Arsenal 3 Reading 0: Another fun Carling Cup night

Senderos in mid-air action

Some 36,137 well-wrapped souls included about 7,000 who came up to London to follow the team that’s flying high in the Championship race enjoyed a very creditable match.

Arsenal started with 24 Almunia (captain), 27 Eboue, 20 Senderos, 36 Djourou, 38 Gilbert, 29 Larsson, 16 Flamini, 44 Muamba, Owusu-Abeyie, 11 Van Persie and 9 Reyes.

Reading had 21 Stack, 2 Murty, 3 Shorey, 4 Sidwell, 5 Sonko, 8 Lita, 10 Hunt 11 Oster, 12 Kitson, 15 Harper and 16 Ingimarsson in their line up. A brief study of the shirt numbers says it all about how high up the pecking order of their respective Clubs the players on the field were.

The game was a good one because it was fairly evenly matched with the difference essentially being the ability to hit the target accurately and hard. Arsenal did it Reading didn’t. Mr Mason the referee seemed determined to provide Reading with a chance by not giving us a free kick for what seemed like most of the match but the youngsters retained their cool and worked well. Getting better and more assured as the game progressed.

Reyes to Van Persie provided a good chance but was crashed past the post by our Dutchman. A good cross in saw Almunia save from a header. Kitson got through and Almunia proved his worth by saving the one on one situation. It was fairly even, end to end and included good moves, such as the one in which Van Persie clipped another shot just wide. When the opener came it was down to a good run and tidy footwork from our own step-over kid Quincy. His run and reverse ball to Reyes saw the Spaniard take it on and round ‘Arsenal old boy’ Stack in goal before slotting home from an angle. 1-0 Arsenal after about 12 minutes.

We looked solid at the back, Larsson impressed with his prodigious work rate, Muamba has telescopic legs in the Vieira mould and it was left to our experienced front men to get on and do the business with Quincy providing a lot of the ammunition. Quincy cut inside to set up Robin who’s swerving shot was saved for a corner. A Senderos shot on the volley went wide. Senderos erred at the back by not clearing first time and Almunia had to save from point blank range again.

Larsson nearly got through after some tidy one-twos. Meanwhile the singing section could be heard form our perch in the East upper but they seemed a bit Tottenham obsessed tonight – still no harm in training all the new faces in the correct manner with regard to the terrace chants is there? ‘Stand up if you hate Tottenham’ and ‘We won the League at White Hart Lane’ seem to feature quite a bit. I didn’t stand by the way because I don’t hate the Totts I detest them.

Kerrea Gilbert - Young defender to watch

Reading played a 4-4-2 and wouldn’t be drawn too far out when defending but they clearly were unable to cope with the turbo-charged pace of the Premiership, so both Reyes and Van Persie who moved both well and fast caused them serious problems, as did Quincy. Gilberto, sorry Gilbert looked just a tad nervous to begin with but looked better as the game progressed he stuck well to his man to concede a corner. The end result being a great chipped effort from Sonko that was tipped over by Almunia. Reading kept attacking as Almunia flapped to concede another corner. Gilberto covered his centre backs well and was growing visibly. Oster snatched a shot that went well wide.

Van Persie was now in control and his extra gear was something the boys in blue and white couldn’t quite cope with. Reyes did brilliantly and put in a fine cross but minutes later was far too greedy with a shot from miles out when Gilbert was overlapping and in space. A Reading player got through but couldn’t control the ball. A brilliant cross by a blue shirt on the right found Kitson who could only head it straight at Almunia, a glorious chance missed by Reading in front of the North Bank.

A fast break down our right, a great cross by Larsson, Reyes held off his man whilst seemingly being fouled and Van Persie was there to crash home for our second just before the break. 2-0 Arsenal. There was time enough for Quincy to strut his stuff and excite the crowd right in front of Arsene. Half time came after a minute's added time.

A fine shot from ex-Gunner Steven Sidwell but the shot was always on the rise. An angled shot from Kitson that appeared a tad greedy. Djourou was in trouble for the first time in the match but Almunia saved well again from close range and the rebound was knocked wide by Reading. A great run by Eboue down our right, he has both pace and control but is he a full back? Shorey replaced by Makin at left back.

It was still an end to end game as Reyes and Van Persie were trying one-twos before Lupoli replaced the Dutchman. A Quincy run gave Gilbert a chance from wide left to loop a shot that Stack did really well to save as it dipped into the top corner. A Flamini shot hit Lupoli but soon after Arturo Lupoli did what he does best when he pounced on a mistake, took it on and rounded the keeper with ease before coolly slotting home with 25 minutes to go. 3-0 Arsenal game over.

Hunt hit one across the face of goal but ‘Premiership you’re having a laugh’ was already ringing out. We were in passing mode now and although Almunia was called upon to catch the odd cross and screw up the odd clearance superior strikers had settled the issue. Lita was replaced by Doyle just before Murty tried a long chip from wide right, either that or it was a piss-poor cross. Reyes was replaced by Cygan who went to left back, Gilbert to right back, Eboue to right side midfield, Larsson to left side midfield and Quincy up front. Surely it would have been easier to replace Reyes with Bendtner, but there you go.

Another good ball in by Reading and the header was tipped over by Almunia. ‘We can see you sneaking out’ Hahnemann on for Stack, Quincy replaced by Nicklas Bendtner. Reading had a lot of possession as Arsenal sorted out their new positions but the play from Reading was going nowhere. Cygan took someone out and received a yellow card for his trouble. Great stuff from Eboue on a run that included a nutmeg. ‘Arsene, Arsene give us a wave’ and he did eventually. A good run by Bendtner and a good run and shot by Eboue rounded off another great League Cup night with the kids.

If you haven’t seen one of these games you really should, you don’t know what you’re missing.