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Cesc looked a bit below par playing a couple of poor passes early on but he threading some great balls about towards the end of his stint. The new predictable short corner nearly worked today for Henry but his shot was blocked. Cesc tried a chip towards the far post that was caught by Hoult. Henry, Bergkamp and Lauren combined to set up Vieira with a header that was held by Hoult. Freddie started a move from the right back slot that was worked through to Cole on the left, but we wanted to walk it into the net and failed. Two more corners saw Henry have a shot blocked and a Cesc header find the keeper.
We were definitely not setting the world on fire and at times didn’t appear to know how to work it into their half. That said there was the odd attack that showed promise, as when Vieira won a ball in their territory and set up a fast break. The only thing I recall WBA achieving in the first half-hour was a free kick from a slow motion dive by Gera, although this was followed shortly after by a decent cross from Clement. We still couldn’t find the room to play though and the only chanting was coming from the Baggie’s fans with a ‘Highbury Library’. It was all about frustration and a lack of end product. Pat had a drive forward on a fast break but that ended in a blocked shot. Cygan came closest from a Pires corner, but his effort was blocked on the line.
Pires won a marginal free kick on the edge of their box but Henry’s shot was well saved by Hoult who threw himself across for a tip it round the post style save. One more decent move had Pires setting up Henry but the angle was narrow and his shot went across the face of goal. One minute added time, which would also have been more than enough time for the edited highlights of the half. On a warmer day there would have been many in the West Stand dozing off. A goal less and pretty soul-less half of football.
Henry pulled his sox up as we kicked towards the North Bank. We showed early promise but when Pires broke through he picked the wrong option with Cole looking on for a ball. Henry then skinned two Baggies down the touchline and set up Pires whose shot was blocked by the very advanced Cole. It then broke to Bergkamp who fired wide. Albion were up for a bit of time wasting even at this stage but I’ve seen much worse. Cesc nearly played a killer ball and that was very much the story; everything was nearly but not quite. Freddie for example had a great run but no one to pass to at the near post.
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A Pires solo was followed by a Henry run into the box, when that ended it came back for Rob who won another free kick. Cesc had his pass intercepted and it was down to Pascal to stop their attack, which he did. Dennis put in the odd decent cross but in truth he wasn’t at the races today and I thought his Dutch understudy should have been on earlier than he eventually was. We pressed on however and remained in control. Gera sliced a kick badly to give us a corner that Dennis crossed to perfection. We worked the space well and all Cygan had to do was head it home but his point blank header went over the bar from about two yards out. It was as bad as Kanu’s miss for WBA last week and proves, if proof was needed that the French cannot head the ball.
So our movement was good, our passing was getting slicker and our domination continuous but we were nervy, well I was at any rate. We were switching players all over the attack but it was still somehow predictable. Freddie was pretty well unsupported down our right flank but had a great solo that won a free kick and a standing ovation. Another Vieira charge saw Rob and Thierry combine to set up Pat with a shot, but he hit it well over. Dennis netted with a good finish from a Ljungberg pass but he was rightly flagged for offside. It was all Arsenal, all good moves, all good interplay but it was not enough. A rare Bromwich Albion break saw Contra go down like a sack of spuds but in the main they were doing nothing. Jens had his second dodgy clearance of the game and Ash also tried to give the ball away. Horsfield and Earnshaw replaced Kanu and Contra.
Another fine move failed to produce an Arsenal shot and worse still there was no one on the end of Freddie’s great cross that whipped along their goal line. I was just saying how well we were closing them down when Greening found a couple of spare acres of pitch down their right where he collected a long pass, he fired in a cross that Cygan and Lehmann watched go to the far post for Earnshaw to stab home. 1-1 and an undeserved equaliser on the balance of play but hardly a surprise to the regular fans. We had eleven minutes to bag the winner but it always seemed less than likely. Cesc was replaced by Reyes and our Spaniard was fouled almost immediately, Neville style, by Gera who picked up the only yellow card of the game. A game that was easy for Mr Webb to control but it has to be said that the ref had a good game. Which admission probably makes this report some sort of collector’s item.
Saikiri was replaced by Gaardsoe and Van Persie replaced Dennis very late on. One last late effort from a Pires corner saw Vieira get in a glancing header that Freddie couldn’t connect with. Frustration, total fecking frustration! And I’m sure it was as frustrating for Wenger and the team as it was us. Six points from fifteen is not championship form but I’d like to advise all those who booed the team off that you are nothing but a bunch of w*nkers. Sure you are entitled to boo but this team is not doing too much wrong and it certainly won’t help them to get their form back.
There was some sort of consolation on the way home when we heard that Chelski had conceded a late equaliser to Bolton, but not a lot. It could have been worse today but it really should have been so much better.