Three points to start the season is really rather satisfactory, you know, even if the winning goal did come a lot later than people might have liked. Jens Lehmann is obviously a big fan of season 06-07 and he did everything in his power to live in the past by gifting Fulham a goal inside the first minute. It really was a horrible mistake for such an experienced keeper to make and despite it being the first game of the season it will raise question marks over the decision to keep him this summer. Will it be Seaman mkII? Let’s hope not.
Having seen the highlights about three times last evening it seemed like it really was a case of last seasonitis. Chances, shots, but no goals. Without Eduardo or Adebayor it was Hleb who played in the second striker role. Other than that there were no real surprises in terms of the team. With about 10 minutes to go things looked bleak but then Kolo Toure was clearly fouled inside the box by Charlie Blackmouth and Robin van Persie fired home the penalty to equalise. One of these days he’ll get a penalty just a bit wrong but every time I’ve seen him take one there isn’t a keeper in the world who would get near it. Not even Dr Octopus.
With Bendtner and Walcott on we were causing problems and the big Dane really put himself about. At the moment he’s a bit like a bull in a china shop but he scares the shit out of the opposition with his size and power. He won headers, had a good shot on goal and generally caused mischief. With just a few seconds of normal time remaining Cesc floated a ball into Hleb inside their box. He had van Persie on one side and Bendtner on the other, each of them screaming for the ball, but after his promise to be more selfish he turned sharply and drilled in the winner into the bottom corner. A very nice finish, I have to say.
And that was that. Full time and three points. I didn’t see enough of the game to comment on performances overall but you can certainly say we’ve improved over the opening day last season. It was a similar type of situation and we could only manage a 1-1 draw. To be behind for so long and to come back and win the game is very positive and will provide the lads with confidence and belief that a draw just wouldn’t have done. Again the silly goal could have cost us dearly and while Arsene Wenger said Jens was ’10’ when asked to put his keeper’s relief on a scale of one to ten, I’d be looking very closely at the German if I was the manager. Yes, mistakes can happen but mistakes happen to keepers more often when they get older. Almunia and Fabianski have got to really start pushing him now.
Afterwards Arsene was felt emibiggened by the cromulent result, saying:
This was the kind of result that changes a team and a season. We had our backs to the wall, didn’t give up and managed to win the game and it is the sort of result that can change a season for a team because it gives you momentum and belief.
I know it’s early to be talking about the effect this could have over the course of the season but I know what he means. Imagine if we hadn’t got the winner – the players would definitely be thinking ‘Oh oh, here we go again’. Now they’re thinking ‘Hurrah, but didn’t we do this last season against Wigan? We did. But still. This is nice on the first day. I think I’d like an ice-cream.’
Afterwards Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez went on a rant about Arsenal being divers, completely ignoring the fact the penalty was in fact a penalty, and the clear cut 100% penalty on Hleb in the first half and the fact that his own player tripped over his own feet and tried to claim a penalty. Basically though nobody should pay the slightest bit of attention to anything a man who wears glasses like that says. It was the pathetic, bitter rant of a man beaten fair and square and he’s making excuses already for the fact that he’s going to get Fulham relegated. The cunt.
So, the opening day of the season sees us win, United only draw against a plucky Reading side playing both the United team and ref Rob Stiles, and Sp*rs lose. We now have a massive 2 point gap over the champions, I can feel my spine tingling as we speak.
For those of you interested in betting and all that malarkey, perhaps you might want to take a look at the Daily Mail on the Arsenal Newsnow feed. They seem to be able to predict the future.
And really that’s it for this morning. We’ve got to prepare for our Champions League qualifier against Sparta Prague on Wednesday so there’ll be plenty of news and previews and team news for that one. For now we can just enjoy the first Monday of the new season and rub our shiny three points over and over again.
Also, if you fancy two tickets to Blackburn v Arsenal at Ewood Park on Sunday click here.
Till tomorrow.
