THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
- Thread starter fgl
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wylde
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Arsenal will have to invoke the spirit of the San Siro for their Champions League Quarter-Final second leg at Anfield next week.
Liverpool would appear to have gained the advantage after securing a 1-1 draw in the opening rubber at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.
Emmanuel Adebayor gave Arsenal the lead with a thunderous header in the 23rd minute but Liverpool grabbed a vital away goal three minutes later when Dirk Kuyt scrambled home from close range following fine work by Steven Gerrard.
Arsenal bossed the second half. They might have had a penalty when Kuyt manhandled Hleb then Cesc Fabregas had a goal-bound effort inadvertently cleared off the unguarded Liverpool line by team-mate Nicklas Bendtner.
Undoubtedly, the prevailing post-match feeling was that Rafa Benitez' side have gained the whip-hand in the tie and Arsenal should have got more on the night. However the same was true in the last round when Milan came away with a 0-0 draw. Only for Arsenal to pull off the perfect 'Italian Job'.
Arsène Wenger's side now need a similar script at Anfield. The manager will argue his side his cast are more than capable.
And, despite a tinge of disappointment this evening, this story is sure to have a few more twists and turns next week.
Wenger made two changes from the side that had stormed back so splendidly at Bolton on Saturday. Adebayor returned for Bendtner up front and Emmanuel Eboue replaced Abou Diaby with Hleb switching flanks from right to left. It was a familiar 4-4-2 for Arsenal.
Liverpool had a more complex 4-2-3-1. But the 'one' was none other than Fernando Torres, the Premier League's in-form player.
In previous European meetings under Benitez, the Anfield side had been characterised by caginess but the opening stages this evening were not short of attacking intent. Although clear-cut chances were still hard to find.
In the second minute, Pepe Reina rushed out to meet Adebayor as he raced onto a long ball down the right-hand channel. The striker skipped around the keeper and for a second Liverpool looked stranded. However the Spaniard recovered and charged down Adebayor's attempted cross in the manner of the most dogged centre back.
Arsenal had their own scare when Sami Hyypia, up for a corner, was found by Xavi Alonso's angled, arrowed pass. Fortunately Fabregas muscled him off the ball before he had time to getaway a shot.
The home side created a small flurry of chances just before the midway point. First Toure flashed a header wide from a Fabregas corner then Flamini sent Van Persie clear but the Dutchman, off-balance and over stretching, flicked the ball over.
The goal followed straight afterwards. It came from a corner caused when Reina saved low from Van Persie. The Dutchman and Fabregas worked it short between them. When the ball came in, Adebayor rose on edge of the six-yard to thunder home a header.
It was both his second goal in 10 games and his 24th goal of the season.
The strike was met with elation at Emirates; this tie had been billed one that would be decided by the narrowest of margins.
However, Arsenal's ascendancy would last three minutes.
Gerrard collected the ball on the left just outside the area and breezed past a couple of challenges before stabbing a low cross into the heart of the six-yard box. Despite the attentions of Philippe Senderos, Kuyt slid in the equaliser.
It was a scruffy goal but, the Arsenal fans feared, a vital one too.
Unsurprisingly the home side lost some of the edge up to half time. Ryan Babel tested Almunia with stinging low drive and Torres caused concern with a high, hanging cross to the far post.
Adebayor did have a threatening drive charged down three minutes before the break. But the rapier attacks that led to Arsenal's goal had been blunted.
There was a surprise after the interval. Van Persie did not emerge for the second half because of a reported thigh problem and Theo Walcott came off the bench. The youngster took up a position on the left flank and Hleb pushed into the centre.
Kuyt and Babel tested Almunia with low shots early on but Walcott breathed life into the Arsenal effort with a rocket of a shot 10 minutes in. Cutting on from the left, he let rip. The drive looked like it might squeeze inside the post before Reina thrust out a palm to divert the ball wide.
Liverpool responded with pressure but Arsenal were still the more incisive side. Midway through the half, Adebayor prodded a pass towards the left-hand byline and Walcott turned on the turbo to cut the ball into the area. Reina was stranded at the near post but, when the ball reached Eboue in the centre, the Ivorian slipped. His contact was poor and Liverpool cleared their lines.
However, almost immediately, the ball was returned into the visitors' area. This time Hleb latched on and looked certain to score before Kuyt hauled him back. It looked a penalty but referee Pieter Vink waved play on. A controversial moment.
Arsenal were now dominating. In the 70th minute, Adebayor skipped to the byline and chipped a high cross into the area. Fabregas arrived to poke it towards goal but Bendtner, only recently introduced off the bench, prevented the ball creeping in the far post when he was trying to help it in. However it would not have counted as the assistant referee had flagged for offside.
Arsenal huffed and puffed in the final stages but they failed to blow apart the Liverpool defence. The clearest they came was when Fabregas ghosted a header into Reina's arms in injury time.
why Arsenal...why??
after taking the lead we gave it away...
defence has been a problem these past few matches..But we have to buck up and look forward to this freaking sat at Anfield..
Damm!!..
Liverpool would appear to have gained the advantage after securing a 1-1 draw in the opening rubber at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.
Emmanuel Adebayor gave Arsenal the lead with a thunderous header in the 23rd minute but Liverpool grabbed a vital away goal three minutes later when Dirk Kuyt scrambled home from close range following fine work by Steven Gerrard.
Arsenal bossed the second half. They might have had a penalty when Kuyt manhandled Hleb then Cesc Fabregas had a goal-bound effort inadvertently cleared off the unguarded Liverpool line by team-mate Nicklas Bendtner.
Undoubtedly, the prevailing post-match feeling was that Rafa Benitez' side have gained the whip-hand in the tie and Arsenal should have got more on the night. However the same was true in the last round when Milan came away with a 0-0 draw. Only for Arsenal to pull off the perfect 'Italian Job'.
Arsène Wenger's side now need a similar script at Anfield. The manager will argue his side his cast are more than capable.
And, despite a tinge of disappointment this evening, this story is sure to have a few more twists and turns next week.
Wenger made two changes from the side that had stormed back so splendidly at Bolton on Saturday. Adebayor returned for Bendtner up front and Emmanuel Eboue replaced Abou Diaby with Hleb switching flanks from right to left. It was a familiar 4-4-2 for Arsenal.
Liverpool had a more complex 4-2-3-1. But the 'one' was none other than Fernando Torres, the Premier League's in-form player.
In previous European meetings under Benitez, the Anfield side had been characterised by caginess but the opening stages this evening were not short of attacking intent. Although clear-cut chances were still hard to find.
In the second minute, Pepe Reina rushed out to meet Adebayor as he raced onto a long ball down the right-hand channel. The striker skipped around the keeper and for a second Liverpool looked stranded. However the Spaniard recovered and charged down Adebayor's attempted cross in the manner of the most dogged centre back.
Arsenal had their own scare when Sami Hyypia, up for a corner, was found by Xavi Alonso's angled, arrowed pass. Fortunately Fabregas muscled him off the ball before he had time to getaway a shot.
The home side created a small flurry of chances just before the midway point. First Toure flashed a header wide from a Fabregas corner then Flamini sent Van Persie clear but the Dutchman, off-balance and over stretching, flicked the ball over.
The goal followed straight afterwards. It came from a corner caused when Reina saved low from Van Persie. The Dutchman and Fabregas worked it short between them. When the ball came in, Adebayor rose on edge of the six-yard to thunder home a header.
It was both his second goal in 10 games and his 24th goal of the season.
The strike was met with elation at Emirates; this tie had been billed one that would be decided by the narrowest of margins.
However, Arsenal's ascendancy would last three minutes.
Gerrard collected the ball on the left just outside the area and breezed past a couple of challenges before stabbing a low cross into the heart of the six-yard box. Despite the attentions of Philippe Senderos, Kuyt slid in the equaliser.
It was a scruffy goal but, the Arsenal fans feared, a vital one too.
Unsurprisingly the home side lost some of the edge up to half time. Ryan Babel tested Almunia with stinging low drive and Torres caused concern with a high, hanging cross to the far post.
Adebayor did have a threatening drive charged down three minutes before the break. But the rapier attacks that led to Arsenal's goal had been blunted.
There was a surprise after the interval. Van Persie did not emerge for the second half because of a reported thigh problem and Theo Walcott came off the bench. The youngster took up a position on the left flank and Hleb pushed into the centre.
Kuyt and Babel tested Almunia with low shots early on but Walcott breathed life into the Arsenal effort with a rocket of a shot 10 minutes in. Cutting on from the left, he let rip. The drive looked like it might squeeze inside the post before Reina thrust out a palm to divert the ball wide.
Liverpool responded with pressure but Arsenal were still the more incisive side. Midway through the half, Adebayor prodded a pass towards the left-hand byline and Walcott turned on the turbo to cut the ball into the area. Reina was stranded at the near post but, when the ball reached Eboue in the centre, the Ivorian slipped. His contact was poor and Liverpool cleared their lines.
However, almost immediately, the ball was returned into the visitors' area. This time Hleb latched on and looked certain to score before Kuyt hauled him back. It looked a penalty but referee Pieter Vink waved play on. A controversial moment.
Arsenal were now dominating. In the 70th minute, Adebayor skipped to the byline and chipped a high cross into the area. Fabregas arrived to poke it towards goal but Bendtner, only recently introduced off the bench, prevented the ball creeping in the far post when he was trying to help it in. However it would not have counted as the assistant referee had flagged for offside.
Arsenal huffed and puffed in the final stages but they failed to blow apart the Liverpool defence. The clearest they came was when Fabregas ghosted a header into Reina's arms in injury time.
why Arsenal...why??
after taking the lead we gave it away...
defence has been a problem these past few matches..But we have to buck up and look forward to this freaking sat at Anfield..
Damm!!..
Last edited:
fgl
Well-known member
Arsène Wenger: 'We created the chances to win the game'
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Champions League Q/F Leg 1
Emirates Stadium
Wed, Apr 2, 2008, 7.45pm
On the final score...
"Well yes, I feel we were not well paid for what we produced tonight. To finish a game like that 1-1 is, of course, disappointing. But we produced a performance we wanted, overall we had the chances to win the game and Liverpool created very little tonight."
On a strong second half...
"The whole second half we played in one half. I cannot fault the players. We were unlucky under a few circumstances. First of all because, I don't know how Bendtner didn't get that in, then there was a blatant penalty but it was not given, just under the eyes of the referee. I must say, that's a few times now that it happens and it's very difficult to accept in a game like that. If the referee's in a bad position, yes, but the referee was five yards away from Kuyt, by coincidence, and didn't give the penalty."
On Liverpool's resilience...
"It's difficult because Liverpool defend well. I think Kuyt played second right-back in the second half and on the other side as well they defended very deep, so it was very difficult to find some space. We tried to play through, you could see the teams have given a lot recently, I cannot fault at all our display. We tried very hard to create chances and in a game like that you do not create twenty chances, you create four or five. We had four - five, and we were punished on the one they had, and unfortunately we could not take all our chances."
On Van Persie's injury...
"It's a muscular problem, we had to take him out for a precaution. We'll see how it goes. I don't think it's a recurrence but it was where he was injured before on his thigh. For a precaution we had to take him off."
On the equaliser...
"Yes, we were caught on a counter-attack in defence, created by Stephen Gerrard. He showed a touch of class on that goal. I feel we were unlucky because the ball was deflected by Flamini and went back into the six yards, and I don't really know who scored in the end, was it Clichy, was it Kuyt? It's difficult to say."
On Stephen Gerrard...
"Gerrard played well, but they played deep, just on counter-attack, you know? So he's the ideal player to find when you win the ball back and play on the counter-attack. He had a good game. It is as well because we projected ourselves a lot forward, and then of course he is the type of the player who is available again."
On possession...
"If you look at the amount of possession we had tonight compared to Liverpool, it is frightening, in a Champions League game it is frightening that you come out with a 1-1."
On the return leg...
"We have the desire to do it, then I think before that we have a Premier League game. That might not take less out than this game from us, and its a little bit a survival battle, you know? The one who is still good after three games is the one who is the better team."
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Champions League Q/F Leg 1
Emirates Stadium
Wed, Apr 2, 2008, 7.45pm
On the final score...
"Well yes, I feel we were not well paid for what we produced tonight. To finish a game like that 1-1 is, of course, disappointing. But we produced a performance we wanted, overall we had the chances to win the game and Liverpool created very little tonight."
On a strong second half...
"The whole second half we played in one half. I cannot fault the players. We were unlucky under a few circumstances. First of all because, I don't know how Bendtner didn't get that in, then there was a blatant penalty but it was not given, just under the eyes of the referee. I must say, that's a few times now that it happens and it's very difficult to accept in a game like that. If the referee's in a bad position, yes, but the referee was five yards away from Kuyt, by coincidence, and didn't give the penalty."
On Liverpool's resilience...
"It's difficult because Liverpool defend well. I think Kuyt played second right-back in the second half and on the other side as well they defended very deep, so it was very difficult to find some space. We tried to play through, you could see the teams have given a lot recently, I cannot fault at all our display. We tried very hard to create chances and in a game like that you do not create twenty chances, you create four or five. We had four - five, and we were punished on the one they had, and unfortunately we could not take all our chances."
On Van Persie's injury...
"It's a muscular problem, we had to take him out for a precaution. We'll see how it goes. I don't think it's a recurrence but it was where he was injured before on his thigh. For a precaution we had to take him off."
On the equaliser...
"Yes, we were caught on a counter-attack in defence, created by Stephen Gerrard. He showed a touch of class on that goal. I feel we were unlucky because the ball was deflected by Flamini and went back into the six yards, and I don't really know who scored in the end, was it Clichy, was it Kuyt? It's difficult to say."
On Stephen Gerrard...
"Gerrard played well, but they played deep, just on counter-attack, you know? So he's the ideal player to find when you win the ball back and play on the counter-attack. He had a good game. It is as well because we projected ourselves a lot forward, and then of course he is the type of the player who is available again."
On possession...
"If you look at the amount of possession we had tonight compared to Liverpool, it is frightening, in a Champions League game it is frightening that you come out with a 1-1."
On the return leg...
"We have the desire to do it, then I think before that we have a Premier League game. That might not take less out than this game from us, and its a little bit a survival battle, you know? The one who is still good after three games is the one who is the better team."
Plastic
New member
You know you want to support liverpool.
fgl
Well-known member
what? then U will have to support Man U to return the favour? :twisted:
Dime
New member
i gonna kill you bro!
fgl
Well-known member
told ya bro Dime ... wahhahahhahaaaaa ....
we all best stick to our own teams to aviod guilty feelings that may arise in future ...
Plastic
New member
loldude333
New member
Haha lolz. Anyway, here are all the scores for CL Q-Finals 1st leg:
Roma 0-2 Man U oops! haha sry edited
Schalke 0-1 Barca
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Fenerbahce 2-1 Chelsea
Heh heh..........i dunno abt u guys but the last scoreline gives me a lot of pleasure. Wat do u guys think?
As for watching matches of teams that i dun support, i kinda like clubs like Spurs, West Ham, Man City. Yea i watched the Bolton- Man City match 2 wks ago and i have to say it was better than last nite's match at the Emirates.
Roma 0-2 Man U oops! haha sry edited
Schalke 0-1 Barca
Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Fenerbahce 2-1 Chelsea
Heh heh..........i dunno abt u guys but the last scoreline gives me a lot of pleasure. Wat do u guys think?
As for watching matches of teams that i dun support, i kinda like clubs like Spurs, West Ham, Man City. Yea i watched the Bolton- Man City match 2 wks ago and i have to say it was better than last nite's match at the Emirates.
Last edited:
fgl
Well-known member
By Richard Clarke
Manuel Almunia would like to finish his career at Arsenal.
The keeper, who has just announced a new long-term extension to his contract, has established himself as the starting keeper at Emirates Stadium this season. That demonstrates the giant leap forward the 30-year-old has made since signing from Celta Vigo as a relative unknown in 2004.
"I am very happy," said Almunia revealing the new deal. "I have extended my contract and I hope to be here for a long, long time.
"I talked to my wife and I said I did not want to go back to Spain to play. Hopefully I can finish my career here.
"Football can change your life in one second. At the start of the season, I was not playing. But football changed my life again and now I am one of the happiest men around."
fgl
Well-known member
yep - probably my old ADAMS shirt
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