Everton 2 Arsenal 1: The run is over, long live the run.

Last updated : 20 October 2002 By Darren Hawken

He can still do it - Seaman takes a high ball
Arsenal were still missing Dennis Bergkamp to an achilles injury and Robert Pires is gingerly making his comeback to the first team. Pires warmed the hearts of all Arsenal fans when he made his long awaited comeback in a low key and hastily arranged reserve game in which PIres scored one and set up one in a 5-1 win over Queens Park Rangers. He is that big a player that all the news scribes and sport channels picked the story, let's hope we see him striding out of Highbury in the next week.

Wiltord was rested and so Toure stepped up to the breach. Seaman after his midweek indiscretion stepped to a thunderous ovation form the travelling Gooners in bathed sunshine. The papers have been on his back all week, but the man is big enough to get over the odd jibe aimed at him and do what he does best, helping Arsenal to become the major force in English football.

Everton started the game with plenty of passion and a baying crowd behind them but Arsenal opened the scoring after a mazy run and cross from Henry out on the left found Kanu who mis-controlled, who then in turn found Toure who also made a hash of it before in stepped Freddie Ljungberg with a neat finish as the defence was left floundering. Everton upped the tempo and played with a real zest which suggests a new team under a new manager with refreshed enthusiasm.

The equaliser duly came from a Carsley drive that hit the upright and came out to Radlinski on the edge of the area who jinked inside and put it in the top corner before any Arsenal player could react.

Arsenal upped the tempo but found creating chances difficult against an organised Everton team who were denying Arsenal any time to utilise their technical superiority. The teams were level at half time and a fair reflection on the first half in which Everton out in the odd high ball or two to test Seaman, but alas they found him unflappable, as we Arsenal fans know he is.

It must be playing for England that brings our players down a level or two as even Campbell looked lethargic in midweek, although he had a bout of Gastro-enternitris. Yesterday he was back to his best in a game where it suits his mentality but less so Cygan who looked like he was sometimes struggling with the whole pace of it all. Thankfully Pascal not every game is like this and not every team plays quite so passionate for their manager and their fans.

The second half was one of those days when the ball was clearly not going in. Henry fell over after good work by Lauren. Ljungberg lifted the ball over Wright but as it bounced it hit a divot and grazes past the post and finally Wiltord hit a drive against the post after being out in the clear by a lazy Everton clearance.

Wayne Rooney the next big thing up in Merseyside came on with ten minutes left to replace the diving Radlinski. The 16 year old has the whole of Everton on his shoulders and we now saw why and as with time running out he plucked the ball out of the air, turned in one movement and curled a sweet 30 yard shot into the top left hand corner, leaving Seaman grasping a thin air. Not bad for a 16 year old and a few minutes later who hit a delightful chip which just cleared the crossbar with again Seaman beaten.

Gilberto and Thomas Linderoth battle for the ball
So the winner was hit by a 16 year old for his first Premiership goal and one that will shown for many years to come. Wenger afterwards was class when interviewed, first praising Everton for their work rate and passion and then praising the Arsenal players for the 30 game run we went on. And finally praising Wayne Rooney himself, who Wenger has obviously been watching closely as he stated he was the best young player he has seen in his time over here and he was wishing him an injury free next three years to blossom into the next feted English sensation. Let's hope he does produce the goods and maybe one day grace our turf in our colours?

So thanks to the person in question who asked me to do this match report, just my luck it has to be the game we finally lose. But the upside is less media hype and the fans and the press getting back down to watching a glorious team who will hopefully bounce back in fine style against Auxerre on Tuesday where a point should see us safely through to the second stage of the Champions League. Great teams do lose occasionally as Real Madrid also lost yesterday 2-0 and a well done to Alan 'Mary Poppins' Shearer who scored his 300th goal yesterday, although his team got hammered 5-2 against our next
opponents in the Prem, Blackburn.