Am I the only one who sometimes feels like they’re about to wake up on the day before the season begins to find out none of all the cool stuff has happened? I can’t remember a start to the season quite like this, I have to say. The results, the way we’re playing, the fact we’re three points clear of Man City at the top of the table. My good old friends, I am enjoying the shite out of this.
Despite wise words of caution beforehand about not being complacent and every game being difficult blah blah blah, Derby were blown away yesterday. I have to say I feel kind of sorry for them because more than any other Premier League team I can remember, they look completely out of their depth in this league. They were terrible against Sp*rs, worse against Liverpool and despite a good performance against Newcastle this week they had no chance yesterday.
Abou Diaby, playing on the left, put us in front with a great goal after ten minutes. He cut inside a defender, then another one and another one and then unleashed a rocket into the top corner. Unstoppable and after the glorious chances he’s missed in recent weeks he’ll have been glad to stick one away at last.
Now, when Thierry left and we only signed Eduardo there were those of us that thought we were going to be weak in the striking positions. With Robin van Persie on the bench the Crozilian started up top with Adebayor and it was the big man who was the star of the show. His first hat-trick for the club was more than merited. A good first goal when he was put through by Cesc and rounded the keeper before calmly slotting home. A second from the penalty spot after the referee rather generously decided Eduardo had been dragged down by Matt Oakley. And a third late on when he leapt brilliantly to take a ball out of the air on his chest and sidefoot home. That’s six league goals already this season for the Togonator. I think that’s what we call good progress and Derby boss Billy Davies called him one of the best strikers in the world right now.
Of course there was another goal for Cesc, making it his sixth goal in six games. Another long range right footed effort which the keeper got a hand to but was unable to keep out. It really is an amazing run of goals from the young midfielder, Thierry Henry is the last player to have scored in six consecutive games before him. There were other chances too. Bywater made a great save from an Eduardo header, Theo Walcott nearly squirmed one in underneath him and Diaby might have had a second just after scoring. It’s no real exaggeration to say we could have scored seven or eight.
And the best part about it all was that we seemed to do it in cruise control. We knew how shaky the Derby defence was. Neither of the centre-halves could get near Adebayor all day and if we’d needed to step it up a gear or two then that was there. I’m not going to go through individual performances but we’re in a nice position where important players are playing well and that’s winning us games. When you consider we’re without both first choice wide players, a first choice centre-half, possibly the first choice keeper and there was no sign at all of Gilberto. Impressive. Sometimes we’ve struggled against teams we should be beating easily. Sheffield United last season was a prime example but this lot are more ruthless now, they believe in themselves more and if they keep up this kind of form then they’re going to make life difficult for any team they come across.
The manager was impressed as well, saying:
This team means business. We are not there to show off. We want to achieve something together. We kept a good concentration on the quality of our game. It was really enjoyable to watch.
On Adebayor:
He is really a lion. He has a huge force coming out of him, basically he had that already before but he looks calmer in his finishing.
From those comments not only is he a lion but he appears to be a Jedi lion, which must be the most awesome type of lion there is. So overall a great win, great performance and more confidence building ahead of next week’s trickier game away to West Ham.
Of course there’s the Carling Cup game against Newcastle during the week, a full preview of that tomorrow or Tuesday when we get a better idea of what the team news is going to be.
Boris Johnson reacts to his website being unavailable due to the Usmanov effect. He’s not happy and there’s still no sign of it coming back, nor any of the other websites on that server.
Anyway, let us not dwell on things fat and ugly, let us enjoy our Sunday and bask in the warm glow of a five star Arsenal performance and the fact that we are top of the league. We could also have a laugh at the complete and utter mess Chelsea are in. Mourinho accusing Terry of costing him his job, Abramovich giving Michael Essien lessons in tactics via interpreter Andrei Shevchenko and a rift between senior players. Hilarious.
Until tomorrow, Arsemates.
