Yesterday I missed the first half of the game as the electricity was missing as usual at this period of time in Senegal. I ran home early just to realize that all my efforts were for nothing.
Thank god just before the break of the fast it came back and I saw one nil to the Arsenal while people were heading down the tunnel. I waited for the half time highlights and saw the penalty incident which did not impress me at all. I hate diving. I hate it more when our players do it. Well I would love it if they won penalties against Manchester United or Liverpool as they have done it against us and we got no sympathy.
In the second half I saw some nice moves, nice football and three very good goals. The first one was great. Clichy found Bendtner on the left wing and the Dane back heeled the ball in Diaby's path. The leggy Frenchman cut the ball to Eboue who moved it to the free space in his right before sending a low drive to the left sidefooting the goal keeper. Nice football, nice goal!
The ever so impressive Denilson showed some brilliant staff intercepting, dribbling passing and running into space. He failed to follow Bendtner when the new number 52 trumped the goal keeper to cut back for the Brazilian. He set Vermaelen with a cute little flick a-la Zidane and it was him again at the heart of the second goal of the half and the third for the gunners. The Brazillian won the ball dribbled a couple of players before losing possession for a second. Arshavin got the rebound, found Aaron Ramsey who gave him back the ball. The Russian genius turned on himself and found the back of the net with a lovely drive. This was a typical genius goal that only the likes of Arshavin, Bergkamp etc score on regular basis.
Ramsey came off moments later through injury and we finished the game with ten players. In injury time Celtic got one back when Donati met a far post cross with a nice volley that hit the inside of the post and went in for a consolation goal to the visitors.
The champiosn league draw is today. We are in the first pot along Barcelona, Manchester, Chelsea, Liverpool, AC Milan, Bayern and FC Seville. This means we won't be in the same group as those clubs but we would not face the other english clubs anyway. One club from the second pot will be in our group those clubs being : Real Madrid, Inter, Lyon,CSKA Moscow , Porto, AZ Alkmaar, Juventus and Rangers. Another club from the third pot will follow : Olympiakos, Marseille, Dinamo Kiev, Stuttgart , Fiorentina, Atletico Madrid, Bordeaux and Besikta. The last club should be from Wolfsburg, Standard Liege, Maccabi Haifa, FC Zurich, Rubin Kazan, AFC Unirea Urziceni, Debreceni and Apoel FC.
A group of Arsenal, Rangers, Besiktas and AFC Unirea would do for me but Arsenal Real Madrid Fiorentina and Wolfsburg is also tasty not easy but entertaining.
On saturday is the big showdown against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The young guns will face their biggest test so far and we are all very confident going into this game. In the injury front it doses not look good for the central midfield where Cesc is a doubt while Ramsey is out. Nasri is also out but Rosicky may be available. The Cech did not play a competitive game since january 2008 so even if he is available he would only play a couple of minutes at best. Van Persie and Arshavin were rested with this game in mind and I hope they will respond to that. Manchester may be fresher as they did not play in midweek with the home advantadge so naturally they are favourites. But don't write us off!
Up the gunners!
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Monday, 24 August 2009
Home sweeet home and ramadan eid mubarak!
The first home game of the season was on the card on saturday afternoon when the Portsmouth were the guests at the Emirates Stadium.
While an ARSENALISATION process has began in the new stadium, the young guns started their home campaign in similar fashion to the two great away games already played.
Wenger made four changes to the side that brushed aside Everton 6-1 on the EPL first game and won confortably away to Celtic 2-0. Eboue and Gibbs started respectively as right back and left back to replace Sagna and Clichy. Song was rested and Diaby was on along Cesc and Denilson. Eduardo took the left wing position where Arshavin used to operate. The little Russian genius was on the right side previously occupied by Bendtner who was rested too.
Despite the changes the gunners took only 17 minutes to find the net curtosy of a lovely combination between Eduardo and Diaby. Cesc found Eduardo with a delicious chip on the left wing, the Croazilian made a fool of the pompey right back and cut inside for the unrushing Diaby who slided home a sweet opener.
The arsenalisation of the stadium consists on putting efforts and bringing arsenal tradition into the stadium with more color, more painting etc. But a couple of minutes from the opening goal a second one from a counter attack so reminescent of old arsenal was to follow. A free kick was cleared by ABou Diaby, the ball was picked by Arshavin who found Cesc. The captain released EBoue on the right who found Diaby in the penalty area and all the the Frenchman had to do was to slot the ball in the net. Exquisite counter attacking football from old arsenal leaves that was the trademark of the great invincibles. Later after the match Wenger compared Abou Diaby to the engine of that great team: Patrick Vieira.
Just before half time the teammates of Pape Bouba Diop found themselves with one goal when Younes Kaboul jumped on Almunia to head his goal. Cesc came off at half time with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Aaron Ramsey the Welsh teenager sensation. Gallas got his usual goal. He has scored in every competitive game so far. An Arshavin free kick was flicked by Van Persie to the far post, Vermaelen tackled the ball back accross goal where Gallas hit the ball on his own face and in the net. Later Van Persie found Ramsey with a neat pass and the Welsh International trumped the pompey keeper with ease.
First home game of the season 4-1 without forcing our talent and while resting some key players is a good day for the gunners long may it continue.
The strikers still didn't score but we can't complain! Twelve goals in three games while Van Persie and Arshavin the two best players of the last campaign are still searching their form. Next is the return leg of the champions leaghue qualifier against Celtic on wednesday before the big shock when we visit Old Trafford on Saturday to entertain Manchester United.
So happy ramadan to you all. And up the gunners!
While an ARSENALISATION process has began in the new stadium, the young guns started their home campaign in similar fashion to the two great away games already played.
Wenger made four changes to the side that brushed aside Everton 6-1 on the EPL first game and won confortably away to Celtic 2-0. Eboue and Gibbs started respectively as right back and left back to replace Sagna and Clichy. Song was rested and Diaby was on along Cesc and Denilson. Eduardo took the left wing position where Arshavin used to operate. The little Russian genius was on the right side previously occupied by Bendtner who was rested too.
Despite the changes the gunners took only 17 minutes to find the net curtosy of a lovely combination between Eduardo and Diaby. Cesc found Eduardo with a delicious chip on the left wing, the Croazilian made a fool of the pompey right back and cut inside for the unrushing Diaby who slided home a sweet opener.
The arsenalisation of the stadium consists on putting efforts and bringing arsenal tradition into the stadium with more color, more painting etc. But a couple of minutes from the opening goal a second one from a counter attack so reminescent of old arsenal was to follow. A free kick was cleared by ABou Diaby, the ball was picked by Arshavin who found Cesc. The captain released EBoue on the right who found Diaby in the penalty area and all the the Frenchman had to do was to slot the ball in the net. Exquisite counter attacking football from old arsenal leaves that was the trademark of the great invincibles. Later after the match Wenger compared Abou Diaby to the engine of that great team: Patrick Vieira.
Just before half time the teammates of Pape Bouba Diop found themselves with one goal when Younes Kaboul jumped on Almunia to head his goal. Cesc came off at half time with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Aaron Ramsey the Welsh teenager sensation. Gallas got his usual goal. He has scored in every competitive game so far. An Arshavin free kick was flicked by Van Persie to the far post, Vermaelen tackled the ball back accross goal where Gallas hit the ball on his own face and in the net. Later Van Persie found Ramsey with a neat pass and the Welsh International trumped the pompey keeper with ease.
First home game of the season 4-1 without forcing our talent and while resting some key players is a good day for the gunners long may it continue.
The strikers still didn't score but we can't complain! Twelve goals in three games while Van Persie and Arshavin the two best players of the last campaign are still searching their form. Next is the return leg of the champions leaghue qualifier against Celtic on wednesday before the big shock when we visit Old Trafford on Saturday to entertain Manchester United.
So happy ramadan to you all. And up the gunners!
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