Gillespie Road

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
27 Oct	7:45 PM	LC	Liverpool (H)	2	1	Win

So, after I left you yesterday evening, Jo and I headed off to get our train up town. We got to Soho's Revolution, having threaded our way through London streets teeming with theatre-goers, just in time to make use of their 241 on burgers offer and ordered a couple of Russian Brides - why they can't just call them White Russians, I don't know.

From there, we squeezed in a couple more cocktails each and then headed off to get the Piccadilly line to Arsenal with about 40 minutes to kick-off. I got chatting to a friendly Liverpool fan on a predictably packed tube, he hadn't got a ticket but was going up on the off chance. Our exchange opened in classic style:

Scouser: Excuse me mate, which station's best to get off at for Arsenal?

Me: Arsenal.

When he started talking about "that Brazilian" from a couple of seasons back, I opened up a bit more. He meant Julio Baptista, obviously. I wonder if he made it in? The Scouser, not Baptista.

There were ten minutes to kick-off when the train pulled in at Arsenal and four minutes to kick-off by the time we made it out of the station. As for outside the ground, the queues were not moving that quickly. There seemed to be, in our entrance at least, a problem with some cards - I think the problem was supporters queueing up at the wrong entrance.

So, we got to our seats in block 6 about 90 seconds into the game. Despite best intentions - I hate being late for football - it seems to be getting more and more difficult to be on time for it these days. Is it just me, or is the London Underground a total disaster zone?

Anyway, Nasri, Eduardo, Bendtner and Merida all started. The midfield anchor, though, was not Randall and it wasn't Coquelin either, it was Craig Eastmond. And between you and me, he did rather well. Not, reading around t' interweb, that I'm the only one to have noticed this.

Liverpool had Babel, Kuyt, Skertl, Voronin and N'Gog in their team, so Liverpool were clearly not coming down to roll over and have their bellies tickled by a strong Arsenal side. And it made for an absolutely riveting cup contest.

I think Liverpool had a good chance just as we were getting to the seats, which we stood in front of all night. Our first chance was a Nasri free kick just wide. Then, some brilliant interplay down the left, culminated in Bendtner playing a 1-2 with Eduardo, in on goal with an option to the right, he stumbled over it allowing Liverpool's keeper to collect.

I said yesterday that Fran Merida had a chance to shine and he took it with aplomb yesterday. Good passing and clever turns characterised his performance yesterday. But none of that would stand out especially alongside the performances of Eduardo, say, or Samir Nasri. What did stand out was the opening goal.

As Arsenal attempted to work their umpteenth triangle on the right, Kerrea Gilbert gave the ball away to Voronin, who tried to lay the ball off, the ball was intercepted and arrived at Fran Merida's feet on the edge of the box. His fierce left foot drive smashed off the near post- ooh! and into the back of the net sending everyone, including Cesc Fabregas on the big screen, mental. Except the couple next to me, eating their Maltesers.

The Grove rocked, how it rocked- unlike a normal Carling Cup game, I have to say. And then Liverpool reverted to type, a big hoof down field, headed on and Emiliano Insua continued the Grove tradition of ridiculous goals scored by the opposition with a dipping volley that gave Fabianski no chance. He celebrated in front of us, too. Git.

Shortly after that there was piece of football that summed up so much about Arsènal, the way they play and why it will always be preferable to watching a team drilled by the likes of Benitez - who was on his feet most of the night. Penned in to our corner, Nick Bendtner managed to sidestep a challenge; working a series of one twos with Aaron Ramsey, he started an attack that finished with Fran Merida beating the keeper from the left, but his shot being blocked. I haven't done the sheer audacity of that move justice, but it was ejector seat football.

From the Liverpool keeper missing a corner, there followed a ridiculous goalmouth scramble which finished with Bendtner shooting tamely into the keeper's hands. Another spell of intircate passing ended with Bendtner just failing to get on the end of a through ball.

And at half-time; the score was, somewhat improbably, one all.

As the second half began, a beach ball began flying around our block, "On the pitch, on the pitch!" before an alert steward confiscated it. And before many had made it back from their half-time miturations and refreshments, Arsenal had the decisive goal. It began, I think - my glasses aren't that powerful - with a lovely piece of skill and driving run from the excellent Keiran Gibbs - though it could have been Eastmond (no, it wasn't, just seen it again). It ended with Nick Bendtner holding off Martin Skrtl's challenge and lashing the ball, left footed, in at the near post.

Of course, we didn't mind him celebrating in front of us. Not one bit.

From there on, it seemed that we were trying to play on the counter a bit, as Liverpool had far more of the ball than in the first half, Vornonin and, from a free kick, Babel going close. Eastmond and Bendtner were replaced by Randall and Sanchez "you what you what you what you what you" Watt and, for me, Watt should have had a penalty.

Played in on the right, he might have shot but chose to take the defender on, turning him one way and then the other, he was clearly impeded. But it seems that an Arsenal player would have to have both legs hacked off at the knees to get a penalty these days. Eduardo, playing the full 90, might have made the game safe in the dying minutes as he burst down the left, but put his shot just wide of the far post.

Liverpool, apparently had a claim for handball against Senderos in the 4 minutes of injury time, but being down the other end, I have no idea whether it should have been given. I guess we're due a bit of luck against them with regard to penalty claims, so I'm not going to complain. Obviously.

Amazingly for a midweek cup game, the majority of the crowd were still in (or at) their seats on the final whistle, which no doubt contributed to the big roar which greeted the end of a thoroughly absorbing contest.

And the insanely crowded Gillespie Road, as we made our way out. So crowded it was, in fact, that we decided to forgo the tube queues and head to the Arsenal Tavern, or the @ Club, whatever it's called now, and have a nice, relaxing drink before heading home.

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