THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
- Thread starter fgl
- Start date
.
fgl
Well-known member
Arsenal
0
W.B.A.
- Watt 68,
- Vela 75
Arsenal
- Wojciech Szczesny
- Kerrea Gilbert
- Philippe Senderos
- Kieran Gibbs
- Mikael Silvestre (c)
- Francis Coquelin
(59) - Aaron Ramsey
- Jack Wilshere
- Armand Traore
(69) - Sanchez Watt
- Gilles Sunu
(59) - Substitutes
- James Shea
- Kyle Bartley
- Craig Eastmond
- Emmanuel Frimpong
- Mark Randall
(59) - Nacer Barazite
(69) - Carlos Vela
(59)
- The Arsenal youngsters are on the march once again in the Carling Cup.
Arsène Wenger's fledgling side have a proud record in this competition and produced another effervescent display to see off Championship leaders West Brom at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
The visitors edged a pacy, action-packed first half-hour but their challenge foundered after ex-Arsenal winger Jerome Thomas was sent off seven minutes before the break for pushing Jack Wilshere.
After that, the home side had the advantage but they needed the introduction of Carlos Vela to make it tell. In the 68th minute, West Brom keeper Dean Kiely palmed out the Mexican's fierce shot to Sanchez Watt, who marked his debut with a simple finish at the far post.
Fifteen minutes from full time, Mark Randall's sumptuous chip came back off the bar and Vela poached a goal from close-range.
Watt and Wojciech Szczesny gave positive first impressions of their abilities. It was also heartening to see Philippe Senderos so assured in his first Arsenal appearance since May 2008.
West Brom were not at full strength themselves but this was still a notable scalp. The draw for the Fourth Round takes place on Saturday lunchtime (UK time) and once again no-one will want to be pitched against Arsenal.
We now fully know what to expect from Wenger's Carling Cup side. It was a mixture of first-team squad members who need a game (Senderos, Mikael Silvestre, Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey), another look at emerging talent (Kerrea Gilbert and Armand Traore) plus a few debutants (Gilles Sunu, Watt, Szczesny and Frances Coquelin).
West Brom came into this tie top of the Championship but, understandably, Roberto Di Matteo made a slew of changes for tonight's game.
Emirates Stadium was not quite at capacity but, as ever, the crowd had all the youth exuberance of the side they were watching. And the first 37 minutes would be a treat.
Senderos nearly made a dream return when, unmarked at the near post, he powered over a header. Two minutes later he did precisely the same thing, only on this occasion, his contact was not as solid and the ball flew past the far post.
But it was clear early on that Arsenal were not going to repeat the 6-0 drubbing of Sheffield United at this stage of the competition 12 months ago.
In fact it would be wonderfully open game until the sending off just before the break.
On the quarter-hour Robert Koren's high, hanging ball was chested back to the edge of the area by Filipe Teixeira and Gonzalo Jara swerved a low shot inches wide.
Arsenal immediately went down the other end and hit the post. Watt flicked the ball towards Wilshere on the right of the area. He returned the ball to the striker, who sent a stumbling shot towards goal. It trickled back off the post and into the arms of the grateful Dean Kiely.
But Arsenal were not dominating and, in fact, Szczesny's goal would come under fire. The Pole saved satisfactorily from Simon Cox and brilliantly from Koren. A corner came from the latter of those efforts, Szczesny missed his punch and Gilbert booted the ball off the line after Cox had bundled it towards goal at the far post. It was becoming stirring end-to-end stuff. More FA Cup Third Round than Carling Cup Third Round.
Wilshere arrowed a shot just past the West Brom upright. In the 33rd minute, Graham Dorrans sent a free-kick over from the left, the ball was bundled out of Szczesny's hands by Leon Barrett and fell loose. Surprisingly, referee Lee Mason did not blow up and Gibbs was somewhat fortunate to see his headed clearance deflect behind.
Until now we had seen little of Thomas. That would change. On 36 minutes he nearly created the opener by storming down the left and Szczesny had to be alert to cut out his inquisitive low cross.
Seconds later he tangled with Wilshere and pushed the Arsenal youngster to the floor just as he was sitting up. If raising your hands is a red card then the decision was obvious.
It was not only sad to see Thomas mark his return to his mother club in this way. But it was sad for the game. The Emirates crowd had been treated to an even, attacking game thus far. You sensed the sending off would change the game.
On the evidence of the first 15 minutes of the second half, it did. Arsenal were territorially on top and West Brom naturally more inhibited. However, on the hour, they proved they could still make chances.
Gianni Zuiverloon curled a cross to the far post but unmarked Cox could only scuff a header over the bar. Arguably the clearest opportunity of the night so far.
After that Wenger made changes. Vela came on for his first game of the season following ankle trouble while Mark Randall slotted into midfield. Sunu and Coquelin made way.
The introduction of the Mexican lifted the crowd and the team alike. It was akin to throwing a fox into a chicken coop.
It took 10 minutes for Vela to make the difference. Ramsey hoisted a pass to him on the edge of the area, he darted inside his marker and unleashed a thunderous shot. Kiely blocked well but the rebound fell to Watt, who slotted home at the far post.
With West Brom down to 10 men and tiring, it was a huge moment. Arsenal started to make hay.
Kiely saved a deflected shot from Ramsey then, 15 minutes from time, Randall would prise open the visitors' defence with a Bergkampesque piece of skill.
The English produced a gorgeous chip over the stationary Kiely and down off the crossbar. Barnett could have cleared up but instead decided to try and chest the loose ball back to his keeper.
Vela stole in and gleefully converted the second goal from inches out.
Substitute Chris Wood should have put West Brom back in the game with 10 minutes left but he slashed wide when he really should have hit the target.
Gilbert might have added a third in injury time but slid his shot wide.
By that time Arsenal were already putting on their party pieces.
They had done their job like experienced professionals.
fgl
Well-known member
Wenger - Senderos has a new start tonight
By Richard Clarke
This evening, Philippe Senderos has a "new start".
When the centre half joined Milan on loan in August 2008 it was widely anticipated that he would not come back to Emirates Stadium. However injury restricted the 24-year-old to just 20 games for the Rossoneri and he returned to Arsenal in the summer.
In pre-season Arsène Wenger admitted he was open to offers for the Swiss international. But fate would intervene. A six-month knee injury to Johan Djourou, ironically with the same national team, saw Senderos stay and, this evening against West Brom, he will make his first competitive appearance for Arsenal since May 2008.
"I don't believe he is starting his career with us again because we know how good he is but it is a new start let's say," remarked Wenger.
"We have already seen his quality and he is still very young for a centre back. He's 24 years-old and he has the future in front of him. The best 10 years are now coming for him.
"Philippe is an intelligent boy with a very good attitude and you don't ever question that.
"His position at the moment is that we have four centre backs and he is one of the four because Djourou is out for nearly the season. In this job you have always to be ready and the day you get the chance you can do well. If you are not ready, everybody will say he is not good enough to play for Arsenal Football Club.
"Now he is back with us so we will just give him a chance."
FGL: "YEAH ..... RIGHT" .....
By Richard Clarke
This evening, Philippe Senderos has a "new start".
When the centre half joined Milan on loan in August 2008 it was widely anticipated that he would not come back to Emirates Stadium. However injury restricted the 24-year-old to just 20 games for the Rossoneri and he returned to Arsenal in the summer.
In pre-season Arsène Wenger admitted he was open to offers for the Swiss international. But fate would intervene. A six-month knee injury to Johan Djourou, ironically with the same national team, saw Senderos stay and, this evening against West Brom, he will make his first competitive appearance for Arsenal since May 2008.
"I don't believe he is starting his career with us again because we know how good he is but it is a new start let's say," remarked Wenger.
"We have already seen his quality and he is still very young for a centre back. He's 24 years-old and he has the future in front of him. The best 10 years are now coming for him.
"Philippe is an intelligent boy with a very good attitude and you don't ever question that.
"His position at the moment is that we have four centre backs and he is one of the four because Djourou is out for nearly the season. In this job you have always to be ready and the day you get the chance you can do well. If you are not ready, everybody will say he is not good enough to play for Arsenal Football Club.
"Now he is back with us so we will just give him a chance."
FGL: "YEAH ..... RIGHT" .....
extremers
New member
I prefer Gibbs over Senderos. I can't believe i actually missed out the match yesterday. Totally exhausted from work till i got confused with which day is what, i really thought it was Monday yesterday. Anyhoots, loved the way Vela slotted the second goal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vtt0Zr6bLM
catch it before they remove the vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vtt0Zr6bLM
catch it before they remove the vid.
fgl
Well-known member
Sanchez Watt... scorer of Arsenal's opener against West Brom
Arsenal 2-0 W.B.A.
Carling Cup
Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 19:45
Watt - The advice Thierry Henry gave me
Having been at Arsenal since the age of seven, Sanchez Watt has seen many great strikers pass through the Club's London Colney training ground. But despite his youth, he was never afraid to ask for advice from the likes of Thierry Henry.
Watt made a goal-scoring debut in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, and says his career has progressed with the help of some of the best strikers to wear an Arsenal shirt over the last decade.
"There are a lot of players here I watched," said Watt. "Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin - there are many players here I look up to and I even ask them questions. They talk to me about positioning and other things to help me keep learning."
The English forward was in his early teens when he started asking first-team players for advice. Among them was Henry, the Gunners' all-time leading goalscorer. But Watt was unfazed by the legendary striker.
"I didn't get to play with him but I still asked him questions off the pitch when he was free about how it was and things like that.
"He said ‘be calm in front of goal and when the ball is moving, you don't have to keep making long runs. Make it short and sharp and just take it from there'.
"I was about 14. But it's about my career and not many people get the chance to talk to players like him, so I just took it as a good opportunity.
"I wasn't nervous because when we were growing up, our manager told us you can ask the senior players questions."
fgl
Well-known member
Lovehurts
New member
Owen Hargreaves is almost fit. It certainly sends shivers to opposing teams hehe. I hate to brag but Man U is still the team to beat
Up your points, brudder!! :mrgreen:
KissMyAxe
New member
Thank you my sister hehe
