Archive for September, 2008
September 23rd, 2008
Bolton 1 – 3 Arsenal (Davies 14, Eboue 26, Bendtner 27, Eboue 87) – Highlights courtesy of 101greatgoals
The headline of this article contains a pretty stunning fact. But this youthful side were not once perturbed by Bolton’s physical (but mostly fair) approach. A year ago, if you’d seen a result featuring goals from Eboue, Bendtner, and Denilson, you’d probably have guessed it was in the Carling Cup. The fact those players are now putting in impressive Premier League performances is indicative of the progress they appear to be making.
I thought this was an excellent performance from start to finish, with the exception of a terrible piece of marking by William Gallas that allowed Kevin Davies to give Bolton the lead. After that, we unleashed an onslaught on the Bolton goal. Adebayor and Song both struck the inside of the post, before Nicklas Bendtner’s through-ball was latched on to by Emmanuel Eboue, who tucked away his first league goal.
Eboue’s form so far this season has been massive improvement on last season’s erratic displays. He has played in every midfield position, and done admirably well in each of them. Let’s hope he can keep it up.
Within a minute, we were in front – a stunning move starting with a dragback by Denilson, who later latched onto a brilliant Adebayor through-ball to square for Bendtner to force one in. After surviving a first-half onslaught by Davies on Clichy, and a second-half onslaught by Bolton on Almunia’s goal, Denilson got the third himself.
Substitute Theo Walcott drove through the centre, dragging defenders towards him, proving space for Adebayor to latch onto Walcott’s pass and cross low for Denilson, who fired the ball into the top of the net. The Brazilian’s form has been mixed in the early part of the season, but he’s providing invaluable goals and assists.
An excellent performance and a tremendous result that sees us top of the table. It seems the team listened carefully to Arsene’s pre-match speech – a copy of which was found in the team hotel:
That’s all very lovely, but part of me can’t help but wish it said something like “William: mark Davies”…
September 22nd, 2008
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahaha Arsenal 5 11-2 12 hahahahahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha Chelsea 5 10-3 11 hahahahahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha Llverpool 5 5-2 11 hahahahahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha Aston Villa 5 10-7 10 hahahahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha Manchester City 5 15-7 9 hahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha West Ham 5 11-9 9 hahahahahhahahahah
hahahahahahaha Hull City 5 7-10 8 hahahahahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha Sunderland 5 5-6 7 hahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahaha Everton 5 9-11 7 hahahahahahhahahahah
hahahahahahaha Blackburn 5 6-11 7 hahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahaha Fulham 4 4-4 6 hahahahahahahhahahahah
hahahahahahaha Middlesbrough 5 6-8 6 hahahahhahahahah
hahahahahahaha Portsmouth 5 5-12 6 hahahahahhahahaha
hahahahahahaha Wigan 5 7-4 5 hahahahahahahahahahahah
hahahahahahaha Manchester U. 4 4-4 5 hahahahhahahahah
hahahahahahaha Bolton 5 5-7 4 hahahahahahahahahahahah
hahahahahahaha West Bromwich 5 5-7 4 hahahahahahahah
hahahahahahaha Stoke 5 7-10 4 hahahahahahahhahahahah
hahahahahahaha Newcastle 5 4-9 4 hahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahaha Tottenhum 5 4-7 2 hahahahahahahahahah
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
With thanks to Allan.
September 20th, 2008
Dynamo Kiev 1 -1 Arsenal (Bangoura 64 pen, Gallas 88)
Our Champions League campaign is underway with a draw in Kiev. It could easily have been a win, with Adebayor, Fabregas and Van Persie all missing presentable opportunities in the first half. When we eventually fell behind, it was entirely against the run of play, and probably against justice to boot.
Bacary Sagna was penalised for apparently tugging a player down as a cross looped into our area. I was immediately suspicious, primarily because I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sagna commit a silly or unneccessary foul in his entire Arsenal career. Replays proved it was an incorrect decision, and if anything it was Sagna who was the victim of the foul.
However, luck evened itself out later on when William Gallas toe-poked home a Theo Walcott cross when he appeared to be offside – Adebayor had reached the ball just before him leaving Gallas a yard out and able to smash home. With three goals in three European games this season, Gallas’ striking instinct could be important this season.
I would have taken a point at the top of the evening, so it’s not a bad result at all. It will look a far better result if we can win at Bolton today and make it seven points from nine in the space of seven days. The french trio of Diaby, Nasri and Silvestre are still out. Nicklas Bendtner is in line to come in, whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Theo Walcott’s run in the side continues. Arsene is demanding more protection for the teenager, but both his performance in Kiev and his words of wisdom suggests he’ll be able to handle the most aggressive of defenders.
The financial results are in, and they’re good. I can’t pretend to understand them hugely, but Peter Hill-Wood explains their significance in this interview.
The big news is that Stanley Kroenke has joined the Board of Directors. He adds his 12.4% to the boards stronghold of shares, and closes the door ever further on Alisher Usmanov’s takeover aspirations. The change in attitude towards Kroenke has been swift, but I think, as arseblogger suggests, Kroenke was led to believe his investment was more welcome than it turned out to be. With the threat of Usmanov on the horizon, it makes sense for Kroenke and the board to jump into one big proverbial bed. I’m sure the American will now look to increase his stake, and it seems that we may have an indication to the indentity of our future owner.
If it does happen, at least now it’ll be an inside job. Hopefully in the coming years Kroenke can learn to appreciate the way the current board operates, and as his shareholding gradually increases the traditions of the club can be upheld. We bring our players through slowly, and it seems we may implement a similar policy with our future owner.
Still, that’s all in the long-term. Nothing will change in the immediate future. And that’s just the way I like it.
September 17th, 2008
After being away for a few days, I have reached the following conclusion: Lisbon is sunnier than London. Today will entail a trip to the beach, before popping into a bizarre British-themed ‘pub’ to watch Arsenal play in Kiev.
Any blogger who claims to know anything out the Kiev side is either based in Eastern Europe, or lying. The only thing I know is that the player who scored when they last beat us, Maxim Statskikh, is still plying his trade for the Ukrainian side, and that they beat Spartak Moscow 4-1 (home and away) in the qualifiers. Arsene says he’d take a draw (quite odd rhetoric given our good form), but I hope we can go there and win. There’s only one change from the squad that beat Blackburn, with Carlos Vela returning in place of Kieran Gibbs.
And now, off-field matters. The Times report that Stan Kroenke will be invited to join the board this week, safe-guarding the club against vulture-like foreign investors. They also suggest Celtic CEO Peter Lawell, who (for reasons I’ll outline if he does join) I believe would be an excellent appointment, could be given the job as Chief Executive of Arsenal Football Club. The Telegraph claim Lawell has decided to stay in Scotland. Whatever the truth of the stories, it’s clear something will be going down at this week’s board meeting. Like I said: more as and when it’s all ratified.
Right. To the beach!
September 14th, 2008
Â
Blackburn 0 – 4 Arsenal (Van Persie 9, Adebayor 45, 78 (pen), 89)
Match of the Day Highlights courtesy of 101greatgoals
Before the start of the season, I had a bet on Blackburn to be relegated. After this result, I’m feeling I could be on to a winner.
This match should probably have been 8-4 to Arsenal: both sides defended terribly, but we’re just that much better going forward.
Our first two goals were excellent. Theo Walcott, forced to start by an injury Samir Nasri, skipped past three players and slid in Robin van Persie for a neat finish with the outside of his left foot. Then an extended passing move ended with Denilson clipping a cross to the far post which Adebayor powered past the hapless Paul Robinson. It was a good ball from Denilson, and a reminder that for all his faults, he is capable of a level of technical excellence that Flamini wasn’t.
The second goal arrived right on half-time, and it was probably needed, as Roque Santa Cruz and Jason Roberts were causing plenty of problems. The second half was more one-sided, and the contest essentially ended when Emmanuel Eboue was felled in the area and Adebayor tucked away the penalty. It looked (unsurprisingly) like a dive, but Eboue was bizarrely stretchered off. I hope he isn’t injured – he’s in his richest vein of form for two years.
The fourth goal arrived late on, from an Arsenal side that included teenagers Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, who at 16 became our youngest ever league performer. Ramsey slipped the ball through to Adebayor, unusually onside, who somehow rounded the gigantic frame of Robinson and netted his hatrick.
Good way to start this tricky week – I’m going to be abroad as of today, and don’t know what my internet situation will be. I’ll try to update here and there.
Have a good week.
Next Posts
Previous Posts
