Ajax 0-1 Arsenal - 04/08/07 - (Friendly) 5 August, 2007
Posted by lasagnechef in Friendlies.trackback
Two pre-season competitions and two trophies; surely the perfect start to a campaign? Fair enough these are only pre-season friendlies but if you saw last night’s game it was the perfect test going into the season. The game was played with the competitiveness, passion and caution of a Champions League game. Seriously, if you’d not of know it was the Amsterdam Tournament you would’ve thought it was a European fixture. Both teams had strong teams out and both teams needed to score to have a chance to take the cup; we needed to win and a score-draw or win for Ajax would’ve been enough for them.
It was also an extremely physical game. Tackles were flying in all over the place and there were a few squaring ups. If this were a proper game there would’ve been a few red cards I reckon and even though the referee was absolutely terrible he managed to keep the red card in his pocket.
We started with what looks like our strongest team; Gilberto is still on holiday and Fabregas was ill so Flamini and Denilson came in at centre midfield. It was the best team Wenger had available which showed how seriously he was taking this.
We started very brightly and we by far the better team of the first half. The closest we came to scoring was in the 19th minute when Van Persie floated in a beautiful ball for Toure who got a foot on it from very close range but it was straight at the ‘keeper and it was a great save. Van Persie looked on great form and he was really getting stuck into this game. At half time it was 0-0, Athletico hoped the score would stay this way and the cup would be theirs but it did look like a goal was coming it looked like Arsenal were the more likely to get it.
Clichy was also having a fantastic game. He shot from the left and the keeper saved well but the replay showed it was going just wide anyway. It was a game of many chances, Lehmann and Stekelenburg made some great saves to keep their sides in it. In the 80th minute it looked like substitute Eduardo could get the winner. Da Silva came on for Rosicky in the 62nd minute, Tomas looked fairly quiet last night and never really seemed to get involved, he didn’t have a bad game but wasn’t one of his best. Anyway, Eduardo muscled his way through on goal, staying up from some tight Ajax defending; he probably would’ve won a penalty if he’d gone down but he was desperate to get a shot away and stayed on his feet. His shot was saved and Van Persie missed the follow-up.
The goal eventually came 3 minutes from time and you just knew it’d be Robin Van Persie. All the credit must go to Gael Clichy. He’d been running up and down the left side for 83 minutes but somehow found the energy to go on a great run through the tired Ajax players. He cut inside between two defenders and squared to RVP. Robin took a touch and managed to squeeze the ball inside the post.
I’ve never celebrated a pre-season goal so much, it was quite embarrassing. That goal meant we took the cup and it was looking very promising for the new season. Robin was fouled from behind in the last minute and was carried ff on a stretcher. It wasn’t looking good for our no.1 striker but he was out celebrating with the trophy later on so it looks like it’s going to be alright.
In Wenger’s post-match interview he said that our squad looks big enough but is still browsing the transfer market. He also let slip that he’s in contract talks but says he’ll let us know at the right time the news on his future.
In all, a good night for Arsenal. Next it’s Fulham at home in the Premiership opener. Thanks for reading.
good post
I personally liked Edu a lot. He was even better than Persie in his 25 minutes cameo. He is a real fighter and a nightmare for defenders. No doubt Wenger has brought in a real deal. Had he been in any of the Spainish teams, his price wouldn,t been different from Torres. In fact may be even higher.
I was also embarrased at my goal celebration
Yep Nick, Eduardo will give the defenders a hard time. It looks like hes pretty used to the physical approach by the defenders.
Was a good performance but where was diaby? Is he injured? He’s so much better than flamini!!!
Diaby was just there.
LC…You were not alone making an idiot of yourself with the celebrating! Good performance all round, though Gael outstanding and for once my doubts re Billy G. never surfaced. Maybe making him skipper is the way to get him to perform. Certainly Huntelaar and Schneider aren’t mugs and Bill and Kolo did the business well. Rommedahl was the surprise…think he surprised Sagna as well.
Mickey C
Very true i believe we’ve toughened up but i dont think flamini is a physical presence like diaby is but i do agree flamini does put in dogged displays and has a terrific engine, but to be honest i’ve seen him get shrugged off the ball with ease which is why i would love to see diarra donning the arsenal shirt who i was so impressed with last season and is a real fighter in the middle of the park in the makalele mould.
Rock
I have not seen much of Diarra, so i cant really comment on him - would be surprised if we get him though as Chelsea would not want to let us have a player who is so versitile as they will be missing key members during the African nations Cup as well (Essien, Obi, Kalou and Drogba). I dont think that JM would be happy with Sidwell filling in for both Essien and Obi for an entire month.
I might be wrong and probably am as the rumours dont seem to be going away - saying that neither have the Anelka ones.
great post from the cannon. Iooking back now i cant believe my celebration isn t it funny how serious we all took it. i think alot of that was to do with the games competitve spirit.
the assist by Clichy was amazing. His pace is a nightmare for opposing teams. Can’t wait to see his breakout year this year!
http://ArseNole.com
Friendly ?? I have never seen such a violent pre-season game with most of the vicious tackles coming from Ajax.
It promised much from the coming season. We looked far more of a unit than we did last season and I think Henry leaving has done us a favour.
Everyone looked good with perhaps the exception of Rosicky who had a quiet game, though I think he will improve. Even Flamini has looked the part over these tournaments; perhaps there is a part for him to play if he keeps this up.
The biggest plus though has been Eduardo - he looks dynamite. I just hope that he is regarded by Wenger as in the starting line-up which he wasn’t last night.
Having just watched a fairly toothless Chelsea and Man Utd in the Charity Shield, I am suddenly a lot more confident that we ruffle a few feathers this coming season.
Same here, i must admit i am very impressed by Eduardo top player and once again big ups to Arsene to dig him up…
This season Arsenal will surprise a lot of people …..i just have that feeling….because whenever a lot of pundits write a team off so much they are quickly made to eat their words and i believe it’s Arsenal’s turn and Wenger knows it…
I am liking what i see but we still need another striker and winger
We dont need a winger or a striker as we have 4 strikers and 5 wingers.
Also got really excited with the goal! Unfortunately, I was sitting wearing my Arsenal shirt in the Ajax ultra section behind the goal that RvP scored into (my dutch Ajax-season-ticket-holding friend had sorted out the tickets and it turned out he sat with the Ajax ‘crew’). Fortunately my Arsenal shirt was the redcurrant-last-season-at-highbury shirt with “Bergkamp 10″ on the back (his last season of course), so upon jumping out of my seat in joy, i got nothing more than a load of friendly banter about how much of a legend Bergie was! Quality!
My (somewhat distraught) mate sitting next to me handed me a joint and told me to calm down! 
As a side point - all the Ajax hardcore’s cheered RvP’s name when it was announced before the game. I don’t think his Feyenoord days are an issue any more.
Also - Wesley Sneijder is awesome. He should join Arsenal as a left midfield option.
[...] Ajax 0-1 Arsenal - 04/08/07 - (Friendly) [image] Two pre-season competitions and two trophies; surely the perfect start to a campaign? Fair enough these are […] [...]
good post, being a gunners fan in canada, the chances of finding an arsenal game are slim to none, but using my reliable sopcast I managed to watch the match! I was impressed by the squad and I am so excited for the season to begin!
Eduardo will the the buy of the season. He is strong, hadworking and not afraid. He actually reminds me of Kevin Keagan. Same built, and equally deceptive in the air. Will not be surprise he ends up as the top scorer.
Charlie,
Yes Charlie you are correct, you bring up some extremely valid points.
But what do you make of the fact that he looks like Roland Rat?
will we sign anyone else we are to thin for a hole season with all the competitions we will be in
BERRY,
Not only are you thin but you are also a very ugly squad
I dont see the need for more attacking players we have 4 wide players, two on each side so it’s adequate cover and quality back up at that. If we are to buy another winger it should be no one other than Queresma as he is incredibly dangerous and we should only be looking at world class players if we are to add to that position on the flank. I would love to see diarra in the middle of the park it really is no lie that he will be the new makalele and even better. Gilberto will be centre back cover surely even though he did so well last season the plain fact is there’s better players in the middle i.e diaby/denilson. So i’d like to see diarra come in and flamini maybe move on to birmingham along with djourou (loan) because though flamini does have an engine and he does get about he has no physical presence and is so light weight he slips on the dryest of turf, he gets shrugged off the ball far far to easily for me. I think senderos has a point to prove this season and i think djourou will be a better player once he comes back from his loan as it’s clear him and senderos do not make a good partnership we saw that against lazio. All in all I think we’re going to have a super season and challenge for the title even if we dont get those acquisitions but if we do - I think we’ll be complete.
Rock,
Do you like Jacket potatoes?
Blog Head, a rat??? the man looks like Prince owww!
hope he dances around the spuds defence (if you can call it that) with the aplomb of the great lilliputian Minesotarian
Gunner8,
He’ll be gnawing his through defences as if they were Mops
[...] Ajax 0-1 Arsenal - 04/08/07 - (Friendly) 5 August, 2007 [...]
We need Quaresma !
Quaresma would be a major shock as he would comand a huge fee and we all know that Wenger would not pay it. I think Wesley Sneijder would be a better buy as he is the one thing that we are now missing - a midfielder who can shoot from distance (20 goals last season) and he is a good set piece taker.
I still have a feeling that we will sign someone before the Fulham game, again I dont see it being Diarra as Mourinho has said that he will not sanction him a move to Arsenal.
Mickey C,
Incy wincy spider
climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain
and washed poor Incy out,
Out came the sun shine
and dried up all the rain,
And Incy Wincy spider
climbed up the spout again
hi folks, i am blog heads boyfriend.
Ron,
Ron I told you not to come on this site, I need some space sometimes. We’ll talk about this when I get home.
Mickey C, Rock, Berry, Clock End Idiot,
Dont worry about Ron, me and him have an open relationship. I’m still going to do each of you in the mouth. I might let Ron watch though if thats ok with you