Historic histrionics

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
26 Aug	7:45 PM	CL	Celtic (H)	3	1	Win

I spent a bit of time yesterday afternoon talking about the new single from one of my favourite bands. It seems appropriate today as Eduardo and Arsenal Football Club endure a "massive attack" following the dubious penalty awarded to us yesterday evening. A penalty so dubious that even Arsène had to admit it was "not a penalty".

It was a historic moment, wasn't it? The first in a soon to be lengthy list of penalty box misdemeanours created by strikers the world over. Never let it be said that Arsenal are nothing if not innovative. From the creation of the "WM" formation; the floodlights, the renaming of a tube station, the numbers on players' backs, the idea that players might need proper diets, full backs as wingers, central midfielders as wingers, wingers as centre forwards, Arsenal have given the football world so much. Last night, our number nine added the word "diving" to the football lexicon and so shocked ITV commentators that they couldn't stop talking about it throughout the match. Well, apart from those occasions when Clive Tyldesley felt the need to keep reminding the Arsenal fans watching about Ronaldo's free kick and Manchester United's subsequent win at the Grove last season, that is. Did he mention the similarly soft circumstances that free kick had been awarded in? Of course not.

Whilst on the subject of ITV, if anyone can explain the presence of Kenny Dalglish in the studio last night? Celtic (and Liverpool) legend he may be, but last night his every utterance just screamed "Drunk man at the pub". Perhaps that's a touch harsh, I don't know, he certainly wasn't on Tony Adams' level from a couple of years back. But it winds me up that from Sky to ITV, us Arsenal fans seem doomed to be treated as the enemy. A perfect example is the way the commentators last night repeatedly suggested the penalty award turned the game somehow. At that point in the match, Celtic had added precisely zero shots to their total shots on target from the first leg, this left their total at the decidedly unlikely to win a two-legged tie total of one. One shot in two hours of football. And a total they didn't add to until injury time and that spectacular consolation goal.

So, it wasn't a game turning moment. And for that, I guess Celtic can feel fortunate. When I say game turning, it wasn't like when Mike Riley decided to give Manchester United a chance on goal they'd never have created for themselves in 2004. It wasn't like when Arsenal dragged themselves to the brink of the Champions League semi final two seasons ago, only for the referee to buy Ryan Babel's dive with only two minutes left. Where was the UEFA investigation then? I wish Eduardo hadn't done what he did, this single act will remain in the average football fan's mind longer than the tackle he suffered last February, it will have eroded much goodwill felt towards him. But then again, we're Arsenal, we're used to people hating us and so should we care what anyone else thinks?

It was ironic that as Eduardo (who had as many shots on target as the entire Celtic team across two legs) was recasting himself as the pantomime villain, Emmanuel Eboue was busy having one of the best games of his Arsenal career, topping it off with the goal of the game, following good work from Diaby and Bendtner. A comment from Jim Beglin about how Eboue seemed freed up in the new system put me in mind of the 94 World Cup, Nigeria and a Lenny Henry joke:

"Brilliant athletes - they didn't give a fuck about the ball".

With Bacary Sagna and Gaël Clichy as brilliant as ever, Denilson showing what a good player he can be and Gallas and Vermaelen showing they could stand up to a hurricane- a good thing, with the Manchester double header imminent- it was a night of many positives. But the most positive, for me anyway, was the introduction of Arshavin and Wilshere with twenty minutes to go. Okay, it was Arshavin who opened his account for the season with that smartly taken goal, but in the visible speed of thought and movement, these two lads - separated by eleven years - showed how destructive a pairing they could prove to be. No, Arsenal might not have Cesc Fabregas on Saturday evening, but we might not need him.

And it is that thought I'd like to leave you with today.

User Comments

User Comments

• Got something to say?
• Read comments

Vs chelsea