Professional Arsenal dispatch dirty Leeds
190 comments January 20th, 2011
Leeds 1 – 3 Arsenal (Nasri 5, Sagna 35, Johnson 37, Van Persie 76)
Highlights | Arsene’s reaction
That was a thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment…
Credit to Leeds for battling away and making it an engaging cup tie. Credit to Arsenal, however, for a mature display in the face of a hostile crowd. We were in complete control of the game, even when Bradley Johnson’s screamer threatened our dominance.
ITV were more diappointed than the Leeds players…
I understand that the neutral will inevitably favour the underdog, but in doing so you stop being, well, neutral. ITV’s coverage of the game was outrageously biased, manifested most plainly in the commentary booth. When Samir Nasri skipped through to tuck in the opener I thought Peter Drury might throw down his headphones in a strop and leave in a tearful huff. Back in the studio, Adrian Chiles appeared to suggest that Arsenal were “soft in the head”, which was rich coming from a man whose head looks like a freshly baked potato.
Nasri’s confidence is sky-high…
When he went through on goal, there was no doubt about the outcome. His finish was cool, calm, and precise. I don’t think there’s a more obvious candidate for Footballer of the Year. But then again, he’s not British. So Gareth Bale it’ll be.
Bacary Sagna remains an awe-inspiring athlete…
Having him back in the side at the expense of Eboue immediately made us more solid at the back, as well as providing an added threat on the overlap. His goal was a bit of a stonker too. The softly-spoken Frenchman is comfortably the league’s best right-back.
Andrey Arshavin tackled back…
…yep, you read right. Nothing came off for the Russian in the final third, but he finally showed the kind of application his critics have demanded. If he keeps putting himself in the right positions, eventually one will go in off his sizable arse, and a return to form can commence.
The Denilson/Cesc ‘spat’ is a non-story…
When arseblog first posted the video, the quotes barely even registered on his radar. A man so closely attuned to all things Arsenal would have made more of a fuss about them if there was even a hint of controversy. The two players are good mates, and have been for some time. There is nothing in this. Move on.
The David Wheater signing doesn’t mean Gary Cahill is coming to Arsenal…
Bolton have one of the Premier League’s smallest squads, and desperately need to flesh it out – hence their interest in taking Carlos Vela on loan. I maintain that we’re unlikely to spend big money on a centre-back, instead looking for a short-term cut-price option.
