Arsenal 2-1 Wigan – 11/02/07 – (Barclays Premiership) 12 February, 2007
Posted by lasagnechef in Premiership.trackback
Well it was a shit performance, but it’s three points and we’ll happily take it. With Liverpool losing to Newcastle we needed the win to catch up after missing out on last week’s opportunity. We did not play well but we showed great belief and determination to come back.
The game started slowly and the two strikers Henry and Baptista weren’t causing Wigan many problems; I was keen to see those two work together but neither had a good game and it’s hard to tell if they work as a partnership. There was no urgency about our play and it was again quite frustrating to watch. We were poor and after half an hour I thought fuck this and went to get some food. Just as I was buying it Wigan fucking score don’t they. Why do we every time have to go one down? I long ball was played into the box and the ball was cut back to Denny Landzaat outside the area who cannoned a shot into the top corner with Lehmann well beaten. It was a well-worked and well-finished goal but we shouldn’t have allowed them to get in that position. Djourou maybe should’ve won that long ball and Gilberto turned his back on the shot instead of doing a Kolo and diving at the ball with all of your body as if stopping that goal was to save your life. We were one down at home again, a situation we’ve been in far too often.
As the Wigan fans whistled, you assumed we’d go in one down at half time. Actually while I’m on the subject I’d like to say how shit the Wigan fans were. Ok the Gooners we not on top form today but the actions on the pitch were hardly inspiring. I swear the away section was much smaller that usual and there were still scattered empty seats. Shit team, shit fans. As I was saying, it was 1-0 coming up to half time and we were all thinking right lets sort it out in the 2nd 45. However Heskey so nearly doubled the lead just before the whistle. He was played a great through ball and was one-on-one with Lehmann, he shot low to Lehmann’s left and it looked as if it was trickling into the far corner and Heskey went off to celebrate. The ball came back off the inside of the post and Arsenal gathered it but if that fat wanker had continued his run then he would’ve been able to tap in a simple goal.
Just before half time Henry missed a sitter, his header going inches wide and in the second half Heskey was through again but the angle was too much for him and caused no threat. Once again I was sitting there thinking is this the first game lost at the Emirates? To fucking Wigan? 10 minutes from time Heskey had a decent penalty claim when Flamini pulled him down in the box but it was waved away luckily and from the break we scored. Adebayor played Flamini into the box out on the right, he crossed it low along the floor for Henry to tap in but in the end it came off Fitz Hall for an own goal. Henry offered the ball to Kirkland after all his time wasting and got yellow carded, so worth it. We nicked the win 5 minutes from the end thanks to Rosicky’s header. Tomas drove towards the box, gave the ball to Ade and continued his run into the box. Emmanuel gave the ball out to the right again for a cross and Tomas was there in the middle for a simple header to send the crowd mad. Tomas high-fived someone in the crowd and got booked which I think is a ridiculous rule but there you go.
There were 6 yellows for us in the end, I’m not sure if we’ll be in trouble for that or not but it’s not good. Lehmann got one for time wasting after Kirkland was doing it all game. Mad Jens is such a legend but I couldn’t believe he was carded for doing it once when his opposite number had been at it all game. The referee, Paul Dowd was absolute bollocks. I know it’s typical for a fan to moan about the ref but he was truly shocking. Both sets of fans, managers and players were pissed off with him. And absolute twat and had no clue what was going on in the game.
We’ve got a trip up to Bolton next on Wednesday…hurrah.
First Shot.
Steve-o from Singapore here. Good post. Been reading your posts loyally from maybe the 2nd week you started. Keep up the good work.
Anyway. I agree with your points on the ref. I was watching the game on the telly at home and i think i cussed out the rest of the week everytime the ref blew the whistle. Dodgy decisions. Not to be biased, if I were a Wigan fan i’d be screaming blue murder on some of the decisions.
Fortunately i bleed RED and WHITE then.
Absolutely loved Mad Jens’ bouncing the ball off the advertising boards and trying it a second time. Some of my Gooner friends didn’t get it but i found it fucking hilarious.
How could you possibly leave a game to get food? Couldn’t take your report seriously after reading that.
Yeah Dowd is a twat. Lehmann is a champion.. that was so very hilarious love the guy and gonna miss him… Henry had a pretty bad game by his standards but love the spirit and passion he showed. I don’t care what the cunts at skysports said but as a fan he did the right thing. Tomas celebrating with the crowd? Beautiful sight, nearly cried. Him grabing his badge and kissing it… I hope he meant it and if he did all credit to him… Baptista looked out of sorts but it was a beaut of a cross for the goal…
Yes how many more times are we gonna ride our luck like we’ve been doing? It can’t last. Please Arsene do something about it.
oh and yeah if you havent, read Arsebloggers rant on Richard Keys… even in Malaysia we have to watch the twat on the telly….
Wigan fans were indeed the shittest we’ve had at the new ground – or in recent memory at Highbury. Didn’t Shaktar Donetsk bring more? They certainly made more noise!!
Heard them cheer, but could barely hear their songs – granted I’m in the ‘new’ North Bank but you can still hear the away fans.
1-0 at Arsenal and you still don’t sing.
To be fair to their crap support home and away (numbers and noise) they are a Rugby League town in a Rugby League stadium.
Bag of bollocks, down with the Hammers!
Roger, I don’t think it would be very nice reading if I said I was bursting for the toilet! I hardly ever leave my seat when the game was playing but I was desperate. But yes I did go for a cheeky pizza slice as well.
I agree with Roger. I did not even bother reading the rest. You have no right to criticise. Supporters performances vary just as the teams do. Going out after 30 minutes? Thats as bad as being the worst player in a team losing 3-0. You are what makes the Emirates a horrible place to watch these kind of games. Rubbish fair weather supporters. I only hope you are in the upper tier.
and where is the report on songs preformance at OT? At least if your gonna critisce him be fair when he plays well and show him some credit. You are a fair weather fan mate.
COME ON GUNNERS!!
everyone calm down. after they scored, I went and got a beer from my kitchen. we’ve seen this over and over. hopefully gallas can help our concentration, as we always make one big defensive slip-up a game. it’ll cost us in the champions league, that’s for sure.
adebayor was great. alialioxenfree was great. henry was…well, he’s having a bit of an off year isn’t he. I mean, he’s still scoring great goals, but his touch and his runs just don’t feel quite the same this year. maybe that armband is slowing him down.
Highlights, analysis and goals from the game:
http://arsenalist.com/2007/02/11/arsenal-vs-wigan-highlights/
[...] Kirkland was trying to waste time on every possible opportunity the second after Landzaat scored. The Cannon has a good recap of the game and I’ve taken the liberty to steal a pic from [...]
All you lot who think I’m a shit fan or whatever can fuck off. No literally, fuck off. I was out of my seat for about 4 minutes and if a man has to piss his pants to earn respect of his readers then I aint doing it. To be fair I left early so I missed as little of the game as possible; if I’d gone at half time I would’ve been queing for ages and missed the start of the half. I dont see why I have to explain myself. Tell me you have never, ever, ever missed a single minute of a game? And if you were bursting for a piss after going to the pub before the game you’d try to hold it in? Dont read my site if you find it offensive I left to go to the toilet.
I’ll second lasagnechef. Good blog. some of the better commentary on arsenal, so you’re allowed to take a whiz.
just watched game again on TV. when is eboue coming back? despite teh grief people give him, we have very little penetration down the right without him.
Has anyone watched gilbert play at cardiff? Is he going to beat out hoyte for the second spot at right back?
Come on man. So the guy went to get some food. Big deal. What’s he supposed to do, starve till the half? I can’t believe some of you self-righteous shits, especially Roger ( Gunner for 49 years). So I’m guessing that in 49 years of your useless existence you’ve never missed an Arsenal minute?
You guys are a bunch of idiots. I back lasagnachef too. Heaven forbid he step out for a second to use the restroom. It’s not like anything major happened in those 4 minutes and he missed it. Lay off him! Lasagnachef, you’ve got a good blog here and I enjoy reading it. I’d read it even if you had a flat tire and missed the game entirely. I just love Arsenal! Go Gunners!
Lauren, to be fair I did miss a goal…and also for the away game against wigan this season I did get a flat tyre on the way to the pub and I still wrote a match report even though I only saw 15 mins of the game!
I’m backing the chef here too. He writes a damn good blog and if he misses 4 useless minutes in a match against fucking Wigan nobody should have a problem with it. I check the site every day for new posts and recommend it to all my fellow Gooners as well. Roger (Gunner for 49 years) can fuck off. Let the guy piss for God’s sake
Lasagnechef, well yes you did miss that goal, but come on, you still reported on it and gave all the details, so I don’t consider it a big deal. (That’s funny about you flat tire. I had no idea!) Yeah, you have the best commentary and insight on the Arsenal games of any blog I have read so I’m sticking with you no matter what those other idiots say. (It’s not like they take time to go to games and then write a whole blog post about it!) They don’t get any credit from me.
We’re supposed to be in for Carson… Thats a good thing i reckon
That hurts a lot!
All quiet in the Red Section