United beaten again...
Three fantastic facts to emerge from yesterdays game.
1. We came back from a goal down again
2. We beat Man Utd again (getting a double over them for the first time in a long time)
3. We are still unbeaten at the Emirates
Before the game I had convinced myself that while you never want to lose it would at least mean Man Utd would go 9 points clear of Chelsea. Not I want you to understand that I particuarly want Man Utd to win the league but I desperately don't want Chelsea to. However after 2-3 minutes of the match any notion that I wanted to do anybody any favours went right out the window, this was Arsenals biggest test at the Emirates and the second to last team, Spurs being the last, that I would want to lose our unbeaten record to.
It wasn't the greatest game ever played and while in the first half it looked like things could become heated it was played out in decent enough fashion. For all the hype Man Utd were good but not great, and for me they didn't create what you would call any real chances other than the goal and I think we contained both Rooney and Ronaldo well.
What they did do was waste time at every opportunity, it was clear there were going to be a fair few minutes added on as Man Utd seemed to lack any ambition going forward after their goal and wasted time at every opportunity. At the time I did think that all that would achieve would be to give Arsenal some extra time to chase for a goal and that's exactly what happened. While Van Persies introduction didn't turn the game he came up with the all important goal that at the time looked like it was going to maintain our unbeaten run. But it was better than that, in added time Henry headed the winner to turn the Emirates into a mad house.
As I mentioned in a previous post I was disappointed in the media's build up to the game, it seems while they are getting the odd mention Arsenal are not getting the credit for the great run the are currently on. Almost all the pundits asked before the game said Man Utd would win, which is fine, but there was never any mention of the danger Arsenal clearly pose. One particular instance was when asked about Arsenals chances both for the game and the rest of the season all Jamie Redknapp could mention was an away lose to Sheffield Utd, no mention of a 10 man win away 2 weeks later, no mention of 15 goals in the previous 4 matches and no mention of 2 wins away at Anfield, a ground Liverpool are, rightly, seen as almost unbeatable at.
Regardless of the result we won't win the title this year but we will be a lot closer than last year and I don't think 2nd is out of the question. If nothing else Spurs seem to have reverted to type and are sliding down the table, they have Man Utd, Sheffield Utd away and Bolton in their next three games and they are close to dropping into the bottom half of the table. At least St. Totteringham's Day should come a little earlier than last year.
1. We came back from a goal down again
2. We beat Man Utd again (getting a double over them for the first time in a long time)
3. We are still unbeaten at the Emirates
Before the game I had convinced myself that while you never want to lose it would at least mean Man Utd would go 9 points clear of Chelsea. Not I want you to understand that I particuarly want Man Utd to win the league but I desperately don't want Chelsea to. However after 2-3 minutes of the match any notion that I wanted to do anybody any favours went right out the window, this was Arsenals biggest test at the Emirates and the second to last team, Spurs being the last, that I would want to lose our unbeaten record to.
It wasn't the greatest game ever played and while in the first half it looked like things could become heated it was played out in decent enough fashion. For all the hype Man Utd were good but not great, and for me they didn't create what you would call any real chances other than the goal and I think we contained both Rooney and Ronaldo well.
What they did do was waste time at every opportunity, it was clear there were going to be a fair few minutes added on as Man Utd seemed to lack any ambition going forward after their goal and wasted time at every opportunity. At the time I did think that all that would achieve would be to give Arsenal some extra time to chase for a goal and that's exactly what happened. While Van Persies introduction didn't turn the game he came up with the all important goal that at the time looked like it was going to maintain our unbeaten run. But it was better than that, in added time Henry headed the winner to turn the Emirates into a mad house.
As I mentioned in a previous post I was disappointed in the media's build up to the game, it seems while they are getting the odd mention Arsenal are not getting the credit for the great run the are currently on. Almost all the pundits asked before the game said Man Utd would win, which is fine, but there was never any mention of the danger Arsenal clearly pose. One particular instance was when asked about Arsenals chances both for the game and the rest of the season all Jamie Redknapp could mention was an away lose to Sheffield Utd, no mention of a 10 man win away 2 weeks later, no mention of 15 goals in the previous 4 matches and no mention of 2 wins away at Anfield, a ground Liverpool are, rightly, seen as almost unbeatable at.
Regardless of the result we won't win the title this year but we will be a lot closer than last year and I don't think 2nd is out of the question. If nothing else Spurs seem to have reverted to type and are sliding down the table, they have Man Utd, Sheffield Utd away and Bolton in their next three games and they are close to dropping into the bottom half of the table. At least St. Totteringham's Day should come a little earlier than last year.
posted by Andrew Gilfrin at 12:19 PM
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