A perfect team performance « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager
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By Walter Broeckx
Well what do you want more, my dear. In Belgium and Holland, where I come from as you will know by now, this weekend we have a special child festivity. It is called Sinterklaas. And it is the habit that this Sinterklaas (an old historical figure – just google it if it or follow this link gives presents and sweets to the nice children. And if you didn’t behave good during the year you get nothing. And in this weekend most children will wait very excited to find out what this good holy man brought to them. Will it be that so much desired toy they have been dreaming of? Most of the children will know tomorrow morning.
But I got my present already. I must have been a nice boy (okay if you look at the picture you will realise this is a bit over the top) this years. Because this win was really a very good gift from Sinterklaas. The perfect gift for this weekend. So I will sing an old Sinterklaas song later today to thank him.
But it could have gone the other way. Because the first chance fell to Wigan and it was only because of our Brazilian left back who couldn’t defend ( we had been told by some), actually did show he could defend and made a very, very vital block to divert the ball in to a corner. Wigan looked lively and our players didn’t find their feet immediately. In other and past seasons we would have conceded and struggled for 90 minutes. But this is a new Arsenal since the 1st September. This is an Arsenal that can have something and that can fight their way back in a game.
And so we did. Gradually we took over. Not that we were very dangerous at first but you could see that our midfield took things in hand or better said feet and began to play the ball around a bit. And you could feel it coming (well I pretend I felt it coming) that we would score. And what a goal. Arteta got the ball in midfield could run free to the Wigan goal and as nobody really attacked him he steadied himself for a shot and what a shot it turned out to be. The ball was swerving and took a very strange curve and the keeper could only see himself diving in the air but the ball curled its way in the back of the net. A goal from distance from Arsenal… who said we didn’t shoot from outside?
I think we have been told a few times by some people that we are bad at corners. And today I have seen some things that can only come from the training ground. Usually we take our corners and we have Per, Vermaelen, Koscielny all running from the edge of the penalty area. But this time we saw a completely different routine. So for me the unofficial assist goes to whoever proposed to use Mertesacker as a diversion. The big German defender put himself in front of the keeper and you could see the Wigan defenders all trouping around him and so Van Persie curled the ball to the far post where who else but my compatriot (I hope you don’t mind me bragging a bit about this?) connected cleanly and put the ball in the top corner. The official assist to RVP but for me it was Per who assisted very much to this goal.
We then had the game in hand for the rest of the first half. And could go in with a comfortable 0-2.
Wigan came out with new believe and they again started strongly for a few minutes. But our attackers defended, our midfielders defended and our defenders defended. This was a team performance. We then should have had a stonewall penalty for a pull on Ramsey. The ref let it go and our players were so furious about it that they almost gave Wigan a chance. But this inspired to settle the game completely. We played the ball around the Wigan penalty area it looked a bit like a handball team going from one end to the other waiting for the chance to come. And who else but Robin Van Persie to create the third goal. He turned and twisted his man and another and then saw his shot saved by the keeper. But there was Gervinho on hand to put the ball in the empty net. I think you could hear the sigh of relief from millions of Gooners all around the world : Gervinho could score again! I think no person more relieved than Gervinho himself. Great to have him on the score sheet and like Wenger said this week: Gervinho will score.
We then played a bit of a cat and mouse game with poor Wigan at times. And when Theo was faster than the defender he could choose between an attempt on goal himself or help Robin to another goal.. he preferred Robin to have another goal. Robin kicked it in with his right foot as if he was a right footed player. I actually think he has scored most of his goals with his right foot. And did you notice how Robin wanted all the Gooners to acknowledge Theo for his great contribution. 0-4 and the game was over.
What followed was 11 Wigan players who only wanted one thing: that the ref would finish the game as soon as possible. Not only because of the once again excellent away Gooners were shouting the olé olé with each pass but also because some of them risked getting send off because of some rash challenges. Clattenburg only gave 2 minutes of extra time and I don’t think anyone really wanted more. Well I could have settled for a few more minutes to be honest but whom am I…
This was really a first class team performance. And as football is a team sport this was the almost perfect performance. So here sits a very happy Gooner who had the perfect Sinterklaas gift of the weekend. Now if you excuse me I will finish the article here because I do must see if he has brought me something else like some chocolates and other sweets. And after that: up to the next game in Greece which is played on Sinterklaas day. Looking forward to see more of the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Frimpong, Cocquelin…..
And one final note before I go hunting for chocolate: how on earth do you pick a man of the match for a game like this?
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