Sometimes you can sit down and know which way a football match is going to within the first ten minutes. Although we didn’t do anything particularly special I just had a feeling we’d win this one and for once my feeling was right. It was pretty comfortable right the way through despite Sevilla having one or two dangerous moments.
We were certainly the most dangerous in the first half with Robin van Persie and the increasingly effective Mathieu Flamini testing the keeper. It was Cesc who put us ahead though. Last season he couldn’t steal a goal but it’s all going his way at the moment and his long shot too a deflection off Escude to make it 1-0 Arsenal. Sevilla had a half chance when a ball was floated in to Kanoute but he couldn’t get on the end of it.
The second half started badly when we lost Tomas Rosicky after just five minutes. Watching him go off you could see it was his hamstring again and you could see how frustrated he was. It’s a real shame because he’s been looking more like the player we all want him to be but whose injuries keep getting in the way. Aftewards Arsene said he’ll be out for a couple of weeks at least and I hope he finds a better option than Diaby for the left hand side because the big man looks like he’s struggling out there.
Robin van Persie added the second with a goal slightly reminiscent of the first at White Hart Lane. On Saturday we took a free kick and were given another chance because a Sp*rs fan ran on the pitch. Last night we tried another quick one but the ref made us take it again as he was setting the Sevilla wall. This time Cesc’s cross was headed on by Bacary Sagna and Robin van Persie was quickest to react to make it 2-0. Kanoute’s snap shot flew wide and some other bloke had a decent shot saved by Almunia but they never looked particularly dangerous.
In the 90th minute we got the third. A poor pass out of defence only found Hleb who delayed, played a nice ball to Cesc whose first time pass across goal was tucked away by Eduardo. A lovely bit of passing but a real poacher’s finish. When you look at how Eduardo has come on in games and scored to show the manager he’s there it’s hard to remember last season when players like Aliadiere and Baptista struggled to make the same kind of impact.
So overall a very professional performance against a very good team. Sevilla didn’t play as well as they can do but that was as much down to us as anything. Flamini was an absolute terrier in midfield, he never gave them a second (and if you ask me we ought to get him signed up again as quickly as possible. Come January he can negotiate a move for nothing). Bacary Sagna is a fantastic improvement in the right back position and makes us much more solid, Cesc was just ace again and without having to go through them one by one the performances and hard work they put in more than merited the win. To stick three past a Sevilla side that has been playing some of the best football in Europe at the moment is a really a fantastic result.
Afterwards a clearly elated Robin van Persie said that in his view Arsenal were playing football from another planet. His enthusiasm for the game and the way we play it is infectious but he doesn’t want to get too carried away with things yet. I think that’s why Arsene, while delighted with the win and the performance, was keen to ensure that the focus in maintained, saying:
Well, we have to keep our feet on the ground and believe we can improve in a lot of areas, we lost as well balls we shouldn’t have lost, we were one or two times defensively not clean enough, so we can improve in all areas – but there is a real spirit in the team and that’s fantastic to see.
And the spirit is obvious. If you left the TV on long enough afterwards you’ll have seen Adebayor making sure everyone gets together in the post match huddle. It’ll be interesting to see if the huddle is there when we lose a game! For now though it’s become a new tradition at this new Arsenal and it’s a pleasure to see.
Next up we’ve got Derby at the weekend and it’s one of those games we have to get our heads together for. People will be expecting an easy win but nothing is easy in this league, just ask Newcastle. It is a good chance to put another three points on the board though and we’ll preview that game tomorrow and Saturday.
Elsewhere the news of Mourinho’s departure from Chelsea came filtering through late last night. The ‘special one’ deemed not so special anymore by Abramovich and co and it’s another indication of why life with an oligarch is not much fun. You win the league twice and you get in the shit for not winning with exciting enough football. I suppose Mourinho will have his pick of jobs across Europe and while some will say the Premier League has lost a character others might suggest they’re happy to see the back of an egotistical, annoying, ill-mannered wanker who happens to be a very good football manager. No question Chelsea are worse off without him.
And there you go. More tomorrow.
