Post by Salem6 on Nov 9, 2003 18:29:31 GMT
Arsenal 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Paul Wilson
Sunday November 9, 2003
The Observer
Two late goals put a flattering gloss on another stuttering Arsenal
performance and sent them four points clear at the top of the table. The
north London derby honours went where they were expected, yet for over an
hour Tottenham Hotspur looked capable of pulling off their first
Premiership win at Highbury for 10 years. The defence, which has conceded
only two goals since David Pleat took over held out until the last 20
minutes, and both Arsenal goals owed something to luck. THFC could have
given their rivals something more serious to think about had Helder
Postiga, still awaiting his first Premiership goal, been able to accept
either of two gilt-edged chances in the first half.
Ashley Cole may have been the hero of Wednesday night's last-gasp Champions
League victory over Dynamo Kiev, but the questions over his defensive
awareness resurfaced when Tottenham took a shock lead after five minutes.
Robbie Keane tricked his way past Gilberto to carry the ball into the
Arsenal penalty area, and when Lauren came out to block the ball squirted
forward past Postiga to run across the face of goal. Jens Lehmann stayed on
his line and was beaten from close range when Darren Anderton reacted
quicker to the rebound than Cole, getting goalside of the defender for a
simple tap in.
Arsenal reacted urgently, with Thierry Henry bringing two saves in quick
succession from Kasey Keller, the second a stinging drive straight at the
goalkeeper after cutting in past two THFC defenders.
A careless back-pass from Lauren almost gifted the visitors a second goal
after 25 minutes, but presented with a wonderful opportunity and all the
time he needed to round Lehmann, Postiga lost his nerve and showed the
goalkeeper too much of the ball. What had begun as an unusually open and
attacking derby had reverted to type by that point in the first half, with
Mark Halsey cautioning four players within minutes - Ray Parlour and Paul
Konchesky for relatively innocuous offences, Anderton for a harmless
challenge on Cole and Dean Richards for piling into Henry. The situation
was not helped when a stray arm from Stephen Carr caught the Arsenal
striker across the windpipe in an incident that incensed the Arsenal
players.
Henry was in the wars again three minutes later, when Keller left his area
to prevent him reaching a through ball and succeeded in knocking him into
the air for another spectacular tumble. Only the fact that the offside flag
had been raised, and Henry's honesty in picking himself up to get on with
the game, saved Keller from from a lecture. Carr was also lucky when he
raised his arm again before the interval, this time catching Robert Pires
and provoking a scuffle that Mauricio Taricco crossed the pitch to take
part in, but luckiest of all was Lauren, who repeated his earlier blunder
on the stroke of half-time by allowing Postiga to intercept another
underhit back pass. To no ones great surprise the £6million summer import
from Porto missed again, though Lehmann deserved some credit for coming out
quickly. Lauren, arguably THFC' most creative attacker, was luckiest of
all in his choice of recipient.
Taricco picked up his expected booking at the start of the second half for
a foul on Freddie Ljungberg, but while they kept in control of their
tempers THFC were doing a good job of limiting Arsenal's attacking
opportunities. For the second time in a week Arsenal were throwing
everything forward in search of a goal, and their efforts yielded so little
reward against a solid defence it was a surprise Arsène Wenger waited for
an hour to send on Dennis Bergkamp.
When he did, the effect was almost immediate. One threaded pass from the
Dutchman brought the first clear shooting opportunity of the second half,
it was just a pity Ljungberg and Pires left the shot to each other. Four
minutes later, Arsenal were level, although Bergkamp could claim no part in
it. There was nothing wrong with Parlour's pass from his own half to pick
out Henry's run, just a suggestion that the striker had set off too early
and was offside when the ball was delivered. The flag stayed down, Henry
ran clear, and though Keller did well to stop his shot he was powerless to
prevent Pires tucking away the rebound.
With THFC failing to man age a goal attempt of any note in the second half
the momentum was now with Arsenal and a second goal was almost inevitable.
Bergkamp found Kanu, who moved the ball sideways to create a shooting
chance for Ljungberg, which Keller appeared to have covered, until a
deflection from Carr's attempted block sent the ball looping over his head
and into the net. Perhaps it was never destined to be THFC' day, though as
the move started in the Arsenal half when Postiga gave the ball away,
perhaps you make your own luck. It was certainly not the hapless Postiga's
day. THFC fans must be wondering if it ever will be.
Source:-
observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,6903,1081007,00.html
Paul Wilson
Sunday November 9, 2003
The Observer
Two late goals put a flattering gloss on another stuttering Arsenal
performance and sent them four points clear at the top of the table. The
north London derby honours went where they were expected, yet for over an
hour Tottenham Hotspur looked capable of pulling off their first
Premiership win at Highbury for 10 years. The defence, which has conceded
only two goals since David Pleat took over held out until the last 20
minutes, and both Arsenal goals owed something to luck. THFC could have
given their rivals something more serious to think about had Helder
Postiga, still awaiting his first Premiership goal, been able to accept
either of two gilt-edged chances in the first half.
Ashley Cole may have been the hero of Wednesday night's last-gasp Champions
League victory over Dynamo Kiev, but the questions over his defensive
awareness resurfaced when Tottenham took a shock lead after five minutes.
Robbie Keane tricked his way past Gilberto to carry the ball into the
Arsenal penalty area, and when Lauren came out to block the ball squirted
forward past Postiga to run across the face of goal. Jens Lehmann stayed on
his line and was beaten from close range when Darren Anderton reacted
quicker to the rebound than Cole, getting goalside of the defender for a
simple tap in.
Arsenal reacted urgently, with Thierry Henry bringing two saves in quick
succession from Kasey Keller, the second a stinging drive straight at the
goalkeeper after cutting in past two THFC defenders.
A careless back-pass from Lauren almost gifted the visitors a second goal
after 25 minutes, but presented with a wonderful opportunity and all the
time he needed to round Lehmann, Postiga lost his nerve and showed the
goalkeeper too much of the ball. What had begun as an unusually open and
attacking derby had reverted to type by that point in the first half, with
Mark Halsey cautioning four players within minutes - Ray Parlour and Paul
Konchesky for relatively innocuous offences, Anderton for a harmless
challenge on Cole and Dean Richards for piling into Henry. The situation
was not helped when a stray arm from Stephen Carr caught the Arsenal
striker across the windpipe in an incident that incensed the Arsenal
players.
Henry was in the wars again three minutes later, when Keller left his area
to prevent him reaching a through ball and succeeded in knocking him into
the air for another spectacular tumble. Only the fact that the offside flag
had been raised, and Henry's honesty in picking himself up to get on with
the game, saved Keller from from a lecture. Carr was also lucky when he
raised his arm again before the interval, this time catching Robert Pires
and provoking a scuffle that Mauricio Taricco crossed the pitch to take
part in, but luckiest of all was Lauren, who repeated his earlier blunder
on the stroke of half-time by allowing Postiga to intercept another
underhit back pass. To no ones great surprise the £6million summer import
from Porto missed again, though Lehmann deserved some credit for coming out
quickly. Lauren, arguably THFC' most creative attacker, was luckiest of
all in his choice of recipient.
Taricco picked up his expected booking at the start of the second half for
a foul on Freddie Ljungberg, but while they kept in control of their
tempers THFC were doing a good job of limiting Arsenal's attacking
opportunities. For the second time in a week Arsenal were throwing
everything forward in search of a goal, and their efforts yielded so little
reward against a solid defence it was a surprise Arsène Wenger waited for
an hour to send on Dennis Bergkamp.
When he did, the effect was almost immediate. One threaded pass from the
Dutchman brought the first clear shooting opportunity of the second half,
it was just a pity Ljungberg and Pires left the shot to each other. Four
minutes later, Arsenal were level, although Bergkamp could claim no part in
it. There was nothing wrong with Parlour's pass from his own half to pick
out Henry's run, just a suggestion that the striker had set off too early
and was offside when the ball was delivered. The flag stayed down, Henry
ran clear, and though Keller did well to stop his shot he was powerless to
prevent Pires tucking away the rebound.
With THFC failing to man age a goal attempt of any note in the second half
the momentum was now with Arsenal and a second goal was almost inevitable.
Bergkamp found Kanu, who moved the ball sideways to create a shooting
chance for Ljungberg, which Keller appeared to have covered, until a
deflection from Carr's attempted block sent the ball looping over his head
and into the net. Perhaps it was never destined to be THFC' day, though as
the move started in the Arsenal half when Postiga gave the ball away,
perhaps you make your own luck. It was certainly not the hapless Postiga's
day. THFC fans must be wondering if it ever will be.
Source:-
observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,6903,1081007,00.html
