Three points. Not the most convincing three points we’ve ever won but three points all the same.
We started with a strange formation, the manager preferring to use Alex Song at right back instead of Eboue, a more natural right full. Song struggled and when Everton opened us up way to easily to score the first goal his effort to get back and defend was, at best, idle. I think perhaps he’s a victim of nobody knowing what his best position is. Maybe he doesn’t actually have one.
Everton had one cleared off the line as our weakness from high balls was exposed again while van Persie had our best chance of the first half, Twitchy Tim making a good save. At half-time there was a chorus of disapproval from the home fans, those that had stayed to watch the end of the half anyway, and it was very worrying.
The manager said something though at half-time and in the second we were much, much better. Theo Walcott came on for Kolo Toure who had injured his shoulder and his presence on the pitch certainly unsettled Everton. We scored quite quickly too. Just three minutes after the restart the ball fell to Nasri just outside the D and he low shot nestled in the bottom corner. Just what we needed. Walcott created a good chance for van Persie but he whacked it over with his right foot.
There then followed some aggro with Arsenal player aggrieved at Tony Hibbert’s tackle on Denilson. The Everton man came flying right through the Brazilian. He may have gotten the ball but it was from behind and dangerous. When confronted by Gael Clichy he then grabbed our left back by the throat. The result, a yellow card. Shit refeering from Peter Walton. Hibbert should have been sent off. Arsenal’s mood was not helped when Walton gave a goal kick when van Persie was obviously pulled down in the area – a more stonewall penalty you won’t see this year.
But van Persie had the last laugh when, after Adebayor’s clumsiness saw him spurn a chance and Cesc’s subsequent shot was saved by Howard, he nodded home from 6 yards to put us in front. We then lost Nasri to a thigh injury with Abou Diaby coming on in his place. The game was made safe right at the death when some nice interplay between Walcott and Diaby saw Theo arrow one between Howard’s legs to make it 3-1. Relief all round and the three points secured. Afterwards Arsene Wenger said:
What was very important today was that the team has shown personality by being 1-0 down. We played our season today, we could not afford to drop a point. The way we responded when we were 1-0 down was of course vital. I wasn’t nervous at half time because I had confidence and belief that we would change the game.
I think he must have been the only one who wasn’t nervous. The fans were and you could see some of the players were too. Defensively we have some real issues. I think Sylvester did pretty well for the most part, after a shaky start but some of the problems we have are just down to doing the basics. Look at Lescott’s header which Clichy cleared off the line. Everton played a short corner to Baines who had all the time in the world to drop in his cross. Why did nobody pick him up? Why was nobody awake to the threat in the first place?
The way we were opened up for Osman’s goal was very worrying too. It wasn’t like it was incredible forward play. It was simple pass and move stuff which we didn’t cope with at all. Osman won’t score an easier goal in his life and you have to wonder how we’ll cope when we face teams whose movement and interplay in the final third is so much better than Everton’s.
It does seem churlish to criticise after a win so I’m not going to say a lot more that’s negative. All I will say is that I wish Bendtner was fit because I’d like to see him get a little run of games ahead of Adebayor whose form is clearly not as good as it should be. I’d also prefer to see the manager play players in their best positions and not hope to muddle through using utility players to plug the gaps.
On the positive side Nasri got another goal (perhaps balanced by another injury) and again he looks, to me at least, like a much more productive player than Hleb ever was. Theo scored and caused all kinds of problems to the Everton defence and, of course, to come back from 1-0 down at home and win is always a good thing, even if being behind in the first place is hardly idea.
The three points yesterday were absolutely vital though with United, Chelsea and Liverpool all winning. If we can sort ourselves out against the so-called lesser lights of the league then it’s going to be the games against these sides that sort out the title.
We go into Tuesday night’s game with something approaching an injury crisis though. It seems Kolo’s injury is ligament damage to the shoulder and according to the boss it doesn’t look good. We may have Djourou back and Bendtner so that’d be something but the already thin squad is really being stretched at the moment. We’ll find out more in the next day or so about the Champions League game.
In a quick Sunday round-up the News of the World reports Cesc has turned down an improved contract from the club, ‘paving the way’ for his exit at the end of the season. Shut up, News of the Cunts and stop trying to ruin my Sunday. Normally you’d dismiss the stuff from the NotW as bollocks but with his agent now Dein Jr and the fact they have a little bit of history in leaking stuff to papers for their own benefit I’m slightly less dismissive about it. Anyway, the bottom line is this: the best way for Arsenal to ensure Cesc stays at the club is to build a team capable of winning trophies. If we build it he will stay.
Update: Cesc is the most awesome human being on the planet. The ink is barely dry on the News of the World’s first edition and he’s already dismissed it as ‘mischief making’, saying:
A newspaper report suggesting that I have rejected a new contract is untrue. The article is just mischief-making. Everybody knows I have a long-term contract and that I am happy here. I’m focussed on doing my best for Arsenal.
Even Ming the Merciless would make this man captain of the universe.
Julio Baptista talks about his time in London and at Arsenal. ‘The Beast’ will play for Roma against Chelsea this week. May he score many and injure many.
And that’s really about it. It’s good to get a win under our belts, no matter how nerve-wracking it was. Onwards and upwards, arsechums.
