Probably the latest Arsenal match report ever
MY apologies for a shockingly late match report. Technical glitches did for me initially, a chocca-bloc non-Arsenal weekend more latterly. But, here, finally is the report I penned post our Liverpool win:
Arsenal 1 Liverpool 0
From Goodplaya at the Emirates
On my last appearance on the Arseblog Arsecast I insisted…
That we’d only know how terminal defeat at Stamford Bridge would be AFTER Wednesday night. And of course I stand by that now. We’re outsiders, undoubtedly a point or two further adrift than we’d have liked. But we’re also undoubtedly in there. And however you look at it, we have played more of the top eight than anyone else.
Continuing the theme of slight smugness…
I never normally predict anything Arsenal related. But before the game I spoke to my brother on a couple of occasions about the need to not concede early on and then to plunder one in the second half. I was wrong in thinking Bendtner would get it but otherwise spot on.
And I thought that because…
We really needed not to concede. We’ve let in rubbish goals in the last two games that have dented our confidence massively. Last night in the first half there were one or two moments where we found ourselves far too committed upfield but on this occasion we were a) able to get men back/foul and b) were playing Liverpool, who let’s face it, aren’t United or Chelsea.
Had the first half been a movie…
You’d have seen the kick-off, then the screen would have gone black before the words “45 minutes later” appeared. It really wasn’t a classic, but in a way that was exactly what we needed. Not that my body felt that way – the lack of excitement left me freezing come the interval.
Into the second half…
And we began to feel our way into the game. Gael Clichy was regaining the confidence and instinctive feel that his game relies on and we were the ones pushing the play. The Match of the Day highlights may have suggested a roughly even number of chances, but really we were the ones forcing it. With Bendtner up front we looked far more balanced. We still had the (admittedly quiet) trickery of Arshavin and Rosicky, who had replaced Nasri, but we also had something else to offer.
When the goal came…
It was no surprise to me to see that a Bendtner mistake, followed Bendtner atoning for his mistake was at the root of it. Rosicky hadn’t had a great game until then, but his cross was perfect and credit to Abou Diaby for the run and for converting a less than routine header. It was no doubt my imagination but there did seem to follow a split second of hesitation on the pitch after the goal where everyone waited for the OK that we were allowed to cross and header the ball.
Talking of Diaby…
After all that talk of him being an attacking midfielder, he’s playing surprisingly deep. Arguably deeper than Song. Weird. But he did it well in fairness.
Our defensive play overall was very decent…
And once we got the lead we really dug in and didn’t make silly mistakes. We were a little lucky right at the end with Gerrard’s free-kick following by no means his first dive. Lucky not so much in that the handball was outside the area but lucky because had it not been stopped, it looked like giving Almunia problems.
Playa ratings make an abbreviated return…
Almunia (8) was by no means perfect with his handling but goalkeepers are there to make important saves and then Babel shot he tipped onto the bar was undoubtedly one. Eboue (8) was our best attacker in the first half and offered us drive that we lack in the absence of an on form Theo Walcott. Clichy (7.5) had his best game for a while and really pushed Liverpoool up the pitch. Gallas (7.5) made an outstanding defensive tackle and Vermaelen (7) was very solid too.
Cesc (6.5) was quiet although involved in the goal build-up, Song (6.5) was fine but not at his absolute best and Diaby (7.5) was in the right place at the right time, at both ends of the pitch. Nasri (6) did very little during his time on the pitch, though admittedly it was a time when nobody was up to much. Arshavin (6) got better in the second half but was quiet overall, Nasri’s replacement Rosicky (6.5) was unusually unsure of touch with the exception of the cross for the goal and Bendtner (7) gave the kind of “involved” display that is his trademark. Not everything worked, but it certainly added a dimension to our game.
Late sub Sagna (6.5) did fine, while Walcott (6) ran and closed down (sometimes), but didn’t always hold the ball very effectively when we needed to keep it.
So can we do it?
To many people the idea of us winning the title is preposterous. But I do think that’s predominantly because we’ve served up our worst performances of the season in the most high profile of games. And more recently because they’ve come back to back. If you look at the rest of the fixtures where Chelsea, United and Arsenal haven’t been playing each other, we’ve taken a point more than United from a game less than them and three points more than Chelsea from a game less. So we have actually been very consistent against the so called lesser lights who we supposedly struggle against.
And I don’t think we get enough credit for that. It’s no coincidence that United and Chelsea have been dropping points at unusual places this season. It’s because it’s a really tough league. I watched a fair bit of Hull v Chelsea the other week and it wasn’t that Chelsea were particularly poor, Hull just played really well.
So a bit more credit is due on that front.
Anyway, I for one still believe.
As they say, better late than never eh…
What does proeminately mean? I believe too
Better late than never is right! Absolutely spot on.
We won?
Whaddya know?!
Wey hey!!
I still believe too. Its all there for us. Much prefer to be 6 points back with our run in than 6 points ahead with Chelsea’s.
i respectfully disagree good to be a goonah, but i get ur meaning.
also i hope sagna gets better quick, eboue had a good game but hes very dodgy in defence
how fast do u blog writers, change ur mind, last week it was useless arsenal now its we can make it. all that is rubbish stand by ur comments and if u are a real gooner never criticism it again, as prof would say lets live in a realistic world
i only read this site and you kept me waiting for four days to tell me the result, i thought we’dlost due to your dissapearance
Why do you even bother???
You miss the first Liverpool game.
The second you report on a week late.
This is a crap blog, your smug self-satisfaction aside. You do get on the arsecast though, so you must be doing something right. (keep telling yourself that.)
Any gimp can have a blog, run his mouth, and look a c&&t – as you prove.
I am sorry but I find your ratings too generous. Perhaps you forgot the game after reporting after nearly a week.
And you use the word “undoubtedly ” too many times !
@Larry. The arsecast – the fucking pinnacle of online sports journalism?!
Looks like Larry didn’t get any valentine’s day loving. Relax a little.
If you don’t like the blog, you can…..
….not read it. Simple.
Like you.
the fixturs are very clear. Dont be fooled by the media.
They’ve now grasped onto Arshavin’s “win the rest of our games” quote to prove that Arsenal have an uphill battle. What he said is that IF we win the rest of our games we will be champions NOT that we MUST win the rest of our matches to be champions.
Look at the rest of our matches. Unlike Chelsea we dont need to play in the FA Cup (looks like City). And unlike Chelsea we have already gone to Sold Trafford and Anfield. Chelsea dont travel well (bar apparently the Emirates).
Its in our hands. Lets get behind the lads and win THIS season. Starting with a very “tricky” match against Sunderland.
Larry. Calm down. Goodplaya owes us all nothing.
Sometimes life happens. No big deal.
I cannot recall a season where the press have been so loudly negative about our club. The were so giddy to kill us off after both matches against Chelsea.
Sadly, our supporters are much too quick to believe the nonsense the press serve their ‘audience’.
Too young. Too small. Too soft. Too foreign. Too one-dimensional (as if total football is predictable! haha).
My favourite is when the pundit tell each other than Arsenal supporters are wound up with Wenger.
Tell you what. Watching that grim first half against Liverpool reminded me how lucky I am to nearly ALWAYS be entertained by how my club perform each week. Win lose or draw. And yes, Mr Ballack. We are predictable. Predicably worth watching. ta
Congradulations for finally showing up Goodplayer! its better late than ever. Hopefully this Arsenal will get late run to clintch the title.
But your ratings ar so generous 8 for Aluminia for one save? I thought Diaby deserve more points not only for the goal but he has impreseed lately by his workrate. Why did you give Nazri that mark he was too wastful as usuall
The ratings are good. That’s because they were not made in the heat of the moment. I have one question though. If Almunia gets credit for saving goals which is correct=a=mundo, shouldn’t Diaby get credit for scoring them?
Eastmond has been pulled from playing for the reserves tonight, so does that means Song is definately out? Porto are lethal in transition or counterattacks and if we are forced to play Denilson who doesnt track runners then AW will have to adopt the same tactics used against Liverpool with Diaby sitting with Song & Cesc just ahead as opposed to one DM, one box-to-box player & Cesc the playmaker.
I honestly think we will come up just short. A combination of injuries (oh yes, there will be more to come), our rivals’ ruthless effiiency in the run in and our dropping points against Spurs, Man City and Stoke will mean we finish third, just above Man City. But you can always dream… It won’t have been those heavy defeats against Chelsea and Man United that lose it for us – it will be dropping points in complacent performances against the likes of West Ham, Everton and Sunderland.
I dont see what is so ruthless about a Chelsea who easily dropped points against Everton, Hull and Burnley. And I think United are way higher in the table than they should be. Rooney loses even a little form and they are in fight with City for 3rd.
Chelsea beat Burnley, I recall. It was us who drew there. Man United always have a strong run in.
supergunner, i also noticed that eastmond did not play for the reserves… i believe denilson will be ok tonight, but we’d better have song fit and firing soon.
And United lost to Burnley. And Leeds. Not really ruthless.
Team for tomorrow… uh oh
Lukasz Fabianski
Vito Mannone
Nicklas Bendtner
Carlos Vela
Theo Walcott
Samir Nasri
Denilson
Aaron Ramsey
Tomas Rosicky
Abou Diaby
Cesc Fabregas
Gael Clichy
Thomas Vermaelen
Emmanuel Eboue
Mikael Silvestre
Sol Campbell
Armand Traore
Bacary Sagna
How many yellows has Shrek got todate?
Good evening gentlmen. European glory awaits those with faith and strong hearts. I guess that means we are fucked. I mean Denilson? We need to see the young man perform to the standard required tonight. And Fabianski needs to dominate his area and no schoolboy errors. A quick prayer Dear Lord, Fuck Porto Amen.
Make that ‘fuck Fabianski’ the usless cunt.
Hes such a useless cunt he made me spell useless wrong.
Poor defending let us down – again