Arsenal 2 Fulham 0: Best player in the world ties up three points

Fabregas tackles Pembridge

There was a bright blue sky but it was a cold day as evidenced by the heavy morning frost, plus a breeze to stiffen the flags on top of the East Stand and sting the faces in the Clock End. Arsenal kicked with the wind in the first half and immediately took the initiative. Clichy was forward from the start and the Arsenal pressure was good but Fulham won the first corner.

Predictably, but still amusing, screams of ‘shoot’ greeted Sol whenever he crossed the halfway line. Rob very nearly found Dennis with what looked to be a killer ball. Kolo cleared for another Fulham corner but Pat’s first solo told the tale of the day. Vieira was back on song making powerful runs and being first for pretty well every ball he contested, ably assisted by the ever-probing Cesc Arsenal looked the part after a fairly slow start.

Arsenal were forcing the play and pegging Fulham back as Pires ploughed through a weak tackle and fired a low shot in at Van der Sar who saved low to his left. Pires was involved in the next play and found Freddie fairly central who slipped a ball on for Thierry. Henry cut inside and rammed it home for our opener. Sixteen goals in nineteen matches from the best player in the world, that is seriously good going. 1-0 then to The Arsenal and we kept up the pressure following the goal.

Apart from the odd long throw Fulham offered nothing. Pat was continuing to win good ball and plough forward at will, this was his best game for ages. Vieira looked seriously strong, won loads of good tackles, went on numerous runs and seemed to be everywhere. Contrast this with Dennis who hardly hit a ball to a red shirt all day and looked a couple of yards off the pace for most of the match. He did however close down well on Van der Sar and force a sliced kick into touch. A Henry shot won a corner and further pressure from Dennis and Thierry helped force Fulham into some poor passes. Pat looked for a one two with Dennis but the return didn’t happen.

Further Arsenal pressure forced Diop to chop Pires. A Lauren cross was cut out, otherwise a flying Kolo might have been on the end of it. A killer ball from Rob was just beyond Pat who’d made yet another fine run forward. Cesc to Freddie to Rob for a corner. Pat had a shot saved and Dennis then won a corner playing a clever one-two off a defender. Their keeper caught Henry’s corner. Freddie then had a shot blocked as Arsenal appeared to break at will, sometimes with a controlled build up and at other times at full speed. Some brilliant stuff by Cesc and a decent solo by Sol down the left maintained our momentum, as did a great solo from Thierry. I wonder if we take this man for granted? He is just so good he makes the abnormal seem common place. Thierry does things all game that many wouldn’t dream of attempting and I’ll never understand how some fans find the nerve to moan if the occasional flick or back-heel doesn’t quite come off as he’d have liked.

Aerial tussle between clichy and Diop

The only way to stop Henry sometimes is to foul him. To prove the point Rehman went clean through the back of Tel and picked up a deserved yellow card. A collision off the ball between Henry and Pearce caused some minor concern as they went down injured, but they both recovered quickly. Freddie got shoved over, clattered into a white shirt and Fulham got the free kick. Barry Knight got that totally wrong and also the booking of Vieira for some fine play-acting by Radzinski near the end of the half. That apart the ref did well in what was a pretty clean game. Half time and we deserved more than our single goal lead, but a solitary goal also meant lots to do in the second half.

I was told that the catering in the South Stand during the break was as crap as ever with ridiculous queues and insufficient food being quite the norm. Piss-poor food is something you really don’t need with such a ridiculous kick-off time messing mealtimes up big time on a day such as Boxing Day. If the Club hope to get fans to turn up early and stay late at THOF2 they need a total rethink on their often abysmal catering standards.

The second half saw Knight penalised as Freddie and Thierry charged forward. The free kick was on the very corner of the penalty area and Henry hit it with venom, just over. Almunia got his first real action when he held a low cross from Fulham’s right. Radzinski continued with some fine playacting but Arsenal were the ones playing the fine football, as when the flying Clichy combined with Fabregas down our left flank. Sol stopped Fulham’s counter attack dead in its tracks.

A seriously fast break with Arsenal 4 on 3 was spoiled by Dennis and was followed by some brilliant defending by Gael in the right back slot as Fulham countered. Almunia then did well when he was out to claim the ball at feet near the edge of the area. More Arsenal pressure resulted in more free kicks one of which, taken by Dennis, was headed wide by Kolo just beyond the far post. Clichy played one up to Dennis, who chested on to Rob, who went close. Arsenal’s pressure was total at this stage but Fulham managed the odd counter as when Radzinski dived once more and received a mouthful from a furious Lauren for his troubles.

Henry to Pires, almost. A tasty bending cross from Henry was headed wide by Freddie. But the game wasn’t dead and a fast counter saw Collins John fire one past our far post. Dennis screwed up another break when once more we appeared to have numbers over at speed. Radzinski got through one on one at the other end and tried to chip the advancing Almunia who got a hand to the ball. Brilliant stuff from Henry down the left, he was clearly fouled but nothing was given. Dennis stormed down the right and won another corner before McBride replaced Andrew Cole.

Pires gets the all important second goal

Lauren almost set up Henry before some sweet passing between Henry and Pires gave Henry a good shooting chance but Theirry’s thumping shot rattled the woodwork and no more. Vieira drove forward again and he might have edged out Clichy, Henry, and Fabregas for man of the match. Not that it mattered because this was a very decent team performance. Pires then set up Dennis for a shot that was saved when our Dutchman might have done better. More good play worked Freddie down to their goal line; his neat cutback was dummied by Dennis and banged home by Rob to give us an overdue second goal. Pires must now be the second highest scorer in the Premiership, not bad for a midfield player. 2-0 Arsenal.

The result now was never in doubt and some one touch moves merely emphasised our class. A killer cross from Henry evaded one and all. Freddie, presumably due to minimal training of late, was replaced by Flamini and Cesc moved to the right side. Nice juggling by Henry in midfield. Dennis, who’d had a good ten-minute spell, was replaced by Van Persie. Not a great deal else happened and I suspect this was largely because the players were well aware of the seasonal flurry of upcoming games. Lauren made a good saving header, Volz was booked for a late tackle on Flamini and Pembridge had his cross held by Almunia. 2-0 final score and it might have been a lot more.

So a very good start to the holiday season and a fine end to one of The Arsenal’s classic years. All in all 2004 was a vintage year for Arsenal and yet again it’s been an honour just to be in the same stadium as Thierry Henry.