I watched the whole Arsenal – Vigo match. No way were Arsenal at there best and most of the players looked pretty tired. Edu scored our first with a scrappy goal, which he done well to score. Then their Edu scored a goal for Vigo with a good header, and from an Arsenal point of view a very poor goal to concede. If you watch the replays it was Vieira’s fault because if you are marking a player you have to mark him tightly from the front but Vieira backed off him for a split second and then we were punished. Celta Vigo really started to hassle our defence. It was a fair result at half time when both teams went in at 1 – 1 as Vigo were playing very well.
Arsenal came out in the second half and just about after 30 seconds Mostovoi hit the bar from a brilliant Edu cross. It was no doubt Arsenal was having an off day in aerial challenges. Celta vigo were really pressuring us and then a brilliant goal from Edu. He turned the defender beautifully and then when he hit the shot I thought it was a good attempt that will go just wide of the post but it curled beautifully into the top corner and it was probably Edu’s best goal in an Arsenal shirt. Then we conceded another very cheap goal from a corner. Mostovoi hit a normal cross which again Vieira should have got before one of their players knocked it down for the other Vigo player to lash in which Lehman nearly kept out. Then at the other end we scored a brilliant passing goal. Henry played a pass to Pires and he cushioned it perfectly into his path and just as I thought Henry would shoot He unselfishly squared it to Pires who coolly slotted into the bottom right hand corner. Henry was having a very bad day, but this is where he has vastly improved this season in my eyes. When he is having an off day like today he can do one little piece of magic that normally turns into a goal.
Wenger will not be pleased at all with the two soft goals that we let in, and may concentrate on more defending this week when the team is doing training.
Below are my player ratings although some of them are generous:
Lehmann – 6/10 – Could not do anything about the first goal. He nearly cost us a second goal, but he made up fir it with a wonderful save. I personally think he should have got a better hand on the their second goal but he was unlucky.
Lauren – 5/10 – He was getting tortured down the left flank by Edu. I like Lauren because he is very solid but he just needs to work a bit more on his positional sense.
Campbell – 6/10 – Made one excellent challenge in the first half to deny Milosevic. He could have done more with their second goal.
Toure – 6/10 – He worked hard and was assured throughout.
Clichy – 7/10 – He was the hardest working out of the whole back four. He was making many runs, and also done a lot of defending. We have a very talented young player in Clichy and will be great cover for Cole.
Ljungberg – 4/10 – He looked well out of sorts. He hasn’t played for a few weeks now and didn’t look very dangerous at all. He still worked very hard which pleased me and he came back to help Lauren on several occasions.
Vieira – 5/10 – was fairly strong in midfield and he should have done better on both of the goals we conceded.
Edu – 8/10 – My man of the match. He worked his ass off and scored a scrappy goal as well as a wonder goal. He has played extremely well this season and surely Wenger can’t consider making someone else Vieira’s central midfield partner with the way Edu is currently playing.
Pires – 6/10 – Looked out of sorts but still scored our crucial third goal after a brilliant one – two with Henry. I think he goes down too much that is why the refs just tend to ignore him afterwards even when he has been legitimately fouled.
Reyes – 4/10 – Nearly cosy us a goal because of a poor pass. He looks very dangerous when he is running at defenders and he has great control but he has to learn to release the ball early.
Henry – 6/10 – A very normal game from Henry today especially as he has set such high standards for himself. He was in one them angry moody moods today. He was moaning and getting frustrated a lot as well as angry and he was going in madly in a few of the challenges. He picked up a cheap yellow card and was close to getting red – carded. Played a big part in out third goal. He was in about three one – on – one situations today’s with their right back but he didn’t seem up for it.
Kanu – 5/10 – Showed great touches when he came on and made two excellent tackles. Maybe he should have started instead of Reyes.
Bentley and Cygan barely had any time to get a rating.
Anyone see the Munich – Madrid match. Munich were playing excellent and they would have been at least three – nil up if they had taken all their chances. Makaay scored a good header and I knew they will regret it for missing all those early chances when Madrid equalised. Carlos took a powerful free kick and Kahn looked like he had it covered and then it creeped under his body and went in. What a poor goal to let in, especially for a goalkeeper of Kahn’s ability. No wonder Lehmann wants to be Germany number 1.
Anyway back to the premiership this Saturday as Charlton come to Highbury. I think they are one of the most hard working teams and never get enough credit as they deserve and they also have some very good players, and in Curbishley they have one of the best managers in the premiership, because he is always honest and he gets the most out of his players. Below is a list of who I think are their key players:
Kiely – Key man 4
Jensen + Holland + Konchesky – Key men 3
Euell + Lisbie – Key men 2
Di Canio + Cole – Key man 1
Charlton have sorely missed Parker since he left for Chelsea. Last week they just about beat Blackburn at home with a last minute wonder goal from Jensen. I still remember when we played them earlier on this season when Henry scored a fantastic free kick. They scored from an initial debatable penalty. Henry also hit the post but Charlton worked very hard throughout the whole match.
Two players who represent Charlton for me the best are Matt Holland and dean Kiely. Holland is the driving force like our Vieira especially now Parker has gone and is very hard working, composed and does a lot of team work, and in Kiely they have a great consistent keeper, who makes some excellent saves and also has a great presence about him.
The best team I would send out against Charlton would be:
Lehmann
Lauren Campbell Toure Cole
Ljungberg/Gilberto Viera Edu Pires
Henry Bergkamp
I would consider playing Gilberto on the right as he will have had a good rest and Ljungberg needs more time to recover.
This has been a very good week for Arsenal by first beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and now getting our first victory in Spain. People are saying we have won the premierhsip already, but there are still 12 games to go with a lot of points at stake. All it takes is a few slips from Arsenal and Man utd are straight back into the driving seat again. I want a good performance from the gunners on Saturday especially as they have one week to recover for the next match, which is away to Portsmouth in the FA cup. As I have said some of the players look like they are tired and need a rest but before they have a one-week break I hope they get all three points against to cap off a good week for Arsenal.
Come on you gunners!!!!
Arsenal came out in the second half and just about after 30 seconds Mostovoi hit the bar from a brilliant Edu cross. It was no doubt Arsenal was having an off day in aerial challenges. Celta vigo were really pressuring us and then a brilliant goal from Edu. He turned the defender beautifully and then when he hit the shot I thought it was a good attempt that will go just wide of the post but it curled beautifully into the top corner and it was probably Edu’s best goal in an Arsenal shirt. Then we conceded another very cheap goal from a corner. Mostovoi hit a normal cross which again Vieira should have got before one of their players knocked it down for the other Vigo player to lash in which Lehman nearly kept out. Then at the other end we scored a brilliant passing goal. Henry played a pass to Pires and he cushioned it perfectly into his path and just as I thought Henry would shoot He unselfishly squared it to Pires who coolly slotted into the bottom right hand corner. Henry was having a very bad day, but this is where he has vastly improved this season in my eyes. When he is having an off day like today he can do one little piece of magic that normally turns into a goal.
Wenger will not be pleased at all with the two soft goals that we let in, and may concentrate on more defending this week when the team is doing training.
Below are my player ratings although some of them are generous:
Lehmann – 6/10 – Could not do anything about the first goal. He nearly cost us a second goal, but he made up fir it with a wonderful save. I personally think he should have got a better hand on the their second goal but he was unlucky.
Lauren – 5/10 – He was getting tortured down the left flank by Edu. I like Lauren because he is very solid but he just needs to work a bit more on his positional sense.
Campbell – 6/10 – Made one excellent challenge in the first half to deny Milosevic. He could have done more with their second goal.
Toure – 6/10 – He worked hard and was assured throughout.
Clichy – 7/10 – He was the hardest working out of the whole back four. He was making many runs, and also done a lot of defending. We have a very talented young player in Clichy and will be great cover for Cole.
Ljungberg – 4/10 – He looked well out of sorts. He hasn’t played for a few weeks now and didn’t look very dangerous at all. He still worked very hard which pleased me and he came back to help Lauren on several occasions.
Vieira – 5/10 – was fairly strong in midfield and he should have done better on both of the goals we conceded.
Edu – 8/10 – My man of the match. He worked his ass off and scored a scrappy goal as well as a wonder goal. He has played extremely well this season and surely Wenger can’t consider making someone else Vieira’s central midfield partner with the way Edu is currently playing.
Pires – 6/10 – Looked out of sorts but still scored our crucial third goal after a brilliant one – two with Henry. I think he goes down too much that is why the refs just tend to ignore him afterwards even when he has been legitimately fouled.
Reyes – 4/10 – Nearly cosy us a goal because of a poor pass. He looks very dangerous when he is running at defenders and he has great control but he has to learn to release the ball early.
Henry – 6/10 – A very normal game from Henry today especially as he has set such high standards for himself. He was in one them angry moody moods today. He was moaning and getting frustrated a lot as well as angry and he was going in madly in a few of the challenges. He picked up a cheap yellow card and was close to getting red – carded. Played a big part in out third goal. He was in about three one – on – one situations today’s with their right back but he didn’t seem up for it.
Kanu – 5/10 – Showed great touches when he came on and made two excellent tackles. Maybe he should have started instead of Reyes.
Bentley and Cygan barely had any time to get a rating.
Anyone see the Munich – Madrid match. Munich were playing excellent and they would have been at least three – nil up if they had taken all their chances. Makaay scored a good header and I knew they will regret it for missing all those early chances when Madrid equalised. Carlos took a powerful free kick and Kahn looked like he had it covered and then it creeped under his body and went in. What a poor goal to let in, especially for a goalkeeper of Kahn’s ability. No wonder Lehmann wants to be Germany number 1.
Anyway back to the premiership this Saturday as Charlton come to Highbury. I think they are one of the most hard working teams and never get enough credit as they deserve and they also have some very good players, and in Curbishley they have one of the best managers in the premiership, because he is always honest and he gets the most out of his players. Below is a list of who I think are their key players:
Kiely – Key man 4
Jensen + Holland + Konchesky – Key men 3
Euell + Lisbie – Key men 2
Di Canio + Cole – Key man 1
Charlton have sorely missed Parker since he left for Chelsea. Last week they just about beat Blackburn at home with a last minute wonder goal from Jensen. I still remember when we played them earlier on this season when Henry scored a fantastic free kick. They scored from an initial debatable penalty. Henry also hit the post but Charlton worked very hard throughout the whole match.
Two players who represent Charlton for me the best are Matt Holland and dean Kiely. Holland is the driving force like our Vieira especially now Parker has gone and is very hard working, composed and does a lot of team work, and in Kiely they have a great consistent keeper, who makes some excellent saves and also has a great presence about him.
The best team I would send out against Charlton would be:
Lehmann
Lauren Campbell Toure Cole
Ljungberg/Gilberto Viera Edu Pires
Henry Bergkamp
I would consider playing Gilberto on the right as he will have had a good rest and Ljungberg needs more time to recover.
This has been a very good week for Arsenal by first beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and now getting our first victory in Spain. People are saying we have won the premierhsip already, but there are still 12 games to go with a lot of points at stake. All it takes is a few slips from Arsenal and Man utd are straight back into the driving seat again. I want a good performance from the gunners on Saturday especially as they have one week to recover for the next match, which is away to Portsmouth in the FA cup. As I have said some of the players look like they are tired and need a rest but before they have a one-week break I hope they get all three points against to cap off a good week for Arsenal.
Come on you gunners!!!!
