Real Arsenal Finally Emerge
9 comments February 24th, 2006
If you find yourself asking why it’s taken me since Tuesday to update this site, I should probably say I’ve been too busy celebrating.
That, however, would be a lie. I have indeed been busy, but only with work and plenty of other boring stuff. I did, however, find time to watch one of the greatest matches of my time as an Arsenal supporter.
It was too long ago now for it to be worth trawling back over the match, detailing exactly how we came to conquer the most famous club in World Football. The important thing is that it happened, and it could prove to be the turning point that we have been aching for.
Real’s unphysical, attacking approach played directly into our hands, allowing the likes of Eboué, Ljungberg, and Gilberto to turn in performances we wouldn’t dream of seeing in the Premiership.
The match-winning moment came from none other than Thierry Henry. A stunning goal, capping a 45-yard run past four helpless defenders with a left-foot shot that rocketed into the far bottom corner. An explosion of sporting excellence fit to win any match.
Despite this, Henry is not the one individual I’d pick out above the rest. Cesc Fabregas was quite superb, outshining even the legendary if ageing Zinedine Zidane, and earning himself a first full Spain call-up in the process. The World Cup beckons for our teenage playmaker.
The win was astonishing, but it is still only half-time in this tie. What is vital is that we keep this momentum going away to Blackburn tomorrow, in what is traditionally a very tricky fixture. Robin van Persie, Dennis Bergkamp, Lauren, Pascal Cygan, Kerrea Gilbert, Gael Clichy, Sol Campbell, and Ashley Cole are joined on the sidelines by Fredrik Ljungberg, who picked up a calf injury in Madrid. Emmanuel Adebayor, however, is once again available.
If we can beat Real, you’d think Blackburn wouldn’t prove impossible.
What we need now is for the team we saw on Tuesday night, the “Real” Arsenal, to please stand up.
