Grateful Gooner

Birmingham City 2 – 2 Arsenal

// February 25th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Arsenal FC

I was away from a PC for most of the past 48 hours, and when I got home last night I was too tired to think of anything useful to say about what happened on Saturday that hasn’t already been said. The horror of Eduardo’s injury still lingers this morning, although reports indicate that it may not be as bad as initially thought. That is definitely good news.

As for the match itself… Well, the team did well to overcome the shock of Dudu’s injury and the added salt of a James McFadden free-kick goal to take a 2-1 lead thanks to a great performance by Theo Walcott. His first goal was bounded in off of a header just moments after the restart, but his second goal, coming a few minutes later was pure class, and hopefully a sign of good things to come.

The final moments of the match left my mouth agape. With just a few seconds to go, and the ball in the Arsenal penalty area, Gael Clichy switched off. Perhaps he didn’t realize there was an attacking player just a few feet to his left. When it was brought to his attention, he quickly challenged for the ball, and despite getting a foot to it, he bundled the Birmingham man over and a penalty was awarded.

As everyone knows, at this point, William Galls marched all the way to the tunnel, shaking his head in disbelief, and cursing the injustice of it all.

I’m glad he’s so passionate, but a captain should stay with his team at all times. He more than anyone else on the pitch represents Arsenal, and that little march is not the Arsenal way.

Anyway, those are just some of my pre-caffeinated thoughts at this early hour.

Arsenal 0 – 0 AC Milan

// February 20th, 2008 // No Comments » // Arsenal FC

An impressive performance from the Gunners in a match where they did everything right but score. Many of the players who were missing during Saturday’s match at Man United were back and ready for the challenge that Champions League holders AC Milan presented in tonight’s first leg of the knockout stage.

Returning to the lineup were Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna, while Emmanuel Adebayor and Mathieu Flamini both started again after coming on as subs on Saturday. Jens Lehmann started in goal in place of the ill Manuel Almunia, and the crazy German was called into action relatively early as Milan tested the Gunners defense. The defense was tested further when Kolo Toure was forced off through injury. The big defender did well to block a well-struck Pato strike, but somehow injured his calf in the process. Arsene Wenger reckons it’ll be about three weeks before we see Kolo return to action.

In his stead stood Philip Senderos. Big Phil played extremely well. In fact, the whole defense did, limiting Milan to only a handful of chances and half-chances for the remainder of the game.

Meanwhile, the midfield and attack generated a few chances of their own in the first half, but absolutely ran riot in the second. Chance after chance was created, all going agonizingly astray. A pass that just missed an open attacker. A shot saved by Milan third-string keeper Zeljko Kalac. The most gut-wrenching of them all was the last-second header from Adebayor that smacked the crossbar. I had actually started to raise my arms in celebration, but alas it wasn’t meant to be.

While the negatives from this match are the lack of a goal and the injury to Kolo, the positives are easy to point to as well. To rebound in such a way from the debacle of Old Trafford was extremely encouraging not only to the fans, but to the manager and players as well. Most importantly, the defense kept a clean sheet, making the job that faces the Gunners in a fortnight’s time a bit easier.

No question, Milan are often a different side at home, but there’s no reason to not be optimistic that come this time on March 4th, we’ll be looking forward to the Champions League quarterfinal draw.

Man Utd. 4 – 0 Arsenal

// February 16th, 2008 // No Comments » // Arsenal FC

Forced to play a relatively weakened side, Arsene Wenger watched as his team was eliminated from a cup competition in a four goal loss to a hated rival for the second time this season. Today’s loss was perpetrated by a rampant Manchester United, who took advantage of a seemingly dis-interested Arsenal to cruise to a 4-0 5th Round FA Cup victory at Old Trafford earlier this afternoon. With the Champions League match against AC Milan taking place this Wednesday, Wenger decided to rest the human goal machine Emmanuel Adebayor as well as Mathieu Flamini. Returning to the side were Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, their first action for the Gunners since the African Cup of Nations.

Wayne “Shrek” Rooney opened the scoring for Man U after only sixteen minutes, and Darren Fletcher added the first of his two goals just four minutes later. Nani scored the third Man U goal six minutes before the break and that was pretty much that. Really, in all honesty, Arsenal never looked like they had any chance of getting something out of the match. Whatever minute chance they did have evaporated when Emmanuel Eboue left his foot in during a tackle on Patrice Evra which earned the Ivorian a straight red card and an automatic three match ban. Down to ten men for the bulk of the second half, you actually have to give the Gunners a bit of credit for not getting completely annihilated. The match did get a big chippy as Man U began to hot dog a bit, which got under the skin of guys like William Gallas in particular.

Despite post-match arguments to the contrary, one has to think that the team took their queues from the Manager. The FA Cup isn’t a priority for him this year, and so the team played more with an eye towards not getting hurt than actually competing. At least that’s what it looked like from my couch.

So, it’s AC Milan at home on Wednesday as we get back to Champions League action. The match is being broadcast live here in the States on ESPN2, with kickoff at 2:45 PM.

Happy Valentines Day to Me! Part II

// February 14th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Film

Need I say more?

Happy Valentines Day to Me! Part I

// February 14th, 2008 // No Comments » // Adventure and Music

I suppose many would expect me to indulge in some sort of lamentation regarding my lack of a relationship on this most saccharine of holidays. However, that’s not the case at all. Two very cool things have happened today that have made that possibility, regardless of how infinitesimal, absolutely disappear without a trace.

The first has to do with music, specifically Radiohead, and more specifically the fact that they are coming to the US this spring. That in itself is good news, but not enough to get my heart racing at such speeds on a Thursday morning in February.

No, it is the fact that yours truly scored two tickets to see said musical geniuses in Virgina in May, is what’s got me all excited. I have not seen Radiohead since August of 2003, and while part of me can’t quite believe it’s been that long, the other part is quite conscious of it and cannot wait!

The band will also be coming back to the States in August hitting up Philly and NY in the process, so I may get to see them three times this year. Very excite.

Arsenal 2 – 0 Blackburn

// February 11th, 2008 // No Comments » // Arsenal FC

Listened to this one while driving from NY to DC this afternoon. Philip Senderos and Mathieu Flamini both shook off knocks to start while Gilberto started in midfied aside Cesc.

Just minutes after kickoff, Arsenal were ahead thanks to a Senderos headed goal. The big Swiss defender was all alone at the far post during a corner and smashed the ball in from just a few yards out.

It would be another 85 minutes until the match was truly won, when Adebayor scored his 9th goal in as many games, and that was that. Everything in the middle was a bit frustrating to be honest. I’m not sure if it was as frustrating to watch as it was to listen to, but it just kept sounding like lots of half-chances coming to nothing for the Gunners. Meanwhile, Blackburn had only three shots on goal, all of which were handled with ease by Jens Lehmann, making a second consecutive start in place of the injured Manuel Almunia.

Coupled with Chelsea’s draw against Liverpool, and Man United’s loss to Man City, Arsenal’s win today finds them up by five points above Man U, and eight points ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table with twelve matches to go. The table is nice viewing as of late, and it’ll stay that way for at least another two weeks as it’s an FA Cup weekend coming up on Saturday. The match of the round is our fixture away to Man United. Kickoff is just after Noon Eastern, and the game will be on Setanta PPV here in the US.