Arsenal
Arsenal challenge Delap-Midget leads the line-Wenger right?
Midget Maestro
By Boris Mellor
December 6 2009
After Delap was substituted I can't recall Arsenal giving Stoke another throw in. During the match it seemed as if Wenger had put markers four yards up from the goal line on the by lines. Time and again Arsenal backs carefully put the ball out by these markers.
Time and again they effectively dealt with Delap's long throws. Clearly they were challenging Delap to do his worst, and once he went off they didn't need to do it anymore.
It just shows what preparation can achieve as Almunia reported that they had spent much of their mid week training practicing dealing with high balls in to the box. Although he looked a little dodgy the rest of the defence was solid and dealt with all the risks. A clean sheet at last, but then Stoke do not score away that often.
Serendipity
When I heard the line-up announced over the tannoy I was puzzled, where was the striker? I hadn't heard that Eduardo was also injured. With no Eduardo, Walcott, Nik, or RvP, Wenger had to find a striker. I wish Theo or Eduardo no harm, but I can't help thinking their absence helped Wenger to find a better solution - Arshavin.
First penalty since May
Arshavin was magnificent, and on 22 minutes he prepared the way for Arsenal to go ahead when he was fouled inside the area. However Arsenal do not like to do things the easy way so Fabregas hit the ball close enough for the keeper to save. Ironically it was Arsenal's first penalty since Stoke had visited in May.
On twenty six minutes Arshavin put Arsenal ahead the proper way, a one two with Fab saw him enter the box, hold off defenders and pass the ball into the far corner of the net.
Arsenal could have been 2-0 at this stage (missed pen), and a while later Eboue did a wonderful goal line clearance, unfortunately at the wrong end, as it was Fabregas's shot he blocked.
Arsenal love to tease their fans, and it was not until the 80th minute that Ramsey put the game beyond doubt. Again Arshavin was involved as he interchanged the ball with the Welshman; finally Ramsey unleashed a daisy cutter from outside the area. At two nil it was game over, the midgets had slain the giants. It shows that Arsenal aren't scared of giants, but giants with skill are a different matter.
Wenger right?
It was a grand old time down the Bank afterwards, as fans mocked Chelsea losing to City. They cheered Ade when he scored an own goal, they cheered him when he equalised. They cheered when he and Cole clashed, they cheered when he fell over, but the main cause of the jollity was that the Chavs lost points.
Well the press mocked Wenger when he said that Chelsea would lose points, I must admit I didn't believe him. So now it's Chelsea in crisis with two domestic defeats in a row. Surely Wenger didn't roll over midweek and wind up Hughes to make sure that City were in the right mood to win this weekend.
Joking apart, the Carling Cup victory has seen an end to Man City's run of seven draws, and now they are on a run of their own. I wonder how many points Arsene can see City dropping?
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Stumbleupon06/12/2009 11:57
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:12:08:09:03:19 by Padre Pio.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:A.T.
Well the press mocked Wenger when he said that Chelsea would lose points, I must admit I didn't believe him. So now it's Chelsea in crisis with two domestic defeats in a row. Surely Wenger didn't roll over midweek and wind up Hughes to make sure that City were in the right mood to win this weekend.
Quite baffled by this, Chelsea was never going to win 24 games on the trot, they already showed they're beatable and have been lucky on a few occasions. They was never a super team just winning the games they needed to win.
Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Quote:karsene16
.....Quite baffled by this, Chelsea was never going to win 24 games on the trot, they already showed they're beatable and have been lucky on a few occasions. They was never a super team just winning the games they needed to win.
They are a super resilient team and can grind out results like no other teams. They had to come up against a super hot keeper in Givens when Lampard should have put that penalty away. Should have been a 2-2 game. $iteh were lucky to be honest.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
1) Use 4-2-3-1:
......................almunia
...Sagna.....Gallas.....Vermaelen....Traore
...............Denilson.....Nasri
...Eboue.............Fabregas........Rosicky
.....................Arshavin
2) Use "Swarming tactics" like a tribe of African hunting dogs to run "giants" ragged and then swarmed all over them.
WHenever Stoke got the ball, 3 or 4 hobbits swarmed all over the Stoke players instantly and pressurised 'em.
We hardly allowed 'em possession and hardly allowed 'em to run at us.
Of course, they do not have Anelka, Bellamy, Tevez, Evra, Giggs or Valencia to run at 'em down the flanks.
3) Mixed it up with high crosses, low crosses, driving in from flank to centre, quick one-two intot eh box, off-the-shoulder spinning into the box and of course, one irresistible hobbit to cause havoc in the box.
4) When attacking, at least 5 players swarm into the box to overwhelm the Defence and create panic and disorganisation.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Durign attack, we have 4 or 5 players swarming all over the box.
In defence, it is like 11 players in the box!!!
Bee PAdre, bee..
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee"..
"Midgets' is okay; let's hope the tabliods do not called 'em "a bunch of fairies"..
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
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