Arsenal 3-1 Portsmouth - 02/09/07 - (Premier League) 3 September, 2007
Posted by lasagnechef in Premiership.trackback
I was expecting a good game, and it was. We played really well and should’ve won 3-0 if it wasn’t for a very lucky Kanu goal. Flamini started in right back (obviously Diarra was never going to start, it was more me hoping) and had a very good game as did Clichy on the other side who had another great performance. Hleb recovered from his illness in the week to start out on the wing and he didn’t have a bad game at all. Rosicky on the other side had a brilliant game, he hasn’t made a great start to this season but if he continues on yesterday’s form then this will be a very good year for him.
We got an early goal with an Adebayor penalty in the 8th minute. Clichy closed down a ball being knocked around the Pompey defence and Van Persie raced onto it and was through on goal. David James came out to intercept and sent Robin flying, how James didn’t get a card is beyond me but we won the penalty and Adebayor placed the ball on the spot. He sent the ‘keeper the wrong way with a cool finish and it was 1-0 to The Arsenal.
Both teams has some long-range efforts, none of which troubled the ‘keepers. There was a similar chance from the other day when Hleb but in a low cross across the face of goal and Adebayor running in couldn’t quite reach it to put the ball in the net. In the 35th minute we did manage to double our lead. Rosicky’s corner came to the head of Gilberto but his effort was blocked. Fabregas reacted quickest and shot on the turn to make it 2. With that goal Cesc has equalled the amount of goals he got last season and it’s now 4 in 5 games for him.
So at half time we were in a strong position and Harry Rednapp made two subs to try and change things around, he knew his side were being outclassed and something needed to be done. Last year we were 2-0 down just after half time and managed to come back and this is something that Portsmouth thought they might be able to emulate.
Senderos went close early in the second half with a free header but minutes later he was sent off for a challenge on Kanu and was the last man. I think it was harsh but I’m probably wrong. The ref was absolutely terrible again, can’t be bothered to go into it though, there’s no point. So we had to play with 10 men for 40 minutes but we coped fine, Gilberto came into defence and we were fine. From the resulting free-kick Pompey came close but luckily they didn’t score; a goal then could’ve dramatically changed the game.
Rosicky made it three just before the hour mark. Clichy was pushed over near the corner spot and we got a free kick, Fabregas played it short to Rosicky who fired a low shot from a tight angle. It went through the legs of Glen Johnson and in the net. However seconds later Kanu pulled on back from the visitors with a very lucky goal. The cross came in to him and his first touch was poor ball the ball hit him and went in the far corner.
You feared that Pompey could score another and then it’d be very close. However that didn’t happen, we held the game at 3-1 and that win takes us to 2nd place with Liverpool only above us on goal difference. The top two have a game in hand over Chelsea, who lost to Villa, and Manchester United who are down in 8th.
Thanks for reading. I’ll get a news update up tomorrow then I’m off on holiday for a week. The players are off on internationals so there won’t be a great deal of news anyway.
Was a good game to watch. How the hell did Diaby miss that header? Clichy’s cross was perfect. But Clichy saying that Diaby should have opened his eyes was funny in the post match interview.
Arsenal are playing strong and it’s a joy to watch as usual.
Cesc is the main man for this side now, if he wasnt already. We saw the difference he made when he came off the bench in the previous game.
We also saw what Rosicky can do when hes fit and in form. more of the same Tomas please.
Hleb played well also, even though he was under the weather. And Denilson and Diaby both look class acts. Denilson looks to be a lot stronger this season, holding off his man rather then looking for the foul.
Spuds up next. Gilberto will have to play at CB for that game. Might we be seeing a 4-5-1 again?
Fabregas and Hleb were outstanding.
Bushevik
PS.
“There is no longer English Premier League, there is F_O_R_E_I_G_N Premier League. Ar$enal and Chel$ea full of French players. Russian and American money scooped up Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool. Liverpool full of Spanish players and led by a Spaniard, Arsenal led by a Frenchman, Man Utd by a Scot, and Chelsea by Portuguese. Foreign money + foreign players = Foreign Premier League.”
Fight for your bragging rights.
Team for Spurs - Gallas will hopefully be back. And no injuries after the qualifiers
Almunia
Sagna - Toure - Gallas - Clichy
Hleb - Cesc - Gilberto - Rosicky
VanP - Ade
oh and johny buy - where is the league played ? Spain, France, Scotland ? Tit
Let’s just hope that ade and rvp manage to figure out how to work together. they’re providingh good service for the midfielders to score but they both look a little lost at sea up front. in particular, rvp doesn’t seem to be at his best yet. let’s hope he improves.
and is it just me or is flamini 100 times better on the sides than in central midfield?
Why everybody seems to prefer Adebayor upfront whith RVP rather than Dudu ? So far based on what I have seen (both in pre season and againts Praga) I prefer Eduardo. So the team against the Spurs should (might) be:
Almunia
Sagna (Diarra ?), Toure, Gallas (Diarra ?), Clichy
Hleb, Cesc, Diaby, Rosicky
RVP, Eduardo
Regards from overseas….
Shall wait for the day….. Arsenal vs Liverpool
Swee Nice POWER!
solid match…..should have kept the shutout though
http://www.drunkenpanda.com
Id prefer Eduardo to start though i think Ade probobly will. I really think he would get a lot of chances and goals playing with Hleb, Cesc and Rosicky behind him. Ade works his ass of we all know, and he causes untold problems for the opposition but i just think Eduardo can produce an end more than Ade can. I mean just take the prague game. He was quiet enuff for most of the game but then when cesc came on and he drifted to the left he set up a goal and then scored one from inside the 6 yard box. Ades final ball wasnt all that good yesterday and he didnt seem to have that hunger in the box when he basically had a tap in he he really went for it
Why doesn’t Bendtner get more time up front? We haven’t had an out and out striker since Ian Wright, and Bendtner will stick his head onto anything. He’s probably not good enough to start, but how many more goals would we score with a big body in the box?
i hate adebayor …. such a b grade player … arsenal shoul replace him
i think once arsenal buy a top striker .. some one who can score at least 20-25 goasl per season, they will win title again … Henry should have stayed, as this team is really starting to come of age