Liverpool V Arsenal, 4:05pm 28th Oct 2007 - The First Test of Arsenal's Season?

The Arsenal team will have awoken with a sense of pride and admiration on the Thursday morning after their recent 7-0 thrashing of opposition Slavia Prague in the Champions League. Their performance was acclaimed by many critics and galvanised Arsenal fans all over the country in the hope that thair team if comin

Arsenal are also closing in on an all-time club record of 14 consecutive wins in all competitions, however to acheive this feat they must first pass a very stringent and difficult test against out of form Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool go into the game defeated in midweek by Turkish side Besiktas away from home, they are bottom of Group A. However, their premiership form is much more promising, whereby they have nineteen points, three behind Man City and four behind Man Utd, who they both have a game in hand over as do Arsenal. Especially seeing as Liverpool will be playing at home, and seeing how Arsenal humilited Liverpool last season twice in ten days at Anfield by knocking them out of the FA Cup and also the Carling Cup by 6 goals to three. Julio Baptista's second half romp of the Liverpool defence was enough to ease Arsenal into the next round.

The test Liverpool will pose is not to be underestimated, their defence is solid, midfield hardworking, and attack swift and unforgiving. The key for Liverpool I feel will be Xabi Alonso, if he is able to break away from Fabregas and play balls through to Torres, Liverpool can cause Arsenal some real problems.

Emmanuel Adebayor said to Arsenal TV Online that the media that "every time we play people are saying ‘it’s a test game, it’s a test game’. Then when we win they say ‘another test will be coming’. So the most important thing is to pass this test.

He believes if Arsenal can come through this test, they can do anything this season, who knoes what else could happen in the next seven months.
Arsenal could go nine points clear o Liverpool if they win, stretching the gap so early on at the 1/4 seson mark.

7-0 TO THE ARSENAL!

If ever there was a single football critic in the country with questions still unanswered by Arsenal prior to 7:45pm BST on October 23rd 2007, they were soon all to be answered in the next two hours.

7:45 BST, Emirates Stadium, London:
UEFA Champions League Group Stage Matchday 3: Arsenal v Slavia Prague.

The odds on Arsenal losing this match before the game were rising to almost 200-1, Arsenal have not lost a single home Champions League tie since Chelsea beat them to the semi-final in their quarter-final second leg back in 2004, three and a half years ago.
With many supporters still pouring into the stands, and the club level punters still enjoying their free booze, Slavia get the game underway by sportingly hoofing the ball up to the other end of the pitch, for Manual Almunia to collect welcomingly into his arms.

From the outset the game already started to look like a one sided affair with Arsenal pressing within the first few minutes.
Alexander Hleb breaks down the left flank at speed, get into the corner and it appears that the move has come to nothing. Hleb stops checks the defender, stops the ball dead and with a Zianfranco Zola kind of prauress, begins to dance around the ball, with the defenders mesmoriesed he neatly slips the ball into the path of Csec Fabregas.

Fabregas recieves the ball and the crowd immediately (with his long range success in front of goal this season in their minds) leap from their seats and he wastes no time by swiftly curling the ball and nesting it at pace into the far corner of the net. The immense sound of the Emirates explodes as Arsenal take the lead in only the fourth minute of the game.

Nerves from the crowd. What nerves?

For the next twenty minutes Arsenal completely controlled the game, including a solid three minute spell of passing throughout the team from one end of the pith to the other. Fabregas linked well with Adebayor and Walcott, only for the passes to be a tad too heavy for them.

On the 24th minute mark Arsenal double their lead. A corner on the near side is cleared by Slavia, only for Hleb to follow up with a rebound that deflects into the roof of the net off of an opposition defender. This goal was later recorded as an own goal as the replay appeared to show somewhat more than just a deflection.

There was also time for a third before half time. This however is something of a very special goal. Slavia's keeper clears poorly off of a passback, Walcott latches onto it and with composure and competance he sidefoots the keeper and lifts the ball from just inside the box into an empty Slavia net. Walcott's second goal for Arsenal and his first goal at the Emirates Stadium causes the crowd to go absolutely ballistic, the only silent section of the crowd a small envisage to the left of the goal that houses the away supporters, shell-shocked by the first half's action.

Walcott's second goal for Arsenal marks the first goal scored by an English player in the Champions League since Sol Campbell's header in the Final back in 2006. The goal also marks the first time an English Arsenal player has scored at the Emirates Stadium in the Champions League; the last was Ashley Cole's last minute header against Dynamo Kiev, that earned a 1-0 victory and three vital points, which kept Arsenal in the group stage on Guy Fawkes' Night back in 2003.

Half Time.

Arsenal 3, Slavia Prague 0, game over, three points won. However, there was still time for Arsenal to delight the fans, mind-boggle the opposition, and provide the viewing public with the most cintilating second half display in Champions League History.

The second half commences with Arsenal in utter control and almost threatening when Hleb receives a pass from Fabregas and quickly plays in Walcott, who lays it straight back to Hleb who it unlucky when his shot is blocked by an onrushing defender.

What now occurs from the 50th to the 60th minute is the best example of 'Perfect Football' that I have ever seen in my entire life as a player, fan and spectator. I have watched Arsenal rip teams apart in years past with immense pace of Thierry Henry, power and determination of Robert Pires, the unique creative flair of Dennis Bergkamp and the strength of Patrick Vieira. However those days are gone, Thierry Henry has not left a void in Arsenal that many had predicted prior to his imminent move to the Camp Nou. Rather he has opened the door to a new wave of genius led by Mr. Wenger.

as I have said before, once there was Thierry Henry and Arsenal, but now there is The Arsenal.

The 51st minute is graced by the presense of Fabregas and Hleb, as Arsenal break from a Slavia attack, Fabregas picks out Hleb pelting forward on the left flank, without a defender near him he is the perfect target. Hleb picks up the ball and strolls into the 18 yard box, side footing the defender he eyes the keeper and slots it in the near post to make it 4-0. Arsenal are cruising now!
Just four minutes later Hleb and Fabregas combine again in the centre of the pitch, the pass between each other before Fabregas notices out of the corner of his eye Walcott making a darting run on the left, he weight the pass perfectly leaving Walcott to stroll through to the six yard box and slot the ball in off the post to make it 5-0!
Arsenal totally in control of the game and now teasing the opposition with marvelous flowing football, cultivating in a twenty one pass move, Hleb tears down the left side of midfield before laying the ball into the path of Adebayor who wrong foots the defender by dummying himself through his legs, he lays the ball to Fabregas bursting from the centre circle. Frabregas picks out walcott just to the right of him and he carries on his run into the box, Walcott plays a first time ball right into the path of Fabregas who cannot help but slot the ball home in the far corner despite challenges from two defenders. 6-0! Arsenal are in dream land, the perfect win, the perfect move, the perfect goal?
Sometimes when I've watched Arsenal this season on match of the day, the fluidity of the passing, the ruthlessness in scoring and the determination to overturn a losing game; I can't help but think, dream, and hope this is our year!

Arsenal keep on pressing and pressing, Walcott and Fabregas comebine again creating almost another perfect goal, Walcott is inches away from claiming his first Arsenal hat-trick at the age of just 18, but for the hands of Slavia's keeper Vaniak, who pulls off a wonder save to stop the bloodshed even further.
Rosicky, Bentner and Gilberto are subbed on and introduced to the goal frenzy, Rosicky with a massive grin on his face, who as a young boy was always a Sparta Prague fan, I can't help but notice he his enjoying himself a lot. His joy and paitience sitting on the bench all game was almost rewarded when after Walcott is denied again, he strikes a thunderbolt that hits the upright of the woodwork.
Slavia needed more than woodwork to stop Arsenals last romp on the beat, however this last escapade was missed by many Arsenal fans who left early to stop the rush at the end, they sorely missed out as Nicklas Bentner latched onto a delicious back heel from Emmanual Eboue, and forced the ball into the net to make the scoreline 7-0.

The final whistle blows to a erutptious applause from the home supporters and even the scattered clapping from a few Slavia fans who could have been cheering their players for trying their best. However I can't help but think they were applausing the faultness and destructive performance by Arsenal, who equalled the all time highest win in Champions League history when Juventus beat Olympiakos by the same scoreline back in 2003.

arsslav

I have just witnessed something truly magical, a football masterclass, worldclass, goonerclass!
There is only one thing left to say about this game:

The Future IS The Arsenal!

Emirates Stadium... finally finds its own voice!

Majestic, Marvelous, a real jewel...

The New Home of Arsenal Football Club - Emirates Stadium "as quiet as a fu*kin' mole"

Subjected to constant bombardment from scores of away supporters, for the first time in many years Arsenal fans were being overshadowed by away supporters, with Spurs fans chanting "Just Like at Highbury".
A stadium worthy of the third most successful team in English Football history needs voice to match that.

It has taken almost a full season for the echos, the cries and the chants of the North Bank, to find refuge in a small but very visable Block 6. The problem with the Emirates was many fans expected the ground to be a picturesque of Highbury, with each fan maintaining his/her loyalty by stand, but many chose to ignore it and sit where they felt would be a better view.

I went to three games last season, one win, one draw and the only loss of the season.
The win was probably the best of the season, The Carling Cup Semi-Final win against Tottenham, on par with the last minute winner against Manchester United just ten days before.
On that occasion, it did not matter where u sat in the stadium, if you were a boring old executive sod, or just a 6 yr old nipper, beating Spurs in a Semi-Final at home and beating Man United with last minute Henry was a turning point for the atmosphere of the stadium.
I remember the game so well, the upper tier where I was sitting was quiet and solitary, erupting every few minutes or so when a woman to the right of me yelled "COME ON ARSENAL", and myself yelling "FU*K OFF KEANE". All was put together just before half time when both of us joined to sing "We won the league at the Sh*itole", and the rest of block we was sat in joined in and a merging of the whole stadium on there feet: "Stand up, if you hate tottenham"
The first half seemed to drag on for an eternity, the ball heading one way then the other, changing possession almost constantly
I don't know if it was because it was my first north London derby or because it was a semi-final, but my hands were shaking almost the whole game. I had previously been to the home ti with CSKA Moscow back in November 06', and the game had ended in a draw, with me still buzzing and wanting that first goal to saver. When relief finally hit me against Spurs in January, and I witnessed my first goal at the Emirates stadium, it was more than worth the 167 minute wait
I would have given anything to have been in Block 6 when Adebayor slotted past Robinson in the 77th minute. It felt like Christmas and all my birthday had all combined into one intense psychological orgasm, Emirates had come alive!

The Arsenal 2007/2008 - By an 18 yr old

"Who to... Who to be... Who to be a... GOONA!"
For the first time since 'The Invincibles of 2004', I feel genuinely proud and able to boast about the team I support in regards to the Premiership.
I am starting to believe that 2007/2008 is the start of a new era for Arsenal Football Club. The cobwebs of the Emirates Stadium have been brushed aside and the old chants from the stands of Highbury "We're The North Bank... We're The North Bank... We're The North Bank Emirates!!!"
9 premiership games into the season and only two points dropped, can the glory of 2004 be repeated again so soon?

Thinking back to the unbeatable season, I still can't help but remind my scummy (tottenham) mates about the day "We won the league, at the SH*TOLE" every time we go to the pub. Since the departure of the oh so gracious my va va voom there has been a revived sense of optimism about the future, for too long we held onto our 'special one', in the hope he would bring victory back to north London. Two years spent in the captaincy, and Mr. Henry brought back two runners up medals, he hardly fulfilled his potential as a leader.
However, since he got on his bike, the team feels much more of a team again, before there was 'Henry and Arsenal', now there is 'The Arsenal'.
When I watch the fluid football of the current season, I see the breakaway moves once by Rosicky, Fabregas, Hleb and Van Persie, once lead by the ranks of Petit, Vieira, Bergkamp and Overmars. The return of praised long shots from Fabregas, Toure, Adebayor; just like in the old days from Parlour, Bergkamp, and even Winterburn. Last season as gazed and a wept at the undying resilience to lose, the only loss at the Emirates Stadium against West Ham last year was a games of many many chances, but none taken by Arsenal. Now we are creating the same amount of chances, but scoring many more, a goal difference of +15 after a quarter of the season completed, no team has ever reached a goal difference of more than +57, and that was during Chelsea's runaway title in 2006.

I feel the key to our current success lies with how solid our defence is proving, with only 6 goals conceded in 9 games with 4 clean sheets. With only one of those goals having been scored by a headed cross, and none from indirect free-kicks, it appears we've cracked our biggest flaw in the past two campaigns. Bringing Gallas to north London for Ashley Cole, has been one of the most positive transfer moves for Arsenal since the snab of Fabregas from Barcelona back in 2004. His clear clear leadership qualities and strive to win was hugely influential at the start of the season, and its a huge boost that he is now fit to play again.
The injury list is also shortening with the reintroduction of an important asset in midfield in Rosicky, his lightning runs, composure on the ball, long shots, and passing ability give Arsenal a new dimension that was lost when Pires went sour.

In the coming fortnight comes our biggest test yet, with an away game with Liverpool and a home match again Manchester United. Dropping points can be afforded with a two point lead at the top, and with a game in hand.
Manchester United's dynamic play and the development of a new striking force with Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes will test the likes of Toure, Gallas and Sagna to the limit. After the late winners in the two ties last season that were the only dents in a perfect premier league campaign last time around, United will be looking for revenge.

Overall it looks like Arsenals season lies with how consistant they can be in the run up to Christmas, if points are dropped less now, then later on with FA Cup, Carling Cup and Champions League knock-out ties looming Arsenal will benefit more greatly than the other big guns, it seems that after their early mistake, Chelsea are firing on all cylinders again, with Drogba finding his form of last season.
Lets hope the future is bright for Arsenal's young guns.


Van Persie Free Kick Against Sunderland - Watch a funny movie here

Video courtesy of Metacafe
Image courtesy of Sky Sports Online
http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_2861223,00.html