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Arsenal were still missing Cole, Van Persie and Clichy and I do mean missing. Tonight’s line up saw three changes to the team that bagged a welcome result at the Valley on Monday, for rotational reasons one would presume. Mathieu, Rob and Dennis replaced Cesc, Freddie and Alexander.
It was a bloody cold evening at Highbury but we were soon warming to the team’s performance, especially Reyes who carried on where he’d left off against Charlton. Pompey kicked off towards the North Bank but it was Arsenal who did the early attacking with Reyes getting in an early shot that was low and wide. Around seven minutes gone and Flamini won good ball in midfield, charged forward and swept it left to Reyes. Jose went on a run and fired in a sweet low cross towards Dennis who slammed it home low at the near post. A classic Wenger goal and 1-0 to the Arsenal.
Henry took a whack but referee Mark Clattenburg thought it was quite o k to kick the great man, the limping Thierry was unimpressed. We got a free kick when Hughes tripped Pires but wasted it. At the other end Aliou ‘if it moves kick it’ Cisse had a crap shot from range. Thirteen minutes in and Kolo hit a great ball forward to Henry who controlled well, took it on going right and then cut back before laying off a ball that Reyes crashed home to make it 2-0. Another classic Wenger goal. It was all very pleasing wham, bam football with loads of great pass and move stuff by way of blitzing Pompey. Pires was even winning tackles. Cisse made his 4th late tackle and Pompey wasted a free kick wide right, Arsenal meantime continued to play keep ball.
Clattenburg missed a handball but the lino spotted it, no yellow card though. Arsenal were hitting more early balls and playing faster than of late and it made a big difference. Pires was hacked down and advantage was played, quite how it was advantage with no one clean through and a forward out of the attack I have no idea. Cisse handled but still no cards. A very well delivered long low pass from Flamini put Henry away who went up a gear, steamed away and rounded the keeper. He had a narrow angle from the left but managed to chip it enough to beat the attempted sliding goal line clearance. 3-0 and we were rampant. More keep ball followed.
Hughes was about a week and a half late with a tackle on Pires and was booked, the only yellow card of the night as it happened. A two-footed studs up tackle by Viafara, who looks more like a basketball player than a footballer, didn’t get so much as a free kick however. Thierry to Dennis for a great solo. A great break down the right saw Pires hit in a fine low cross to the advancing Reyes who slid in but didn’t connect. The reason he slid in and failed to connect was the arm in his back, but this was very well spotted by Clattenburg, with a penalty as the result. From the spot Thierry charged in and clipped it nonchalantly over the keeper. 4-0 Arsenal and what an enjoyable half of football it had been.
When we thrash a team before the break we rarely if ever do it again in the second half. Tonight was no exception. Dennis nearly got through, Viafara impersonated a show pony, Arsenal passed Pompey to death, Cisse was a day late tackling Lauren, Viafara did the pointing in the face game with Reyes and Lualua hit the top of Jen’s bar with a fine shot. Cygan tried to put the ball into orbit, Jens saved a low shot and Dennis had a shot that was only partly saved and looked like it might just sneak over the line but unfortunately went past the post for a corner.
There was more fine play and lots more good passing but it just didn’t have the same edge as the first half. The chants were also good ‘You only sing when you’re losing’ was countered by a chant of ‘Easy, Easy’ when the South Coast team finally won a corner. Arsenal were still working, Pompey were still trying to bite ankles but the attacks were by now merely pleasing rather than scintillating. Eboue replaced Reyes, Cesc replaced Gilberto and we stayed well in control. A great series of one-twos involving Pires and Henry ended when Titi hit his shot over the bar.
I’d like to think we are back on song, and to a large degree we are, but when Kolo goes off to the African Nations Cup we’ll miss him badly. When we play tougher opposition we’ll find it tougher to strike a rhythm. There was also the fact that Portsmouth are really not all that and Harry will do well to keep them up. That said we were pretty damned good on the night and you can’t ask for anything more than that.
I never did hear the tosser with the bell, maybe he didn’t show, but maybe it’s because I’m still deaf after sitting directly in front of Maria down at the Lane back in October.
Happy New Year to you all, I hope your team does you proud in 2006.