october 4th
16.24 – Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal (Hyypia og, Pires)
And Harry Kewell said he joined Liverpool because he wanted to win things.
It was fairly typical that the bloke involved in a long running summer transfer saga involving Arsenal should put Liverpool ahead in this game. So intevitable that you were just hoping it would happen early so we could do something about it. A lucky deflection, a cool finish from Kewell and it was 1-0 to dem scousers after 13 mins.
Liverpool pretty much dominated the first half, had some good chances but were kept at bay by a very solid Arsenal back 4. I can’t remember a player to have exploded into our team like Kolo Toure has, again he was outstanding, against Michael Owen this week, and his all round defensive game keeps improving.
On the half hour Arsenal had a free kick on the right. Pires played it in, Edu got a touch on it, it landed on Hyypia’s foot, 1-1. Couldn’t happier to nicer bloke.
Late in the first half Igor Biscan was lucky after a trip on Jeremie Aliadiere was ignored by the ref. Young Jeremie was starting his first Arsenal game ahead of Sylvain Wiltord. He did ok, worked hard but didn’t really have a chance to show his attacking prowess.
Into the second half and Liverpool came out strongly again, but they couldn’t keep it. Slowly we got more of the ball, and began to pass it around very nicely. We got lucky with a bobble on the edge of the Liverpool box after some nice possession, the ball came to Pires who came inside the Liverpool defenders and curled an absolute gem into the top corner of Dudek’s net. His first goal of the season, and a little reminder of his class to the people who have doubted him recently.
From then on it was lots of Arsenal possession, Wiltord came on for Aliadiere, did some good stuff. We defended brilliantly, one moment when they skimmed the post apart, the midfield worked really hard and overall it was a great performance from Arsenal. Nail biting stuff at the end, I was waiting for Kewell to score again, or that lump to nick another late equaliser like he did last season, but the boys did more than hang on.
A couple of quick texts to my Liverpool supporting brother in Oz, watching in a bar, probably crying now like a little girl. Hahaha, that’ll teach you to break my Arsenal mug when you were 6. YOU SLAAAAAAAAAAG.
Top of the league, we can’ t be knocked off this weekeend, the rest still to play. Nice.
