A 1-1 draw against Aston Villa was not the ideal way to open the season but it was far from worst either. Anyone who thought we were going to thrash them was living in another world. O’Neill’s teams are always well organised and tough to break down and so it proved yesterday.
We had some chances in the first half. Adebayor had a header cleared off the line and a beautiful Cesc pass was putting Henry clean through till the ball hit him on the back. In first half injury time Kolo Toure had a goal disallowed for offside.
Then in the second half Adebayor had another cleared off the line thanks to some last ditch defending and then they went and scored. A combination of bad marking and a bad decision by Jens to come for the corner saw Olaf Mellberg head home. If Villa had played defensively beforehand they really went into their shell after this. With 11 men behind the ball whenever we had possession it made it very tough to break them down and it doesn’t matter how big your new pitch is.
Robn van Persie replaced Adebayor but didn’t really get into the game then came the moment Arsenal fans have been waiting for since January. Theo Walcott is real! He replaced Freddie and he did have an impact. Playing down the left he looked tricky and direct and it was his cross which eventually fell to Gilberto who smashed home the equaliser and it was no less than we deserved. Sadly we couldn’t find another before the end but the most important thing was not to lose.
Afterwards AW praised the youngster’s contribution but warned against expecting too much too soon from the 17 year old and of the game in general he said:
We lacked a bit of sharpness in the finishing part of our game and we made a mistake for the goal we conceded, but it is the type of game you get at the start of the season.
Can’t really argue with that. We dominated the game in terms of possession and chances but it was quite obvious we’re a team that’s still finding it’s fitness and rhythm. There were certainly more positives than negatives yesterday despite the post-match overreaction from some fans who feel we have a divine right to win every game. I thought we showed great character to keep at Villa and perhaps last season we wouldn’t have got that goal so it’s a testament to the boys and that extra bit of experience they have.
Without going into too much depth regarding individual performances I thought we looked assured at the back, Djourou has a great air of calm about him and although Justin Hoyte did well I’m a little concerned about how easily people go past him. Eboue on the other side tore Villa a new arsehole and if the lad had a final ball worth talking of he’d be an absolute sensation – something for the coaching staff to work on.
In the middle Cesc and Gilberto had their run of the pitch (I did love Cesc steppng on Graham Poll!), Hleb started poorly but had a storming final 30 and a clearly far from fit Freddie did very well and popped up in some dangerous positions. Up front Adebayor put himself about very well, worked hard, had some chances and on another day would have had a goal or two and Thierry Henry was quiet due to his lack of match fitness (AW had a pop at French coach Raymond Dommenech, and rightly so, for playing Henry for the full 90 minutes of a bullshit friendly the other day) but the game will have done him good.
And we got to see Theo. And he did well. And he looks like he could really add something to the team this season, probably from a wide position rather than up front at the moment, but it’s good to know he really exists and that he can play football!
Overall not the three points we would have wanted but a decent enough start to the season and the signs are good for the weeks ahead.
Right then, a look at what’s making the papers this Sunday morning. Arsene wants the Ashley Cole situation sorted out and sorted out now! He says:
We have to sort this situation out quite quickly. This situation is not a money situation. We have not turned down an offer. The problem is not between us and Chelsea.
Quite what that means I don’t know but something’s going on behind the scenes. Perhaps Cole’s ludicrous statement about how was making himself available to play (good of him considering the money he’s earning) was an indication he’s having second thoughts about going to Chelsea. Who knows? It’s all just very tedious now. When we should be talking about a new season, a new stadium, little Theo and everything else it all just keeps coming back to that little cunt.
José Antonio Reyes looks set to stay. Wenger is quoted in The People as saying:
Now that is one thing that I can tell you is finished. Jose Antonio Reyes is an Arsenal player and will remain an Arsenal player.
There’s certainly nothing in the Spanish press to suggest a deal is imminent so it looks like he’s going to stay. I feel a bit sorry for him in a way because he’s obviously not the sharpest tool in the box but he’s not a bad lad either. I just hope that if he does stay that he gets support and encouragement from his family and those around him so he can do his job to the best of his ability. Maybe it’s time for him to live on his own. He might like it!
Arsenal helped Birmingham to the top of the Championship yesterday as Nicklas Bendtner scored again and Seb Larsson got a last minute winner as they beat Crystal Palace 2-1. It’s good to see some of our boys go on loan and really make an impact. So many go out, struggle to perform or convince that they’re good enough, but the two of them are making sure AW knows they’re doing well and, in my opinion, could both do a job for us as well.
And that’s about it. Enjoy your Sunday.
