Arsenal 2 – 1 Liverpool: Mashed-up team mashes up Liverpool
Add comment October 30th, 2009
Arsenal 2 – 1 Liverpool (Merida, 19 Insua 26, Bendtner 50)
Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
Arsenal Carling Cup teams are famed for their inexperience and youth.
This, my friends, was the remix.
The likes of Kieran Gibbs, Fran Merida and debutant Craig Eastmond were joined by the older heads of Mikael Silvestre, Samir Nasri and Eduardo as Arsene concocted a team that not only gave experience to young guns, but gave vital minutes to players returning from injury. As well as all that, it was a team that had a very real chance of beating Liverpool.
And beat them we did. After both sides exchanged first-half wonder goals – Merida lashing in his first for the club from outside the box before Insua equalised with a dipping volley – Nicklas Bendtner thumped the winner in to the top of the net after turning the teenage mutant ninja Skrtel.
There were some really impressive performances on the night – Gibbs, Merida, and Ramsey were all outstanding. It was also great to see Samir Nasri back after his broken leg. He played ninety minutes, which probably rules him out of serious contention for the weekend, but he certainly gives the squad real depth in several positions.
Lukasz Fabianski also made his first appearance of the season and looked solid enough until it emerged post-game that he’ll miss the next three weeks with a thigh injury. It’s a real blow for the Pole, who looked set to begin a spell as our first-choice goalkeeper. Arsene now faces a choice between the dodgy Mannone and the despondent Almunia for Saturday’s North London Derby.
Gotta dash now for some final work on Two Halves – to hear me chat about that, Liverpool, Spurs and more, listen to today’s arsecast.
Cheerio!
