Archive for January 8th, 2007

Liverpool 1 – 3 Arsenal: Is this Tomas Rosicky here to stay?

100 comments January 8th, 2007

Tomas Rosicky started the season on fire, banishing the memory of Robert Pires from most Gooners’ minds with a string of all-action performances, capped off by a terriffic 30-yard strike in Hamburg. Then however, came the iinjuries. In and out of the side, his form dipped, and questions began to be raised about his ability to adapt to English football.

On Saturday evening, most of the those questions were answered, as Rosicky scored two stunning first-half goals to put a Liverpool side who had most of the possession to the sword.

The first involved a precise one-two with Alexsiandr Hleb, who cut the ball back to the edge of the box. Rosicky, having dropped off into space 20 yards out, flighted a first-time peach of a shot into the far top corner. Jerzy Dudek stood no chance.

Just a few minutes later, he was at it again. Collecting the ball on the edge of the area, there was seemingly no danger, before the Czech captain skipped through several half-hearted challenges (the worst of which came from Steven Gerrard), and side-footed the ball into the far corner.

In the second half Liverpool came at us with renewed vigour, but Philippe Senderos was abolutely outstanding in protecting Manuel Almunia (who had been awarded a rare start). Senderos was like a magnet – every time the ball came into the box it was him heading clear, winning several crucial duels with Peter Crouch. The one time he lost out, Crouch’s header was turned in by Dirk Kuyt, who made it 2-1.

And then came Thierry. Picking the ball up on the halfway line, he sprayed it out to the left, and began haring after his own pass. Jamie Carragher had a significant headstart, but in scenes reminiscent of Henry’s Anfield dash down the left a few seasons back, he nicked the ball away from a despairing Carragher, and advanced on goal. Daniel Agger foolishly showed him inside, and the rest was all too predictable, as Henry calmly side-footed past Dudek.

It was a brilliant goal, and the fact that it came so late in the game and required such immense physical exertion shows that Henry is close to reaching his peak again.

It was my first time at Anfield, and what a day it was. A fantastic result, and I have to say, an incredible atmosphere. You hear a lot of things about the noise The Kop makes, but the greatest compliment I can pay them is that they lived up to the hype.

And what a night for Tomas Rosicky. His situation is not dissimiliar to that of Alex Hleb last season. An immediate hit, Hleb was named Player of the Month almost immediately upon his arrival at Arsenal. However, he was then out for six weeks with an injury, and struggled to regain form upon his arrival, before going on to be a key part of the side that reached the Champions League Final. Hopefully his good friend Rosicky will now experience a similiar change in fortunes.

In other news, Niklas Bendtner has two unfortunate qualities: an ego and an injury. Get well soon, Nik.

There are a few transfer tidbits about, but they’re almost certainly all lies. The most entertaining has to be this one, suggesting that we’re going to give Adebayor a new contract to fend off interest from Manchester United.


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