By Boris Mellor
April 15 2006

Arsenal old boy Dennis Bergkamp showed the Arsenal Old Boys, Kanu, Campbell, and Inamoto, playing for WBA, how it is done. Before the game Kevin Campbell treated us to stories of how hard it was in the old days. How George Graham had made them clean the toilets using only their tongue.

 I can’t help thinking that Bergkamp has never cleared snow from the terrace, chased Woolly Mammoths from grazing on the pitch, polished the boots of the whole squad, made the tea, painted the turnstiles, and all the things that Kevin Campbell claimed he had done when playing for Arsenal.

Yet it was Bergy who lit up Highbury – not Campbell, perhaps Kevin was exhausted from all that snow clearing. Mind you with global warming Wenger would have to order snow first, in order for the youngster to clear it away.

For much of the first half Arsenal dominated but with little in terms of end result, poor finishing and last third passes undermining their effectiveness. Albion even had a few chances of their own, and it seemed that their dogged defending would pay off. However with a few minutes to go to half-time Hleb got involved in a one two just outside the box, going wide with the return ball, and from an almost impossible angle screwed the ball into the top of the net. It was one nil to the Arsenal. Arsenal piled on the pressure but the half ended one nil.

Arsenal started the second half brightly, but couldn’t find the goal again. On 62 minutes Arsene had a stroke of genius, why not substitute the non-scoring Henry with the non-scoring Adebayor. I must say I felt a slight apprehension at this ploy. But what happened next was even stranger, on 71 minutes Wenger replaced a non-scoring Dutchman with another, and the scoring Hleb with the occasionally scoring Pires.

Bergkamp watching

The crowd celebrated his arrival, they had not dressed up in orange for nothing, and he had an immediate impact within 20 seconds WBA scored. It was as if Arsenal players were so pleased to see him that they forgot to play. Quashie slammed in a long-range shot that Lehmann was not expecting. The past weighs like a nightmare on the minds of the living, Arsenal fans had visions of the Pompey result  flashing before their eyes. Surely this was squeaky bum time. Another game we had dominated was about to be flushed down the toilet.

But this was Bergkamp’s day, no one was going to piss on his parade. Arsenal poured forward and within five minutes of coming on the Iceman gave a pass to Pires from close by the touchline. He had dug the ball out from a very tight spot and the ball was perfect for Pires to smash in from 3 yards it was 2-1. But a few bottoms were still squeaking, especially when Albion had a penalty appeal turned down.

However on 89 minutes Dennis put West Bromwich, if not the crowd out of their misery. Eboue made a long run into the last third, passed the ball to Dennis Bergkamp who beautifully, and gently curved, nay caressed the ball past the WBA goalkeeper. The years just rolled back, this was Bergkamp at his best.

I can’t prove it, but I felt that Dennis had played a part in all three goals. He might be a God at Highbury, but the team must remember that there is a time and place for worship, and that’s not during the match. But he forgave them and created two goals to put matters right. We should have Bergkamp day more often; it is so more effective that all that snow clearing.