FC Twente 0-2 Arsenal – 16/08/08 – (Champions League Qualifier) 14 August, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News.trackback
Just what we needed, that. Ok, it wasn’t a great performance but it’s the result that counts and those two away goals should make it comfortable in the second leg.
We started with the team I expected with Ramsey and Denilson in midfield and Djourou at centre back. Although this wasn’t at Twente’s home ground, their fans had sold out their allocation and were making some noise (which continued well after the final whistle, so fair play to them apart from singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’), which inspired their team in the opening minutes.
We got off to a bad start, it has to be said. I accepted it though, this is the first professional game after pre-season and you can forgive them not for getting off to a flying start. However this poor form continued for much of the first half and it was starting to worry me.
FC Twente controlled the first half. They were playing a packed midfield outnumbering the inexperienced Ramsey and Denilson combination. However their first chance didn’t come until the 18th minute; Theo Walcott lost the ball in midfield and they broke immediately. Elia was sent through on goal but Almunia did well to get off his line so quickly and dispossessed him. We’d cleared the danger but it was an early scare and an example of Twente’s pace and play.
In the 24th minute they had another great chance to take the lead. Denilson lost his man and Clichy let him slip inside after expecting him to go out wide. He drove through and blasted it high aiming for the near top corner. It was over the bar though and we could breathe again.
10 minutes later they broke through our defence another time but thankfully Almunia was sharp off the line again and it stayed 0-0. A few minutes before this we had our first attempt with Ramsey shooting from range but it was well over.
We created our first decent chance around 38 minutes. Robin van Persie showed some good work up the wing and put a deadly shot across the box but it was cleared for a corner. From that corner it fell deep to Clichy who hit it well swerving inside the post but it was saved. However it went straight into the path of Sagna but he could only send it the wrong side of the post.
Half time game and Wenger had some words to say in the break. We were lucky to not be behind, things had to change in the second half.
However, I didn’t feel like we’d made much improvement. Yes, we didn’t allow Twente any decent chances and we were showing promise going forward but nothing clinical was made. We weren’t playing ‘Arsenal football’ and it was so obvious how badly we were missing Fabregas.
When the hour came at it was still 0-0 with Twente still causing us problems I have to admit I had my head in my hands. I still thought we could qualify for the Champions League but I was just at dismay at how we were performing against a side of this quality.
Typical though, three minutes later we had taken the lead. It was from a free kick out on the right hand side with Robin van Persie to take. He whipped it in to a busy box and William Gallas made a run to the near post and bundled the ball across the line. It wasn’t the best goal technically because Gallas couldn’t get a solid touch on it but credit must go to him for the run and managing to get it across the line.
Once we went 1-0 up, you felt like we’d hold out.
With 7 minutes remaining we added the second. Walcott got down the right, looked up and squared it to Adebayor who just about managed to put it under the ‘keeper. The goalie got a bit of his leg to it but it wasn’t enough to stop it crossing the line.
So it finished up 2-0 and that’s all that we should really be looking at I suppose. No, it wasn’t the best performance ever, and I could pick out some players who didn’t look great but we came away with the 2-0 win and that’s what we went for. Job done.
The second leg is in two weeks time and Wenger says he will add to the squad before then. I bloody hope so. He said he was happy with the team he put out last night but admits he still needs to sign.
Looks like it might be one in and one out though. We’ve accepted a bid for Justin Hoyte from ‘Boro. Nothing finalised yet but I’ll update you on that when I get it.
That’s it for today. The Premier League starts in two days, who’s excited?
Wenger most probably got a 12 year old rightback ready to replace hoyte. Here’ a idea sell the whole 1st team and just play the reserves. Hoyte wasn’t anything special but at least he’s older than 17.
I dont know why everyone is saying the opposition were poor. They a dutch side with technically gifted and quick players. They knocked the ball around and didnt resort to the usual long ball tactics of the English sides. The dutch league may not be as popular or as strong as Spanish/Italian and English leagues but they all know how to play football.Twente beat ajax and finished 4th in the league. Granted this was their first time in the competition but you cant say they lacked quality. What they did was put extreme pressure on our young midfield pairing. It was a brave option to go 4-4-2 against there 4-5-1, never mind for long periods they had all 11 of their players in their own half.
mike,
WTF? Oh I forgot, ure not an arsenal supporter.
Hoyte will be great for boro if he goes there, he ll never be anything but a reserve right back for us.
This is a great win, mainly because it ll allow the players to relax up a bit for the second leg. And a johan-William and a denilson-ramsey partnership in the middle are not our strongest, yet we beat this team 2-0. Look at Liverpool, they got lucky not to lose with all those so called experiece players on the field.
Steve McMahan(Liverpool player in the 80s) is talking rubbish again. I live in Thailand and he’s a ‘expert’ for my region’s espn. He said we ll be competing for, wait for it, a 4th or 5th place this season. Last season he was so sure we won’t be in the top 4 he predicted the spurs would be. He and other people need to look at themselves looking on arsenal like this. Shit, we almost win the league last season, while his team the grew Liverpool did so good at 4th spot. I hate when Liverpool fans think they got a chance. Fucking dreamers. Yes, I’m still upset over that babel penalty last season, the 2nd worst decision ever.
Alan hansen did it on the 90′s, now this young team will shut every up.
These are the blessings which we must count:
1. We won
2. We’re getting someone very, very soon
3. No one’s injured for months on end (yet)
4. We’re only playing WBA next
5. I’m going to see the FC Twente match!
That said, I think Djourou’s the answer for the ugly, ugly player we’ve been missing. No offense to Johann, because no one can replace The Fugster in terms of looks, but he’s the ugliest defensive guy we’ve got. He looks like an elongated, clean-shaven Mexican walking fish. It’s the sensible choice if you think about it:
Opposing midfielders will know that they’ve met the very model of a major midfield general; his wobbly jowls will make them all quite maniacal; his gaping mouth will make them grind their mandibles, and they’ll be stunted by a fear that seem so paralytical because they’re overwhelmed by feelings understandably hysterical.
Or Wenger could go out and buy a player. But that’s a bit silly, isn’t it?