The Untold match report: The harder you have to work for it, the sweeter the win feels « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

 Woolwich Arsenal, the club that changed football.  Have your name in the book as an official sponsor.  Updated information here

By Walter Broeckx

The first real goal mouth incident was when Van Persie took a free kick short to Vermaelen and  the Verminator launched a rocket. Given was equal to it with a great save.  Both teams with high pressure all over the pitch in the first 15 minutes. Walcott with a run but his shot went well off target. Not much threatening stuff from Villa in the first 15 minutes.
Walcott on the right but his cross was diverted and Ramsey was fouled just outside the penalty area. But the Villa wall stood tall and stopped the ball. The first danger from Villa but Bent had shaved his hair too short so he couldn’t get on the end of what could be called a lucky cross.  Oxlade-Chamberlain showing his class on a few occasions with some nice footwork and some good touches.  Arsenal much possession but not much chances in the second quarter.

And when Villa took a short corner the organisation was lost in the Arsenal defence and Dunne, leaning a bit on Koscielny, could score a goal out of the blue for Villa. Arsenal went forward but the shot from Rosicky was direct at Given. Oxlade-Chamberlain with a nice run and a cross, but nobody there at the end.

The Ox (sorry his name is too long to type each time) with a few great runs but nobody at the end of it. Dunne got a deserved yellow card for a hard tackle from behind on Rosicky. Arsenal pressured and pressured and in the first minute of added time Bent escaped on the right. Fabianski could stop the first effort but the ball came back to Bent who put in cool in the goal. 0-2 at half time. One team done the attacking part and couldn’t score, the other done the defending and scored two goals. Football can be cruel sometimes.  As my match commentator said: Arsenal the best team in the match but nothing to show.

I don’t think there was many happy Gooners in the Emirates but it was just that hard to take half time  score line. Given our current run in January out season looked at the end of the line. We didn’t play  bad we just messed up the chances we had. The team could have collapsed at that moment.  The players could have given the AAA their pleasure. The players could have accepted defeat.

I must admit that when coming home from my own game (the things I talk about is when seeing the first half after seeing the second half) and seeing the half time score it was over.  I just hoped we would score an early goal somewhere. If anyone would have asked me to agree on a replay I would have taken it with both hands.

Out came the players for the second half and what was followed was something that I hadn’t seen from an Arsenal team in …well I can’t remember having seen it happen at all. Just point at some similar come backs in the comment section if you want.

I have seen 11 Gooner-Gunners coming on the field. Within 2 minutes Mertesacker had a header and with Given beaten Ireland was to save on the line for Villa. At that moment you felt: oh well it really is going to be one of those days. I heard the Emirates shouting: Arsenal, Arsenal. Rosicky making a crunching tackle,  Walcott stopped with a last second interception, our defenders going in with all their heart for every ball that had to be won, Ramsey with a shooting chance but straight at Given, Vermaelen with a distance shot. Our match commentator stated: looking at all the chances and football it should have been Arsenal 2-0 in front and not 0-2 behind.

And then suddenly the most stupid challenge. Dunne went in on Ramsey when he didn’t have a chance to play the ball but as the ball was in play it was almost a typical striker tackle and very late. The only thing missing was a second yellow or a straight red card for Dunne.  Van Persie stayed calm and scored from the spot. 1-2 and the Emirates was signing and shouting and did what they are supposed to do = support  the team. And the players? Well they doubled their efforts even more.

Walcott went down the line and in stead of a cross he tried to shoot the ball from a Van Persie angle in goal, Given got a hand to it and a defender tried to clear the ball but struck it on the chest of Walcott and the ball ended up in the goal. 2 goals in 2 minutes. I had a feeling the Emirates was rocking.  The Villa supporters feared the outcome of the game and refused to give the ball back when it had gone in their part of the stadium. Lucky the Arsenal have more than one match ball.

Koscielny of all people charging down the left flank and Bent of all people chasing him. The world upside down. The striker tackling the defender it as most happens it went wrong. Bent went through Koscielny to finally end up with the ball but the ref was spot on and gave the second penalty for Arsenal. Van Persie in the other corner of the goal this time and 3-2 for The Arsenal. 3 goals in 7 minutes for The Arsenal. I can’t remember anything like that.  What a turnaround.

Oxlade-Chamberlain running all over the field, sometimes covering at left back when Vermaelen was suddenly the attacker. All the players were attacking when they could and defending when they had to. I can’t remember a team working their socks of like that this month. Mertesacker heading away the danger, Coquelin charging up and down the flank. Rosicky twisting and turning, Ramsey being left, right, forward and at the back helping out, Fabianski with some firm and good kicks when the ball was played to him by the defenders.  The work ethic was amazing and heart  warming to see. This was a team wanting to fight till they dropped.

Oh and not all went right but when we lost the ball the players chased and pressed and forced Villa to make a hasty pass forward and the defenders dealing with those long balls most of the time. Villa got a chance when Koscielny was tripped by Petrov it seemed but the ref played on and Mertesacker stood his ground and diverted the danger in to a corner.  Rosicky acknowledge the importance of this clearance when the danger was gone. One came Arteta for Rosicky. A great game and hard work from Rosicky and welcome back Mikel. We surely missed you the last couple of games.

The Ox kept on running with the ball and the Villa players were having a difficult time chasing him. Arsenal kept on playing the ball forward as much as they could. Like Johan Cruijff once said: when the ball is in their half, they can’t score.  Koscielny getting himself a yellow card not that much for the foul but more for kicking the ball away against Bent.  Coquelin slipped but he was back in time to make up and cut out the ball from Ireland.  The assistant messed up with a wait and see rule but the Arsenal defenders were in numbers and covering anyway.

Time for another come back boy. Sagna was getting ready for his first minutes since he broke his leg at White Hart Lane. Oh didn’t we miss him also the past months?  Great to see you back, Bac. Even though he was a bit rusty I must say. But he will get better with game time.  Also Thierry Henry entered the field for the last 2 minutes.  Walcott and The ox left the field to great cheers of the crowd this time.  The former Southampton boys who had shined on the day. And certainly the younger one.

Coquelin showed he is not just a defender but not as fast as Theo but he sure can run on the flank also. Arteta with a ball to Henry but he chose to dribble the last man and he was stopped.
The Emirates was signing and making us proud. That is the way to do it lads. Making us proud this time.