Liveblogging the North London Derby
5am — 40 minutes ’till kickoff, what’s been brewing since I passed out in a bottle of cough syrup last night? Oh good, Harry Redknapp added his voice to the chorus of Tottenham’s who are saying that Arsenal aren’t good enough to win the league. My favorite part? He calls Arsenal “inexperienced.” Which players are inexperienced? 28 year old Arshavin? Robin van Persie, who has played in the Premier League since 2004? Fabregas played with the invincibles, and who won a European trophy with Spain this Summer? I could go on, but you get the point. That whole “Arsenal are inexperienced” line is a lie. Mannone, who may get a start today, is certainly inexperienced. But everyone else on this team has loads of experience.
5:20am Baby crying…
5:22am There’s a hunting show on before the match, with some hot chick killing animals in New Zealand. It’s strange to be a Gooner in America, for sure.
5:30am Almunia is supposedly getting the start, no other surprises in the lineup. Dammnit, Tommy Smyth on my television, what happened to that chick? She was kinda hot, what was her name, Bobby something?
5:35am Alex is here… I kinda wish that the commentators would stop talking about how long it’s been since Tottenham beat Arsenal. That’s always a jinx as far as I’m concerned.
5:45am Rat faced Bentley on my screen, I wish he’d get Ebola. Seriously.
GET ON WITH IT Spuds get in a circle jerk and have a quick wank and now we’re off.
2′ – Bendtner with the first shot, looked like nerves to me.
3′ – Nerves from Song after a bit of good play gifts Spuds a corner, which Rat Face plays in to the first defender. I hope he takes all their free kicks.
7′ – Clever free kick from Arsenal, Crouch reads the play. Bentley goes in studs up on Vermaelen, that’s a yellow card if I ever saw one.
10′ — Bentley is such a cunt. I love how he has 8 quarts of hair gel in and how he has a left-footed shot on goal from 40 yards out. He’s living in the past.
14′ — Arshavin has switched sides with Bentner after Corluka handcuffed him early. Good call by Wenger.
16′ — Clattenburg is giving Tottenham every call. That’s three yellow cards he’s missed now.
20′ — Great tackle from Song to deny Robbie Keane… Great save by Gomes denies Cesc the opener.
25′ — Arsenal’s attack being disrupted by Spuds. Still, looks more like nerves to me, rather than spectacular play by Spuds, in fact Arsenal look much classier.
30′ — Terrible clearance by A-E leads to the best chance of the game and Robin van Persie side foots into the hoardings. Horrible shot, maybe he should have used his Chocolate leg. Alex says “Excellent, Alumina’s going forward. We’re not stringing two passes together, by the way.” Agreed.
33′ — This game is being played at such a slow pace it’s not even funny. Tottenham’s strategy is clear — 11 men defend, lump the ball up. Bendtner off, Dudu on, I think that’s a good sub and a fortunate injury in a sense, the sense that Bendtner’s been crap.
37′ — Arsenal escape there as Keane’s “top four touch” lets him down. Arsenal are not defending as a team gods damnit. Another shot screwed by Robin…
43′ — “I demand it, apologize to the world, Sanga is better than Assou-Ekotto” I apologize. What a great few minutes there. First is Sagna’s great cross that RvP puts in the net and then Cesc goes on an amazing run and scores. Fucking genius.
HT — Amazing stuff, I couldn’t even blog things happened so fast there at the end. Arsenal go in to the half, up 2-0 from two moments of pure genius. Now, we need to go in to the locker room and Wenger needs to keep the belief up. Let’s win this 6-0 and stuff their tactics and their braggadocio down their throats.
Does anyone think Sagna read yesterday’s blog?
Carling Cup Draw
Blackburn v Chelsea
Manchester United v Tottenham
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
Manchester City v Arsenal
Crap, we got a tough away draw to Moneybags City. Bookies are already taking bets at 6/1 that Adebayor acts like a prat.
45′ — We’re off!
48′ — Now, if we could just get a 3rd, preferably off a Bentley red card penalty decision, the morning would be perfect.
50′ — Ugh, anywhere else Diaby and we’ve got a 3rd there. Tottenham were at 6′s and 9′s.
52′ — Eduardo in and Gomes makes a good save. Two wasted chances in a row. On the other end, Vermaelen wins some spectacular challenges and towering headers. He’s easily my favorite player right now.
56′ — Diaby is beyond useless right now, he’s actually disrupting play for Arsenal, nipping the ball away from Arshavin. Bring on Eboue please.
58′ — Good save Mooney.
60′ — Good advantage by Clattenburg, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while, and Robin van Persie puts away a great cross from Sagna. I’m definitely bad-mouthing him in every match preview from now on.
65′ — Cameron Diaz on for Robbie Keane. I was just thinking, you know, Tottenham just aren’t experienced enough to come back in this game.
66′ — Ugh… Eduardo with another missed chance. Come on boys, let’s put this all the way away.
72′ — Arsenal dominating every aspect of the game now but cruising a bit. Let’s get some more goals and put this away.
75′ — Arsenal have taken their foot all the way off the gas, Wenger sees it and is so pissed he throws his jacket into the seats. I don’t blame him. We’ve seen Arsenal squander this position twice already this season. We need to CRUSH Spurs, come on boys.
78′ — Clattenburg with a terrible decision, Vermaelen won all ball and Corluka dived. Plus the yellow card, if that’s a yellow, Bentley’s tackle was a straight red.
80′ – Eduardo wide open, another missed chance. “Eboue, our best player, is on, now the team feels complete. 6-0 for Arsenal” — Alex.
83′ — Diaby… erm… ugh…
85′ — Rambo on for RvP, I’d rather it was Diaby.
90′ — Song with a great tackle on E.F. Hutton, Song has been immense today but MotM has to go to Sagna I think. 3 minutes added on, let’s get a 4th and keep the clean sheet.
93′ — Bassong comes up with a hamstring pull, that’s better than a 4th goal. I just wish Bentley and Keane had pulled something as well.
Full Time — The shadow of Arsene Wenger is long and dark indeed. Arsenal move up to 2nd with a well deserved win, despite the fact that Diaby was a passenger for 90 minutes. 2 goals in 2 minutes changed everything for Arsenal, just as Spud’s 2 goals in 2 minutes in the 4-4 draw changed the game and season for Arsenal. I have to wonder is Spud’s season won’t fall apart now and if Arsenal won’t press on from here.
The star of the game was Sagna, despite Cesc’s amazing goal on the 43rd minute. So, I’m leaning strongly toward him as MotM. I’ll take arguments in the comments.
That’s it for today, lets hope Blackburn beats United and Bolton beats Chelsea.
UP THE ARSE!
Comments
Vermaelen was yet again a rock in defense, it seems we have come to expect this from him game in and game out, but I would definitely give him at the very least an honorable mention in the MotM race!
@Kevin, too true. He is a seasoned arsenal veteran thats been with us for 10 seasons already – isnt he?
Cesc, arguably, had the goal of his career but I have to give the MOTM to TV5 who was an absolute gem of a game from start to finish.
Robbie Keane, what a tw*t. I hope he opens his big mouth next time we play them. How does your squad look now!!
I was never on the bandwagon to bring almunia back into the lineup, but it has to be said that he was solid today, coming out of goal to grab all of the dangerous balls necessary, but i’m not going to nominate him, solely based on the fact that spuds didn’t give him much at all to deal with, and what they did give him vermy was usually there to deal with before it became a problem.
@Kevin, Agree abt Almunia. He made good decisions, but shaky on a couple or crosses.
I thought Arsene deserves a lot of credit.
1) didn’t start eboue
2) he was no the sidelines pushing the players for 90 minutes, not allowing them to ease up
pressure on sp_rs.
High marks for:
Arshavin, Cesc, RvP, Song, Vermaelen, Bendtner, and Sagna.
Nice momentum going into November.
nuts, back to standard definition for bolton-chelsea and fulham-liverpool…fulham up 1-0 early, liverpool have definitely sunk in quality this season, and confidence for that matter
I was glad to see Arsene upset on the sidelines toward the end. Obviously he’s thrilled with the result, but I’m pretty certain he didn’t like the way we looked out there today. As mentioned above, Diaby is murdering us out there. Bendtner, before he tweaked his groin, wasn’t helping much either. Love the decision to start Mooney in goal today. I’m sure the squad felt a little more assured with the veteran hand in there. Kudos on the win, Gunners. Let’s not put too much stock into it as they were without Lennon, Defoe and Modric.
He was upset because he’s got a bad cold and has lost his voice – he wanted to yell at the players but couldn’t!
‘Keane! Wherefore art thy voice?’
”
The tyrannous and bloody deed is done,
The most arch deed of piteous massacre
That ever yet this land was guilty of.
”
‘Oh, Pity! How Spuds are put to the sword?’
@LRV,
he he
Liverpool down 2-1 and Degen off w/ a straight red for a tackle that was not as bad as Bentley’s. Go figure.
Chelsea 2-0 stroll on 10 man Bolton.
Pool in real trouble as Dempsey scores to make 3-1.
Chelsea now up 3-0.
@ctpa, Liverpool will not finish in the top 5.
Happy Day of the Dead – that’s you, Spurs.
Great game from Song, Cesc, Sagna, Vermaelen, RVP. Eduardo had a pretty awful one but not not worryingly so – it just looked like rustiness to me. Diaby was/is worrying, however, esp as he’s going to replace Song in January. Almunia was steady-ish – I must say I’m quite relieved as he’ll probably now keep the number 1 spot.
City, away, ugh! It had to be, didn’t it? And if we get past them – tricky when they’ll put out their best team – we’ll get Spurs over two legs. It’s a draw for tv purposes, as ever: four strong sides going through.
Well Mia, I didn’t really think that our young-guns would beat Liverpool, but they did. So who is to say that their good fortune will not continue, even with a Machester Shity full team? Let’s hope that fortune smiles on our boys.
I didn’t think they’d beat Liverpool either; every year they amaze me, but the fact is, an away tie oop north proved their undoing last year. The really interesting question is this: will Bendtner punch Ade’s nose again?
I thought 3 wks but now Wenger has said Bendtner will be out 4 wks. Damn.
Look on the bright side: it’ll give Vela a go. Different type of player, I know, but he and Eduardo need a bit of a run of games to build up a rapport with the others. While Bendtner is ahead in the pecking order they’re lucky to get three minutes, which isn’t enough.
Another bright thing: Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scored for Blackpool today. He’s doing well.
@Mia, Exactly what I was thinking. I’d love to see Vela get a couple of games.
One thing I know for sure. Vela would’ve finished both of the chances that Eduardo missed today with his patented chip.
Chelsea looked rampant against a toothless Blackburn punching bag. You leave Benni McCarthy on the bench and start DiSanto, its just not going to happen.
What was Benitez thinking when he took off Torres at 1-1 and later Benayoun for some kid? Get the draw and focus on Lyon maybe. Fulham were not in on the grand plan. Benayoun was not a happy camper.
I will absolutely put my foot through the TV if Mike (I see nothing wrong with beach balls on a football pitch) Jones is ever allowed anywhere near one of our games. No love lost on Phil Brown but his team should not be torpedoed by the ‘mother of all’ incompetent referees. I said 2 wks ago that a demotion to the Championship does not solve incompetence in a referee. I guess I was right. I guess the referee association needs to keep Mike Jones in ‘protective’ custody because he would be slaughtered if he was doing pub games.
The story has come out that Almunia was dealing w/ a death in his family for the past 6 wks. That’s the reason Mannone was getting his games. Unfortunately, Mannone played himself out of the no. 1 job anyway.
I guess being ‘fit’ enough for games but not putting the time in on the practice pitch didn’t work out, huh Ledley? Some of the usual suspects were pretty dire yesterday for Sp**s: prodigal son Keane back from his dream move and Beckham’s heir apparent Bentley trying for another wonder goal.
What has gotten into Portsmouth?