Well that was much more fun than the last few days, wasn’t it?
We secured our qualification for the group stages of the Champions League for the 11th successive season with a 4-0 win over FC Twente (goals here via 101 Great Goals). The boss mixed the team up a bit. Bendtner came in for Adebayor, Fabregas replaced Eboue and Djourou came in at the back (heh) in place of Kolo.
What was immediately apparent was that Twente are pretty rubbish which kind of created its own pressure. Had we not scored a good few goals there’d be some complaints but in the end we scored the goals. The first came from Samir Nasri (that’s two in two at home for him this season) after Theo Walcott had skinned the left back and pulled the ball back. Robin van Persie lunged, got a toe to it, Nasri shaped to shoot, took it on his left and it went in with the aid of a deflection. I think it was going in anyway.
The lunge was about the only thing Robin did right all night and he was guilty of an incredible miss a few minutes later. With the goal at his mercy and the ball on his favoured left foot he conspired to put it wide somehow. He’d earlier skied a half-decent chance and he does look out of sorts at the moment. To be honest though I’d rather he started slowly this season and lasted the pace rather than come out of the blocks flying and only get a couple of months out of him. That’s the way it works, isn’t it?
The other three goals came in the second half. Gallas took the ball forward and eventually it broke to Bendnter who shot. The rebound was tucked away by Gallas who must have strapped his cock to his left foot last night.
Theo got the third and it was rather a lovely goal. At half-time Alan Hansen on the BBC was moaning (as he always does when forced to watch Arsenal, still bitter about 89, you see) about Theo’s lack of composure. There was no lack of it with the finish which was reminiscent of Henry in his pomp and overall I thought Theo had a good game. The goal will certainly have done him good and Hansen can go put a nobbly stick up his hoop, the cunt.
The final goal got Nicklas Bendtner on the scoresheet for the first time this season. He had a night when not much went right for him. Too many touches, the ball breaking the wrong way, passes hitting him in the back and it looked like he wouldn’t have scored if we were still playing now but late on a crafty Denilson backheel gave him the simplest of chances and he put it under the keeper to make it 4-0.
A result that was just what the doctor ordered. Goals, confidence returning after Fulham and ahead of Newcastle, and the successful return of Cesc to the team. You can see what a huge difference he makes to us. He was involved in most of our good stuff in the first half and hopefully he’ll have had no reaction to his injury and has enough in the tank for Newcastle on Saturday. Afterwards Arsene Wenger said:
It was a big game for us and I felt we were well organised, disciplined, focused and basically never really under threat from FC Twente. I felt the whole team was sharper and physically we were much better than on Saturday afternoon.
So the boss got the response he needed from the squad and we go into the draw for the group stages which takes place this afternoon at 5pm. The win and the goals will raise spirits amongst fans. Fans spirits would be raised higher than a ghost on the never ending escalator though if the manager got his chequebook out before the deadline on Monday evening. We were much, much better than against Fulham but then Twente were a lot worse than Fulham too. Still, today’s a day for enjoying a fine victory and nothing more.
Nevertheless, to get us all a little bit excited by mentioning a player we’re never going to sign (see what I’m doing here?) The Sun links us with a move for Feynoord’s Jonathan de Guzman. They describe him as an ‘enforcer’ and ‘the Dutch version of Owen Hargreaves’, the first part of which is absolutely great, the second rather not so as that floppy haired Canadian cunthound does my fucking head in. A new name on the radar though, that’s got to be positive.
Meanwhile a move for Xabi Alonso looks ever more distant as Gareth Barry has confirmed he’ll be staying at Villa and you have to think that the two deals were interlinked. Oh well.
Right so, busy times here at Blog Towers. Lots to do today so I’d best get on with it. More tomorrow.
