I really can’t tell you a great deal about the first half because I only saw occasional frozen pictures as I struggled to find any kind of working stream.
It wasn’t until a couple of minutes into the second that I found one that worked and wasn’t like watching Football Manager on the ZX Spectrum. I did see the Match of the Day highlights though so a few thoughts based on those.
We might have been behind but Almunia pulled off a good save after giving away a penalty. Nicklas Bendtner created two great chances for Robin van Persie, one which was blocked by the horrible Steven Taylor, the other well saved by Harper.
The aforementioned Taylor should have had a red card for a deliberate forearm assault on Andrei Arshavin. Replays showed he looked where Arshavin was then clobbered him in the face. There should be retrospective punishment but as the referee saw it there’s nothing that can be done. Again, how much more reluctant would players be to do things like that if they could be punished after the fact by video evidence, or if football took something from the game of rugby and allowed teams to cite opposition players for acts of violent or dangerous play?
Mark Halsey’s performance left a lot to be desired, and that’s being kind.
Then why should I be kind to Mark Halsey? He was appalling and unless referees start protecting players from violence then things are going to get worse. Isn’t there an assessor at every game? I’d say his pencil ran out on Halsey yesterday.
Arshavin showed what he was made of though by brushing Taylor off, twice, then crashing a shot from 30 yards which brushed the top of the bar.
In the second half Mark Halsey was again too lenient when Ryan Taylor grabbed Gael Clichy twice around the neck while running at full speed. Dangerous, we got a free kick, but Taylor did not get the yellow card he deserved.
However, from the free kick, taken by Arshavin, Nicklas Bendtner rose highest to head home into the top corner and make it 1-0. It was a fantastic header and a goal which I’m sure will boost his confidence. He had a good, all-round game yesterday.
Moments later though it was 1-1 as a mistake by Gallas allowed Obafemi Martins to equalise. Not great defending by any means. The lead only lasted five minutes though as Diaby played a neat one-two with van Persie, powered towards goal and finished with aplomb to make it 2-1.
Just three minutes after that van Persie set up Samir Nasri and he finished powerfully at the near post to make it 3-1 Arsenal.
We had other chances after that. Robin van Persie should have played in Bendtner who was in a great position but chose, rather selfishly, to go himself. There was an almightly pinballesque scramble which Newcastle cleared somehow and Diaby hit the post. At the other end Newcastle didn’t really threaten but Almunia made a good save when called upon late in the game.
Afterwards Arsene Wenger said:
We feel that we are on a very good run and improving in every game. This is a young side and the spirit is great, the quality is there and we feel we can go forward from game to game.
Leaving aside the Champions League game we’ve now scored 15 goals in our last 5 games in the league and FA Cup, and 10 in our last 3 league games. Plenty to be encouraged about there and when you consider the chances we missed yesterday it’s clear we’re functioning again as an attacking unit.
It’s a shame we’ve got to cope with an international break just as we were gaining some momentum but I suppose it’s the same for everyone else too. We just have to hope we can pick up where we left off and that none of our players come back wounded, maimed or anything else.
Results yesterday were interesting too. United lost to Fulham and had two men sent off, Chelsea lost to Sp*rs – all of which will surely motivate Liverpool who can close the gap to just 1 point at the top if they beat Villa today.
It’s going to make for a very interesting final five or six weeks of the season, that’s for sure.
Elsewhere there was good news about Theo Walcott whose injury is not as serious as first thought (as Arseblog’s impeccable sources told you yesterday – heh). Good for us, and for him, and with the international break he may not miss much football at all.
Right, that’ll be that. More gardening awaits, joy oh joy. Till tomorrow.
