fans to the Celtic players for managing to keep the ball...retard.
Anyway, despite all the negatives, which in retrospect I may have overreacted to, there were a few positives. Fantastic performances by Vermaelen and Song complemented by the aforementioned Eboue. The second goal was wonderful. Started by a piercing ball down the left by Clichy, Bendtner flicked a delightful backheel into the path of Diaby who gave it to Eboue. The Ivorian side stepped whichever woeful Celtic player was in the way and drilled it low past the rather chubby Boruc. The third goal involved neat play by Denilson, Arshavin and Ramsey, with the Russian finishing off with aplomb.
No match ratings today 'cause I'm pissed off. 10 for Vermaelen though and 8 for both Eboue and Song.
Ok I guess that's all for now. I'm going on holiday on saturday which means I'll miss the Man Utd match, something I was seriously considering scrapping my holiday plans for. So I'll be back when I get back.
'Til then.
p.s. Vermaelen is the best defender in the league.
p.p.s I'm now sitting with two wannabe ManUre fans, a QPR fan, and a nothing. God help me.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Arsenal 4 - 1 Portsmouth
10 goals in 2 games, can't say fairer than that. Add to that the fact that we've already seen goal of the season. You know which one I'm talking about. Instead of choosing the easier option of smashing the ball into a virtually empty net when it landed to him, William Gallas showed his glass by letting the ball role up his body before calmly tucking it away with his face into the corner where David James couldn't reach it.
In terms of match ratings, everyone got a 10. Well done for Ramsey, hugely impressive. I was also very impressed with Denilson, sure he may underhit a few (hundred) passes but his defensive anticipation is incredible, especially for someone of his age. I often lose count of the number of interceptions he makes during a match.
Oh and Diaby. He was playing as a kind of impact central midfielder, as opposed to the likes of Fabregas and Denilson who control the midfield. It worked very well, and he had a very good game.
Cesc faces tests today concerning a slight hamstring injury, but as I stated in my pre-match blog, he probably should have been rested anyway.
Celtic on Wednesday. Can't wait.
'Til then Gooners.
In terms of match ratings, everyone got a 10. Well done for Ramsey, hugely impressive. I was also very impressed with Denilson, sure he may underhit a few (hundred) passes but his defensive anticipation is incredible, especially for someone of his age. I often lose count of the number of interceptions he makes during a match.
Oh and Diaby. He was playing as a kind of impact central midfielder, as opposed to the likes of Fabregas and Denilson who control the midfield. It worked very well, and he had a very good game.
Cesc faces tests today concerning a slight hamstring injury, but as I stated in my pre-match blog, he probably should have been rested anyway.
Celtic on Wednesday. Can't wait.
'Til then Gooners.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Arsenal - Portsmouth, and more....
To be blunt, this is a game we should win, and in fact a game we need to win. It may sound silly that after only one game in the premier league, we encounter a must-win game, but it is so. ManUre lost midweek against Burnley (good old Burnley). Our next match in the league, after this one, is against Man Utd, therefore we must maintain a 3 point gap in case (heaven forbid) we lose against them. Portsmouth haven't got a point yet, and more importantly, haven't scored yet in the new premier league season. Coming to the Grove can't be doing much for the confidence. Nevertheless, we musn't let it slip, not that our defence have looked beatable yet this year.
In terms of Arsenal news, the usual suspects are still injured: Nasri, Fabianski, Djourou, Rosicky and Walcott. Eduardo has recovered from a scare mid-week to be available for todays match. Whether he'll start or not remains to be seen. The Guardian team predictors have plumped for Arsenal's strongest eleven for this match, in other words, the starting line-ups of the last two games. However, in my opinion, it's better that we rest a couple of players sooner rather than later when they may start suffering from fatigue. Cesc and Denilson for example, both came back from slight strains to play a full 90 minutes midweek. Perhaps Wenger would seize the opportunity of playing Portsmouth at home to rest these two. This would be a danger, as they have both been pivotal so far in the new season, so he may wish to bring them off when the points are safe. Whatever.....as long as he doesn't play Diaby and Denilson together in the centre of midfield.
Speaking of the Guardian, last week Dara O'Briain became the new guest columnist for Guardian Sport, and he happens to be an Arsenal season-ticket holder (yeah, cause he doesn't make it obvious). His second column is in todays Guardian, and I very much recommend it. Gael Clichy has also been interviewed in the Guardian, but it's all stuff we've heard before about the team wanting to win trophies, and why Arsenal are performing better without Kolo and Adewantssomemore etc. etc...
Elsewhere, there's some drivel about Patrick Vieira, and how Wenger still hasn't ruled a move out for him. I can't help but feel this is Wenger stringing along the press for a laugh, a point shown by the fact AW can hardly keep a straight face when someone asks him about it at a press conference. "Yes-snigger, yes we're definately-snigger-not ruling out a move-snigger-for Patrick Vieira-snigger." If this is so, I find it quite endearing that our manager is so nerdy, that he finds that to be amusing.
Right, well it may be a belated Match Report tomorrow, but the win will make up for that.
'Til later Gooners.
In terms of Arsenal news, the usual suspects are still injured: Nasri, Fabianski, Djourou, Rosicky and Walcott. Eduardo has recovered from a scare mid-week to be available for todays match. Whether he'll start or not remains to be seen. The Guardian team predictors have plumped for Arsenal's strongest eleven for this match, in other words, the starting line-ups of the last two games. However, in my opinion, it's better that we rest a couple of players sooner rather than later when they may start suffering from fatigue. Cesc and Denilson for example, both came back from slight strains to play a full 90 minutes midweek. Perhaps Wenger would seize the opportunity of playing Portsmouth at home to rest these two. This would be a danger, as they have both been pivotal so far in the new season, so he may wish to bring them off when the points are safe. Whatever.....as long as he doesn't play Diaby and Denilson together in the centre of midfield.
Speaking of the Guardian, last week Dara O'Briain became the new guest columnist for Guardian Sport, and he happens to be an Arsenal season-ticket holder (yeah, cause he doesn't make it obvious). His second column is in todays Guardian, and I very much recommend it. Gael Clichy has also been interviewed in the Guardian, but it's all stuff we've heard before about the team wanting to win trophies, and why Arsenal are performing better without Kolo and Adewantssomemore etc. etc...
Elsewhere, there's some drivel about Patrick Vieira, and how Wenger still hasn't ruled a move out for him. I can't help but feel this is Wenger stringing along the press for a laugh, a point shown by the fact AW can hardly keep a straight face when someone asks him about it at a press conference. "Yes-snigger, yes we're definately-snigger-not ruling out a move-snigger-for Patrick Vieira-snigger." If this is so, I find it quite endearing that our manager is so nerdy, that he finds that to be amusing.
Right, well it may be a belated Match Report tomorrow, but the win will make up for that.
'Til later Gooners.
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Celtic 0 - 2 Arsenal
It is a measure of how poor the standard is in the Scottish league these days that Arsenal could come to a place, where history shows is a difficult place for the best of teams to play, and come away with a comfortable 2-0 victory without having played outstandingly well. Make no mistake, we were in control the whole game, and the difference of quality between the two teams was frankly embarrassing at times. Arsenal played almost better defensively than offensively in this match. So poor was the ability of the Celtic players that all Arsenal needed to do was close them down all over the park, and the Celtic players would panic and give the ball away. Arsenal lined up with exactly the same formation and players as the game against Everton at the weekend, with Denilson being passed fit at the last second. Of course that didn't prevent him from playing a full 90 minutes. Nothing could prevent that. It was strange to see only one substitute used (Diaby for Arshavin) especially as a couple of players were coming back from some slight niggles.
Both goals had an element of luck about them, but that's not to say we didn't deserve them. The first goal came from Gallas who was desperately trying to get out of the way of a Fabregas freekick that looked like it was heading for the top corner. As it was, the ball skimmed Gallas' back and deflected into the far corner, completely fooling Boruc. The second goal came from Diaby who had only just come on (a future role as an impact sub potentially?), he fed the ball to Clichy who whipped in a low ball into the six yard box that Caldwell deflected into his own net. In all fairness to Caldwell, he had to get something on it, otherwise Bendtner would have been on hand to tuck it home.
On the subject of Bendtner, this match showed his importance to the team, especially in this 4-3-3 formation. I believe the team plays better when he is on the pitch, and that is because of all the front 3 players, Bendtner works the hardest and tracks back the most. Therefore it is very useful playing him on one of the wings, as well as the fact he towers over every full-back in the country. Another players who impressed was Fabregas, who ran his socks off the whole game. His passing was a bit sloppy at times, but he must have covered more ground than the rest of the team put together. I would have liked to have seen Cesc replaced by Ramsey to give him a rest, but this didn't happen. Vermaelen has continued his excellent start for Arsenal. He reads the game so brilliantly, to cover behind the other defender or to make interceptions. He's also not afraid of a good hard challenge. Excellent. Gallas also excelled, and it's nice to see the two first choice defenders building a good partnership. We haven't had a good central defensive partnership since Toure and Campbell. My man of the match however was Alex Song. Who said we needed a new defensive midfielder? (Seriously though, another DM would do nicely, even if Song is first choice).
What has impressed me so much about these opening two games is Arsenal closing down the opposition players, not just in defence, but all over the pitch. The lads are displaying levels of fitness I'm not sure I was aware of this soon after pre-season. Wenger, Rice and Colbert must really have put them through their paces in Austria. Arsenal also proved that they're working hard at adding a physical dimension to the game. In a match where Celtic were coming in late to challenges so much it looked purposeful, Arsenal never got intimidated and always held their own and got stuck back in.
I can't think of many negatives from the game. Perhaps a little note just to say Denilson was back to his old tricks of woefully underhit passes, the rest of his game though was impressive enough. That's it really. As indicated earlier, Arsenal didn't need to play that impressive a game. Continually closing down the Celtic players was enough to win us the first leg. It was hard to pick out a low point for Celtic, but in the end I've plumped for Donati (who seems to have the aura of one of Celtic's star players just because he arrived from Italy). I don't think I can remember a pass of his reaching the target destination. He should also have been booked for a challenge on Cesc right in front of their area, but unfortnately the Ref missed it.
Right that's all for now. We play and will win against Portsmouth on Saturday. Something to look forward to.
'Til then Gooners.
Both goals had an element of luck about them, but that's not to say we didn't deserve them. The first goal came from Gallas who was desperately trying to get out of the way of a Fabregas freekick that looked like it was heading for the top corner. As it was, the ball skimmed Gallas' back and deflected into the far corner, completely fooling Boruc. The second goal came from Diaby who had only just come on (a future role as an impact sub potentially?), he fed the ball to Clichy who whipped in a low ball into the six yard box that Caldwell deflected into his own net. In all fairness to Caldwell, he had to get something on it, otherwise Bendtner would have been on hand to tuck it home.
On the subject of Bendtner, this match showed his importance to the team, especially in this 4-3-3 formation. I believe the team plays better when he is on the pitch, and that is because of all the front 3 players, Bendtner works the hardest and tracks back the most. Therefore it is very useful playing him on one of the wings, as well as the fact he towers over every full-back in the country. Another players who impressed was Fabregas, who ran his socks off the whole game. His passing was a bit sloppy at times, but he must have covered more ground than the rest of the team put together. I would have liked to have seen Cesc replaced by Ramsey to give him a rest, but this didn't happen. Vermaelen has continued his excellent start for Arsenal. He reads the game so brilliantly, to cover behind the other defender or to make interceptions. He's also not afraid of a good hard challenge. Excellent. Gallas also excelled, and it's nice to see the two first choice defenders building a good partnership. We haven't had a good central defensive partnership since Toure and Campbell. My man of the match however was Alex Song. Who said we needed a new defensive midfielder? (Seriously though, another DM would do nicely, even if Song is first choice).
What has impressed me so much about these opening two games is Arsenal closing down the opposition players, not just in defence, but all over the pitch. The lads are displaying levels of fitness I'm not sure I was aware of this soon after pre-season. Wenger, Rice and Colbert must really have put them through their paces in Austria. Arsenal also proved that they're working hard at adding a physical dimension to the game. In a match where Celtic were coming in late to challenges so much it looked purposeful, Arsenal never got intimidated and always held their own and got stuck back in.
I can't think of many negatives from the game. Perhaps a little note just to say Denilson was back to his old tricks of woefully underhit passes, the rest of his game though was impressive enough. That's it really. As indicated earlier, Arsenal didn't need to play that impressive a game. Continually closing down the Celtic players was enough to win us the first leg. It was hard to pick out a low point for Celtic, but in the end I've plumped for Donati (who seems to have the aura of one of Celtic's star players just because he arrived from Italy). I don't think I can remember a pass of his reaching the target destination. He should also have been booked for a challenge on Cesc right in front of their area, but unfortnately the Ref missed it.
Right that's all for now. We play and will win against Portsmouth on Saturday. Something to look forward to.
'Til then Gooners.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Celtic - Arsenal
Tonight, we play the first leg, the away leg, of the European champions league qualifiers against Celtic. Not the easiest draw we could have got, but by far not the hardest. What makes me laugh about the fans of Celtic and Rangers is that they think their teams are fantastic, up there with the best in the world. In reality Rangers and Celtic would struggle not to get relegated after a season in the premiership. Having said that, in the past few seasons Celtic have had good results against teams like ManU, AC Milan and Villarreal at Parkhead. We have to be on our guard, but the difference between talent in the two teams is huge, and should we lose, it's because we have thrown it away. Arsene highlights Aiden McGeady as the biggest threat eminating from the green and white of Celtic. I have to say I agree with him, the Irish wideman does have an inkling of talent, other than that Giorgos Samaras will be out to prove the point against an English side that he isn't a total failure.
On to Arsenal news. Abou Diaby is once again fully fit, although for how long remains to be seen. Fabregas is a slight doubt although Wenger rates his chances of playing as much more than 50%. Denilson is a bigger problem, with a groin injury, and Walcott's return keeps getting delayed. Other than that, the usual suspects who weren't available for Everton once again won't be gracing the field of play: Fabianski, Djourou, Nasri and Rosicky. Wenger promises to play the strongest team that is available to him, as he keeps pressing that this is a tricky clash. Thus the team may be very similar to that which played against Everton:
We'll have to wait and see. Enjoy the game Gooners, and after this it's only a few days til we annihilate Portsmouth at home. I'll be back after the match.
'Til then.
On to Arsenal news. Abou Diaby is once again fully fit, although for how long remains to be seen. Fabregas is a slight doubt although Wenger rates his chances of playing as much more than 50%. Denilson is a bigger problem, with a groin injury, and Walcott's return keeps getting delayed. Other than that, the usual suspects who weren't available for Everton once again won't be gracing the field of play: Fabianski, Djourou, Nasri and Rosicky. Wenger promises to play the strongest team that is available to him, as he keeps pressing that this is a tricky clash. Thus the team may be very similar to that which played against Everton:
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Song
Fabregas(c) Diaby
Bendtner v.Persie Arshavin
We'll have to wait and see. Enjoy the game Gooners, and after this it's only a few days til we annihilate Portsmouth at home. I'll be back after the match.
'Til then.
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Everton 1 - 6 Arsenal
It says a lot about Arsenal fans' reputation of moaning and whining when at 3-0 up at half time, the only thought that was going through my head was "we better not f*** this up". The point exemplified when at full time I was pissed off that we hadn't kept a clean sheat. In all honesty though, it was a stunning display by everyone. The starting line-up was exactly as I had predicted, showing the 4-3-3 we've become accustomed to during pre-season.
Everton started as you would expect from the home side, on the offensive and looking like the home side. However things soon changed. Overall the first half was pretty equal in terms of possession and chances, but Arsenal were formidable and clinical in front of goal. Something that perhaps has been lacking in previous seasons despite the many created chances. The first goal was something particularly splendid. And actually something I certainly did not expect from Denilson. No disrespect to Denilson intended, I mean we have seen him score a right stonker in the past in the Carling Cup, but it's not something you see often and especially not from our tidy defensive midfielder. The goal's main highlight obviously was the strike, but the build up play (neat work by both Nik B and Cesc) was also worthy of note. Arguably another aspect of football that has been lacking from Arsenal's play is good delivery from set pieces. Luckily, two stunning deliveries from van Persie and Fabregas respectively led to two great finishes by our two centre-backs, Vermaelen and Gallas respectively.
The 4th goal came a few minutes into the second half, and was a simply breathtaking counter-attack. Breathtaking maybe not the word as it had started and was finished in less time than it took to draw breath. Denilson strolled out of defence after a period of sustained pressure by the home side. The Brazillian fed van Persie, who slipped it into the path of a typical late Cesc run out of nowhere and the skipper duly slotted home through the legs of Tim Howard. There was just about time for the inevitable Eboue appearance as he came on for the impressive Bendtner before Cesc scored again. It was good to see the side mix it up as the 5th goal came about purely by intelligent distribution by Almunia, once again Cesc duly obliged with a nice driven finish from around 20 yards out. Eduardo was on hand for the sixth, with a typical poachers finish.
Although it was a tad annoying that the scoreline was tarnished by a late Evertonian consolation goal, the defence could not be blamed at all throughout the match. Vermaelen's debut was mightly impressive, not only because of his goal. It was our first time to see him in a testing game and he did not disappoint. During the match he showed the uncanny knack of reading the game as easily as if it were a child's book. Vermaelen was also impressive aerially, more than making up for the fact he's by far not the tallest centre back in the premier league. The reason I'm singling Vermaelen out is for the mere fact that he was our summer signing, but that shouldn't take anything away from the fact that everyone in the defence was incredibly robust throughout. The midfield was tidy, creative and more than willing to join in with the offensive play, but the forwards today were simply phenomenal. Arshavin, van Persie and Bendtner showed sublime movement on, and off the ball as well as wonderful understanding of each other. It is easy to say that Everton were bad, and they were, but most of the time Arsenal made them play badly by harrying every Everton player and constantly closing down giving them no time on the ball. All in all, a brilliant performance therefore defensively as well as going forward.
And so on to the player ratings:
Almunia - 7. 7 is a tad harsh, but he did not have too much to do in particular in the second half. What was impressive though was, that when called upon during the rare Everton opportunities, he didn't make up for the fact that he had little to do by coming for a cross that should never have been his et.c. He was exceptionally dominant during crosses and free-kicks and, as an Arsenal fan who has seen a few too many goals conceded from set-pieces, for that I am very grateful.
Sagna - 8. My skeptical eye did spy a few embarrassing crosses but as whole they were better than any Sagna cross I can remember. Defensively solid as ever.
Clichy - 8. Was involved throughout the game, not only offensively but defensively. He showed today that he is the best left-back in the premier league.
Gallas - 9. Unbelievably impressive and composed. Always had the Everton front-line in his pocket. Supplemented with a well taken goal.
Vermaelen - 9. See above, in addition to added Kudos due to it being his premier league debut.
Song - 9. Strong, composed and solid but unremarkable. Exactly what a good defensive midfielder should be.
Denilson - 8. A slightly shaky start saw the usual underhit Denilson passes, but he grew massively in confidence after his goal and bossed the midfield. The first of many full 90 minutes to be expected from Denilson this season.
Fabregas - 10. Was relieved of some pressure due to playing with two more defensively minded players. This however didn't stop him from dropping deep to collect the ball, but did allow him to arrive late in the area, to great effect. He needed some time to grow into the game, but when it arrived, what a performance. 2 goals and 2 assists from the captain.
Arshavin - 8. Lovely intricate performance from the talented and gifted Russian. He has grown a great understanding between him and van Persie, and it was evident a similar connection has occured between him and Eduardo.
Bendtner - 9. Leighton Baines (a fairly talented left-back) just could not cope with with Nik B at all. Everything good, especially in the first half, came through Nik B. Shame he didn't get the goal he so thoroughly deserved (and perhaps needs for his confidence to stay high).
v.Persie - 8.5. It is evident that he will be the pivotal player this year for Arsenal. He will drop deep when the ball is at his feet and look to play in his fellow 2 forwards. We saw glimpses today from RvP in that role we all know he can play so effectively. Onwards and upwards now for our 2008/2009 player of the Season.
Subs:
Eboue - 6. Obviously Eboue had to come on at some point. He joined as a kind of wide man somewhere between midfield and attack. Didn't really have anything to do, which is a shame as he replaced the impressive Bendtner.
Ramsey - 7. Came on for Cesc so the skipper could be rested before the meeting midweek in Glasgow. Rambo looked nice and composed as well as showing some creative glimpses.
Eduardo - 7. 7 is obviously harsh for someone who scored a goal, but there wasn't too much other than that for Eddie to do. Still, lovely that his first premier league appearance for 18 months ended with a goal.
Right. Splendid. A wonderful game, and a wonderful performance, and let's hope it continues on Tuesday.
'Til then Gooners.
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Song
Denilson Fabregas(c)
Bendtner v.Persie Arshavin
Everton started as you would expect from the home side, on the offensive and looking like the home side. However things soon changed. Overall the first half was pretty equal in terms of possession and chances, but Arsenal were formidable and clinical in front of goal. Something that perhaps has been lacking in previous seasons despite the many created chances. The first goal was something particularly splendid. And actually something I certainly did not expect from Denilson. No disrespect to Denilson intended, I mean we have seen him score a right stonker in the past in the Carling Cup, but it's not something you see often and especially not from our tidy defensive midfielder. The goal's main highlight obviously was the strike, but the build up play (neat work by both Nik B and Cesc) was also worthy of note. Arguably another aspect of football that has been lacking from Arsenal's play is good delivery from set pieces. Luckily, two stunning deliveries from van Persie and Fabregas respectively led to two great finishes by our two centre-backs, Vermaelen and Gallas respectively.
The 4th goal came a few minutes into the second half, and was a simply breathtaking counter-attack. Breathtaking maybe not the word as it had started and was finished in less time than it took to draw breath. Denilson strolled out of defence after a period of sustained pressure by the home side. The Brazillian fed van Persie, who slipped it into the path of a typical late Cesc run out of nowhere and the skipper duly slotted home through the legs of Tim Howard. There was just about time for the inevitable Eboue appearance as he came on for the impressive Bendtner before Cesc scored again. It was good to see the side mix it up as the 5th goal came about purely by intelligent distribution by Almunia, once again Cesc duly obliged with a nice driven finish from around 20 yards out. Eduardo was on hand for the sixth, with a typical poachers finish.
Although it was a tad annoying that the scoreline was tarnished by a late Evertonian consolation goal, the defence could not be blamed at all throughout the match. Vermaelen's debut was mightly impressive, not only because of his goal. It was our first time to see him in a testing game and he did not disappoint. During the match he showed the uncanny knack of reading the game as easily as if it were a child's book. Vermaelen was also impressive aerially, more than making up for the fact he's by far not the tallest centre back in the premier league. The reason I'm singling Vermaelen out is for the mere fact that he was our summer signing, but that shouldn't take anything away from the fact that everyone in the defence was incredibly robust throughout. The midfield was tidy, creative and more than willing to join in with the offensive play, but the forwards today were simply phenomenal. Arshavin, van Persie and Bendtner showed sublime movement on, and off the ball as well as wonderful understanding of each other. It is easy to say that Everton were bad, and they were, but most of the time Arsenal made them play badly by harrying every Everton player and constantly closing down giving them no time on the ball. All in all, a brilliant performance therefore defensively as well as going forward.
And so on to the player ratings:
Almunia - 7. 7 is a tad harsh, but he did not have too much to do in particular in the second half. What was impressive though was, that when called upon during the rare Everton opportunities, he didn't make up for the fact that he had little to do by coming for a cross that should never have been his et.c. He was exceptionally dominant during crosses and free-kicks and, as an Arsenal fan who has seen a few too many goals conceded from set-pieces, for that I am very grateful.
Sagna - 8. My skeptical eye did spy a few embarrassing crosses but as whole they were better than any Sagna cross I can remember. Defensively solid as ever.
Clichy - 8. Was involved throughout the game, not only offensively but defensively. He showed today that he is the best left-back in the premier league.
Gallas - 9. Unbelievably impressive and composed. Always had the Everton front-line in his pocket. Supplemented with a well taken goal.
Vermaelen - 9. See above, in addition to added Kudos due to it being his premier league debut.
Song - 9. Strong, composed and solid but unremarkable. Exactly what a good defensive midfielder should be.
Denilson - 8. A slightly shaky start saw the usual underhit Denilson passes, but he grew massively in confidence after his goal and bossed the midfield. The first of many full 90 minutes to be expected from Denilson this season.
Fabregas - 10. Was relieved of some pressure due to playing with two more defensively minded players. This however didn't stop him from dropping deep to collect the ball, but did allow him to arrive late in the area, to great effect. He needed some time to grow into the game, but when it arrived, what a performance. 2 goals and 2 assists from the captain.
Arshavin - 8. Lovely intricate performance from the talented and gifted Russian. He has grown a great understanding between him and van Persie, and it was evident a similar connection has occured between him and Eduardo.
Bendtner - 9. Leighton Baines (a fairly talented left-back) just could not cope with with Nik B at all. Everything good, especially in the first half, came through Nik B. Shame he didn't get the goal he so thoroughly deserved (and perhaps needs for his confidence to stay high).
v.Persie - 8.5. It is evident that he will be the pivotal player this year for Arsenal. He will drop deep when the ball is at his feet and look to play in his fellow 2 forwards. We saw glimpses today from RvP in that role we all know he can play so effectively. Onwards and upwards now for our 2008/2009 player of the Season.
Subs:
Eboue - 6. Obviously Eboue had to come on at some point. He joined as a kind of wide man somewhere between midfield and attack. Didn't really have anything to do, which is a shame as he replaced the impressive Bendtner.
Ramsey - 7. Came on for Cesc so the skipper could be rested before the meeting midweek in Glasgow. Rambo looked nice and composed as well as showing some creative glimpses.
Eduardo - 7. 7 is obviously harsh for someone who scored a goal, but there wasn't too much other than that for Eddie to do. Still, lovely that his first premier league appearance for 18 months ended with a goal.
Right. Splendid. A wonderful game, and a wonderful performance, and let's hope it continues on Tuesday.
'Til then Gooners.
Friday, 14 August 2009
Everton - Arsenal
As we go in to the start of the premier league campaign tomorrow, it becomes apparent that old habits die hard. Before the season has started we already have a fairly substantial injury list. Rosicky has picked up the inevitable post-lengthy-injury-knock that only Arsenal players seem to get a severe case of; Fabianski appears to be having a little struggle getting back into his stride after some surgery; Djourou picked up a little muscle pull whilst training for the Swiss national team; Diaby....well Diaby always has something or another; Walcott for some reason isn't available; and there's obviously Nasri. It must be stated that Wenger believes Diaby could be available, although whether that's a good thing I'm still not sure.
Don't get me wrong, I really hope Diaby wins me over this year, because it is obvious he's got a fair bit of talent there. At the moment however, his mentality is completely off. As well as always looking intimidated by the opposition (despite his size), Diaby also manages to look like he doesn't have to be there, and could have been somewhere else should that have taken his fancy. But the problem isn't all mental. His passing isn't quite up to scratch, and this is something which oddly has got worse during his Arsenal career. If Arsenal are on the counter attack and the ball falls to Diaby, he will spend too long looking for a pass, and when the opportunity does arise he'll pass the ball 10 yards behind the path of an on-rushing support player. If I'm absolutely honest I see Merida as a more effective player for Arsenal, not because he's a better all-round player (although that is debatable) but because he fits perfectly with the Arsenal style of play. An argument could be made that Diaby is useful because he gives us diversity. Well, diversity is only good if effective, and at the moment, it isn't effective enough of the time.
Speaking of Merida, there has been no conformation as of yet about his loan move. And according to Jeorge Bird, a list of players eligible to play in Europe has just been submitted, and his name is on it. It is my feeling that Wenger has just held back in releasing Merida on loan because of the sudden shortage of truly attacking central players (Nasri, Rosicky, Diaby et.c). Similarly I have a sneaky suspision that AW has also held back on selling Senderos to Everton until after we play them. I don't have any evidence for this, it's just the cynic in me speaking.
Anyway, back to the imminent league campaign. After all the pre-season friendlies I go into the season extremely excited due to the wonderful football we've been playing (on and off). I think the team have the cohesion to finish second this year, and we're only another centre back and defensive midfield beast away from dominating the world. We do have an exceptionally tricky start to the campaign, with Everton, ManUre and Citeh all coming in the first four matches, but after that we have a nice run all the way to late November when we meet the Chavs. Hopefully that will mean a nice build up of momentum and by Christmas we will still be up there within a shout of winning overall despite having played the rest of the top 3 plus Citeh and the Spuds.
We shouldn't underestimate tomorrows game. The first game of the season rarely goes by the rule book. Arsenal are obviously the better team, but everyone's second favourite manager (apart from Sir Bobby Robson (RIP)) Moyes has built a dynasty at Everton, and they are difficult to break down at all times, especially at Goodison park. Due to the fact it's away, I believe Arsene will have a slightly more defensive look to his side. Despite Denilson not being in the squad at all for the friendly against Valencia with no explanation (perhaps Wenger realised at last that his love child needed a break), I do expect him to start tomorrow, potentially alongside Song. Out of all the injury palava there has been some good news in that Vermaelen has returned from a slight muscle strain. And that means no Silvestre at centre-back (touch wood). So this means the Starting Line-up for Everton vs. Arsenal will be (probably, but maybe not):
I think Arsenal will sneak the win in the end, surviving a tough battle from the home side. I cannot wait. The match is a late kick-off at 17.30, presumably to extend my anguish and angst.
Elsewhere, there is no news on any potential signings. Everything has gone cold with the Chamakh case, presumably because Bordeaux are being short-sighted stubborn gits and not realising that £6million now is better than nothing in a years time. Hodgson and Hangeland are going on about being focussed on the game, and not thinking about Arsenal speculation. Although amidst all this fuss it's been forgotten that there haven't really been any rumours surrounding Hangeland to Arsenal for some time. Hodgson and Hangeland are making all the noise about it, thus they are creating all the trouble for themselves.
Well, I thought I'd end this article as I started it. With an example of old habits dying hard. Interviewed before their match against Man City tomorrow, Blackburn player David Dunn said: "It's important we do our best and kick lumps out of them". It's not hard to see why Sam Allardyce was such a natural choice as Blackburn manager.
It's time to be optimistic Gooners. I'll be back tomorrow for a report on our win against Everton.
'Til then.
Don't get me wrong, I really hope Diaby wins me over this year, because it is obvious he's got a fair bit of talent there. At the moment however, his mentality is completely off. As well as always looking intimidated by the opposition (despite his size), Diaby also manages to look like he doesn't have to be there, and could have been somewhere else should that have taken his fancy. But the problem isn't all mental. His passing isn't quite up to scratch, and this is something which oddly has got worse during his Arsenal career. If Arsenal are on the counter attack and the ball falls to Diaby, he will spend too long looking for a pass, and when the opportunity does arise he'll pass the ball 10 yards behind the path of an on-rushing support player. If I'm absolutely honest I see Merida as a more effective player for Arsenal, not because he's a better all-round player (although that is debatable) but because he fits perfectly with the Arsenal style of play. An argument could be made that Diaby is useful because he gives us diversity. Well, diversity is only good if effective, and at the moment, it isn't effective enough of the time.
Speaking of Merida, there has been no conformation as of yet about his loan move. And according to Jeorge Bird, a list of players eligible to play in Europe has just been submitted, and his name is on it. It is my feeling that Wenger has just held back in releasing Merida on loan because of the sudden shortage of truly attacking central players (Nasri, Rosicky, Diaby et.c). Similarly I have a sneaky suspision that AW has also held back on selling Senderos to Everton until after we play them. I don't have any evidence for this, it's just the cynic in me speaking.
Anyway, back to the imminent league campaign. After all the pre-season friendlies I go into the season extremely excited due to the wonderful football we've been playing (on and off). I think the team have the cohesion to finish second this year, and we're only another centre back and defensive midfield beast away from dominating the world. We do have an exceptionally tricky start to the campaign, with Everton, ManUre and Citeh all coming in the first four matches, but after that we have a nice run all the way to late November when we meet the Chavs. Hopefully that will mean a nice build up of momentum and by Christmas we will still be up there within a shout of winning overall despite having played the rest of the top 3 plus Citeh and the Spuds.
We shouldn't underestimate tomorrows game. The first game of the season rarely goes by the rule book. Arsenal are obviously the better team, but everyone's second favourite manager (apart from Sir Bobby Robson (RIP)) Moyes has built a dynasty at Everton, and they are difficult to break down at all times, especially at Goodison park. Due to the fact it's away, I believe Arsene will have a slightly more defensive look to his side. Despite Denilson not being in the squad at all for the friendly against Valencia with no explanation (perhaps Wenger realised at last that his love child needed a break), I do expect him to start tomorrow, potentially alongside Song. Out of all the injury palava there has been some good news in that Vermaelen has returned from a slight muscle strain. And that means no Silvestre at centre-back (touch wood). So this means the Starting Line-up for Everton vs. Arsenal will be (probably, but maybe not):
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Song Denilson
Fabregas(c)
Bendtner v.Persie Arshavin
I think Arsenal will sneak the win in the end, surviving a tough battle from the home side. I cannot wait. The match is a late kick-off at 17.30, presumably to extend my anguish and angst.
Elsewhere, there is no news on any potential signings. Everything has gone cold with the Chamakh case, presumably because Bordeaux are being short-sighted stubborn gits and not realising that £6million now is better than nothing in a years time. Hodgson and Hangeland are going on about being focussed on the game, and not thinking about Arsenal speculation. Although amidst all this fuss it's been forgotten that there haven't really been any rumours surrounding Hangeland to Arsenal for some time. Hodgson and Hangeland are making all the noise about it, thus they are creating all the trouble for themselves.
Well, I thought I'd end this article as I started it. With an example of old habits dying hard. Interviewed before their match against Man City tomorrow, Blackburn player David Dunn said: "It's important we do our best and kick lumps out of them". It's not hard to see why Sam Allardyce was such a natural choice as Blackburn manager.
It's time to be optimistic Gooners. I'll be back tomorrow for a report on our win against Everton.
'Til then.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Valencia 2 - 0 Arsenal
Let me just get this straight first. Valencia are the biggest bunch of cheating diving scum outside of Italy. And the Ref fell for their pathetic play-acting everytime. Primary cheating diving scum (née Michel) scored their first, and David Villa got their second. Arsenal's starting line up was:
The match was played at an awful standard of play by both teams throughout the match, apart from a 5 minute spell just after half time by Arsenal. In this case, Walcott's impact was exciting but it soon petered out to nothing. The second half was notable due to the fact that Primary Cheating Diving Scum lived up to his name and unashamedly dived in the box after a fair tackle by Silvestre. The dunce of a Referee fell for it, and Fabianski produced a splendid save to deny David Villa. Valencia should really have got a penalty late on after Traore felled Joaquin. However the Ref, perhaps informed by the 4th official that he had been made a fool out of for the first penalty, decided against awarding a spot kick for the home side.
I can't really be arsed to talk anymore about a match that was hideous throughout, save for the fact that I hope to dear God that Djourou and Silvestre never have a chance to play in the centre of defence together this season. There was obviously absolutely zero communication between the two of them, and I lost count on the number of times a Valencia attacker got in behind them.
The season starts in a week. Let's hope we perform better away from home then than we did today. I'll be back either in a weeks time or before, if anything occurs which could be considered noteworthy.
'Til then Gooners.
Almunia
Eboue Gallas Djourou Clichy
Song
Fabregas(c) Diaby
Bendtner v.Persie Arshavin
The match was played at an awful standard of play by both teams throughout the match, apart from a 5 minute spell just after half time by Arsenal. In this case, Walcott's impact was exciting but it soon petered out to nothing. The second half was notable due to the fact that Primary Cheating Diving Scum lived up to his name and unashamedly dived in the box after a fair tackle by Silvestre. The dunce of a Referee fell for it, and Fabianski produced a splendid save to deny David Villa. Valencia should really have got a penalty late on after Traore felled Joaquin. However the Ref, perhaps informed by the 4th official that he had been made a fool out of for the first penalty, decided against awarding a spot kick for the home side.
I can't really be arsed to talk anymore about a match that was hideous throughout, save for the fact that I hope to dear God that Djourou and Silvestre never have a chance to play in the centre of defence together this season. There was obviously absolutely zero communication between the two of them, and I lost count on the number of times a Valencia attacker got in behind them.
The season starts in a week. Let's hope we perform better away from home then than we did today. I'll be back either in a weeks time or before, if anything occurs which could be considered noteworthy.
'Til then Gooners.
Pre-Match chat, and some other stuff.
So, the day after we get the news that we are to face Celtic in the champions league qualifiers, we play a far better european team in a friendly. Pretty good preparation. I think Wenger is likely to play 10 if not 11 of the starting line up he'll choose a week from today at Goodison Park. Then the lads will get a weeks rest, and BAM! straight into the premiership with a win away at Everton. Therefore my predicted starting XI is:
Elsewhere, it looks like Fran Merida will spend a year on loan to Spanish Valencia-based second division side Levante. If this is true, it is the most unbelievably pointless loan move possibly ever. It would have been far better for Merida's development should he play for a lower premier division club. We know now that he is premier league standard. Plus, the English league and the Spanish leagues have very different styles of play. How is someone meant to adapt to one league if, during a critical stage in his development, he's shipped out on loan to another league. Two years ago, Merida was loaned out to Real Sociedad (of the Spanish second division) for half a season. Are we really saying that in two years Merida hasn't progressed at all? I hope that this is just Sky Sports getting the wrong end of the stick, and Merida is in fact only in Valencia for the friendly today, and in a few days time it turns out he's signed a year long-loan at Birmingham.
In other loan news, Nordtveit has been loaned out to FC Nurnburg, but we've known that for a while, and it doesn't look like Traore is going on loan...yet.
Right, only a short one at the mo, but I'll be back after the match.
'Til then.
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Song Denilson
Fabregas(c)
Bendtner v.Persie Arshavin
I hope Vermaelen has regained fitness, if not Djourou will cover. Rosicky obviously has picked up the standard return-from-lengthy-injury-hamstring-pull, and will be out for up to 6 weeks. Although it is not unexpected that Rosicky has such a niggle, I am still slightly wary, as this is what Arsenal told us that Rosicky had last time he got injured. And we know how that turned out. Walcott may play instead of Bendtner if the boss thinks that he's had enough training time since he came back from his prolonged holiday. As far as a prediction goes: despite this friendly being organised so cash-strapped Valencia can rake in a great deal of income (they played ManUre at home on wednesday aswell), Valencia will still give a tough battle and it'll be close. But I'll plump for a 1-0 win to the Gunners.
Elsewhere, it looks like Fran Merida will spend a year on loan to Spanish Valencia-based second division side Levante. If this is true, it is the most unbelievably pointless loan move possibly ever. It would have been far better for Merida's development should he play for a lower premier division club. We know now that he is premier league standard. Plus, the English league and the Spanish leagues have very different styles of play. How is someone meant to adapt to one league if, during a critical stage in his development, he's shipped out on loan to another league. Two years ago, Merida was loaned out to Real Sociedad (of the Spanish second division) for half a season. Are we really saying that in two years Merida hasn't progressed at all? I hope that this is just Sky Sports getting the wrong end of the stick, and Merida is in fact only in Valencia for the friendly today, and in a few days time it turns out he's signed a year long-loan at Birmingham.
In other loan news, Nordtveit has been loaned out to FC Nurnburg, but we've known that for a while, and it doesn't look like Traore is going on loan...yet.
Right, only a short one at the mo, but I'll be back after the match.
'Til then.
Monday, 3 August 2009
Arsenal 3 - 0 Rangers, and more...
Yesterday saw a really comfortable 3-0 win to the Arsenal following a Wilshere brace plus a fine finish by Eduardo. The starting line-up was as follows:
Almunia
Eboue Gallas Silvestre Clichy
Song
Fabregas(c) Merida
Wilshere Eduardo Arshavin
I thought the two main stand-out players were Jack Wilshere and Eduardo. The performances of Wilshere have been talked about substantially already. Almost to the extent of actually overstating how good his performance was. Yes, it was absolutely amazing, but exaggerating the performance will not do well for Little Jack's progression. Eduardo was incredible yesterday. On numerous occasions pulling nutmegs out of the bag just because he could. Honorable mentions should also go to Fabregas, Arshavin (who in my opinion had his first good game of pre-season yesterday) and Merida (who popped up with a sublime assist).
Speaking of Merida, he is eager to learn his future. Whilst no doubts linger over his long term future, there are doubts concerning whether he'll go on loan next season, or conversely start playing with the first team. My initial feeling was to have him stay, as he proved so emphatically at the weekend that he is good enough to be in the first team on a semi-regular basis. However when I thought about it, I realised ahead of him in the central midfield pecking order are: Fabregas, Denilson, Song, Diaby, Rosicky, Nasri and Ramsey. That covers all but the worst injury crisis one could imagine. Perhaps sending him on loan to a lower premiership club with the option to recall him would be the best scenario.
In other loan news, Armand Traore has spoken of his desire to stay at Arsenal despite a season long loan spell at Birmingham being mooted and Scunthorpe want Lansbury on again. That wouldn't be a bad idea as Lansbury is now too old for the Youth Cup (he didn't play in the academy league anyway), and the reserves don't play often enough. As we know he had a very impressive loan spell there at the end of last season, and almost became a fans' favourite, thus I'm sure no one at Scunthorpe would object to Henri returning for another spell. Lansbury incidently played as England unfortunately lost to Ukraine in the Euro u19 championship final. Lansbury had been inspirational throughout the tournament as well as bagging 3 goals (including a right stonker against France).
Wenger has had a £5million bid for Chamakh turned down. That doesn't surprise me. After all the rumours concerning Chamakh having been bandied about for quite some time now, I can understand the Bordeaux management and board wanting more, especially for a player they consider to be integral to their defence of Ligue 1. However considering Chamakh has now just entered the final year of his contract, they can't really ask for that much more as Wenger would just laugh, say 'ok, we'll get him on a free next summer then', and put down the phone. There is no news on other transfer rumours (apart from the Vieira stuff which is still holding divided opinion as to whether it is actually true, or if Ian Wright just made it up). If Wenger is only going to spend one on person, I (along with all Gooners) would really rather prefer it to be on a defensive midfielder. Having said that, Song has been impressive pre-season, and Denilson's tackling and interceptions are excellent. Though his passing has really deteriorated.
Right, that's all for now. I'll be back when there's news.
'Til then Gooners.
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Arsenal 2 - 1 Atletico Madrid
Arsenal headed to the top of the Emirates Cup after their victory over Atletico Madrid. I'm sure they're speechless with unparalleled joy over this. In all honesty though the first half was ok. We kept possession well but lacked penetration. The second half was excellent, not only because the football was superb, but also because most of the Rangers fans had already gone back to their hotels, and that means I didn't have to travel back on the tube with them. Scary bastards. Jose Reyes made his return to Arsenal in the black of A.Madrid's away kit. The dot com said he was cheered. Don't let that fool you, he was booed the hell out of. Anywho, the starting line-up was this:
Unfortunately Vermaelen had picked up a slight muscular niggle and therefore has been dropped from both days, but should return against Valencia. Nothing of great note happened in the first half. Rosicky thought he had scored, but was ruled offside. Fantastic finish though. Eboue really doesn't work as one of the wide three. He really struggled to adapt to the position save for a good cut inside and shot, which was straight at the keeper.
The second half was much better, and this was down to the introduction of two people. Fran Merida and Jack Wilshere. These two were utterly superb, the best two players on the pitch, putting the more established players to shame. You can see why the would play well though. They are both exciting offensive players, who added huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm. They really wanted to impress and you can't really get more of a competetive friendly than at the Emirates cup. They really shined on the semi-big stage. The great thing was, they both impressed in different ways. Wilshere came on for Eboue and stayed in his role as the right side of the attacking three. He had so much dynamism in his running off the ball and dribbling ability on the ball. His link up with Sagna was also superb. Merida on the other hand came in for Rosicky in the centre of the park. He has exceptional close control, the vision was superb, and he really has the Cesc knack for finding the space between midfield and defence, where he can really do damage with his incredible creativity.
With 25 minutes to go Cesc, Arshavin and Eduardo came on, and this only added to our attacking impetus. Our XI was now:
The goals were bound to come and eventually they did, with Cesc showing his experience and guile to calmly find Arshavin who prodded home. Most fans were still celebrating, however it was with a groan that I could see what was about to happen. A nice through ball by a Madrid player threw our defence into incredible confusion, and Pacheco slotted home. Arshavin would have the last laugh though, as he latched onto a soft back header by a defender, rounded the keeper and somehow, somehow managed to squeeze home from the tightest of angles.
So all in all there were a lot of positives for the fans to take out of this match. We certainly have two of the biggest talents in England with Merida and Wilshere, and two who have shown that they are of the ability to be in the first team. Whether they can yet handle the pressures of the premier league is another matter, but I have faith that they will soon. Our attacking play was excellent, however this seemed to have an inversely proportional affect on our defence. As our attacking got better, our defence got worse. Denilson also managed to quietly slip under the radar and get himself another 90 minutes. If Wenger had rang me up and told me yesterday that he was going to play Denilson for the full 90 minutes in both matches, I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised. Apart from the fact that Wenger was ringing me. As it is though, the non-appearance of Song yesterday makes me think he'll give Denilson a much warranted rest.
Right, Arsenal play Rangers today. I'll be back with more post-match chit chat after the game.
'Til then Gooners.
Mannone
Sagna Djourou Gallas Traore
Denilson
Ramsey Rosicky
Eboue v.Persie(c) Bendtner
Unfortunately Vermaelen had picked up a slight muscular niggle and therefore has been dropped from both days, but should return against Valencia. Nothing of great note happened in the first half. Rosicky thought he had scored, but was ruled offside. Fantastic finish though. Eboue really doesn't work as one of the wide three. He really struggled to adapt to the position save for a good cut inside and shot, which was straight at the keeper.
The second half was much better, and this was down to the introduction of two people. Fran Merida and Jack Wilshere. These two were utterly superb, the best two players on the pitch, putting the more established players to shame. You can see why the would play well though. They are both exciting offensive players, who added huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm. They really wanted to impress and you can't really get more of a competetive friendly than at the Emirates cup. They really shined on the semi-big stage. The great thing was, they both impressed in different ways. Wilshere came on for Eboue and stayed in his role as the right side of the attacking three. He had so much dynamism in his running off the ball and dribbling ability on the ball. His link up with Sagna was also superb. Merida on the other hand came in for Rosicky in the centre of the park. He has exceptional close control, the vision was superb, and he really has the Cesc knack for finding the space between midfield and defence, where he can really do damage with his incredible creativity.
With 25 minutes to go Cesc, Arshavin and Eduardo came on, and this only added to our attacking impetus. Our XI was now:
Mannone
Sagna Djourou Gallas Clichy
Denilson
Fabregas(c) Merida
Wilshere Eduardo Arshavin
The goals were bound to come and eventually they did, with Cesc showing his experience and guile to calmly find Arshavin who prodded home. Most fans were still celebrating, however it was with a groan that I could see what was about to happen. A nice through ball by a Madrid player threw our defence into incredible confusion, and Pacheco slotted home. Arshavin would have the last laugh though, as he latched onto a soft back header by a defender, rounded the keeper and somehow, somehow managed to squeeze home from the tightest of angles.
So all in all there were a lot of positives for the fans to take out of this match. We certainly have two of the biggest talents in England with Merida and Wilshere, and two who have shown that they are of the ability to be in the first team. Whether they can yet handle the pressures of the premier league is another matter, but I have faith that they will soon. Our attacking play was excellent, however this seemed to have an inversely proportional affect on our defence. As our attacking got better, our defence got worse. Denilson also managed to quietly slip under the radar and get himself another 90 minutes. If Wenger had rang me up and told me yesterday that he was going to play Denilson for the full 90 minutes in both matches, I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised. Apart from the fact that Wenger was ringing me. As it is though, the non-appearance of Song yesterday makes me think he'll give Denilson a much warranted rest.
Right, Arsenal play Rangers today. I'll be back with more post-match chit chat after the game.
'Til then Gooners.
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