Arsenal (2) 3 - 2 (1) Schalke_04
Highbury, Wednesday 10th September 2001
UEFA Champions League, stage 1 match 2
Ljungberg (34)
Henry (36) v Hoogdalem (43)
Henry (46) Mpenza (60)
No bookings for us. Lots for them.
A win at home, but a stressful one where the Gunners fought to keep control
of a game that they should have wrapped up earlier. There were, however,
lots of positives to take from the game.
Firstly the negative -- another messed up silence. I am sure the Schalke
chants of "USA" were meant well, but in quietening them down the German fans
probably made things worse. The number of American flags in the away end
suggested they meant well. But it did leave a bad taste for some. In
general the S04 fans were excellent: loud boisterous and over the top.
They kept going nearly all the game, but like their team looked a bit shakey
just after our third goal. I look forward to them coming to Highbury again
some time!
The game was superb from a neutrals perpsective. Both teams attacked, both
were positive, and both defences were generous. Schalke edged it in the
early exchanges, forcing Seaman to save a couple of times early on. We
gradually came back at them, but the first goal was still probably against
the run of play. Freddie picked up the ball deep in midfiel and ran at the
S04 defence who backed off. He then appeared to miscue his shot which took
an evil deflection off the generally outsanding Polish captain Waldoch and
wrong footed the keeper.
Arsenal's second came quickly after, a 1-2 between GVB and SW11 broke
through the increasingly fragile defensive line and GVB put a ball into
Henry. His outstanding turn (aided by a good off ball run by SW11) decieved
the defender allowing a sweet shot into the left hand corner. This was the
pick of the games goals.
At that point Arsenal could have overrun them, but we again sat back and let
our opponents back in. The goal when it came felt inevitable, but that
doesn't detract from the howler that led to it. A Schalke corner was
half cleared and fell to SW11 on the edge of the box. He then stepped over
the ball in an attempt to fool Moller (?). He wasn't tricked and stabbed it
through and put in an excellent cross, that despite being missed by Mpenza
fell to van Hoogdalem who finished well. Someone should explain to Sylvain
to not do fancy stuff on the edge of your own area.
2-1 at halftime. I thought the Gunners should show patience but they
didn't. S04 lost the ball from the kick off for a throw. The ball was
played to PV4 who ran powerfully into the area and was tripped by the
keeper. I genuinelly didn't see the fould as a a defender blocked my view,
so I'll not comment on allegations that Vieira dived. Frankly I don't much
care. Henry powerfully despatched the penalty for 3-1 in the 46th minute.
At this stage it looked like that if we'd gone at them in top gear we could
have got a hatful, but instead we seemed to decide to sit on the 2 goal lead
again. Defending for 40+ minutes isn't what our impromptu back was going to
do well at. They looked a very shakey unit. The goal when it came was a
good looping cross over the head of Keown, who didn't mark Mpenza and played
him onside. Mpenza's header was very good though. That led to a stressful
closing half hour. In the main despite the back four the team defended well
and looked lively on the break. Apart from hitting the woodwork (phew) it
was less close than it probably felt. We did hold on!
The ref was OK, he played a good advantage, pulling things back when
appropriate. Only one advantage decision confused me, and that got booed by
the Schalke fans too. I wasn't too sure of his use of the book, but seeing
as we got no bookings I'll not complain. I will mention the time when TH14
was fouled (clear shirt tug) by the last defender who only got a yellow.
I'll also put in a good word for Gilles. He won more than his share of
headers, and looked ok for someone playing his first start of the
season. The back four as a unit looked badly improvised though, Martin
Keown had (by his standards) a bad game, and GVB looked like a midfielder
out of position a bit too much of the time. They didn't cope brilliantly
with Schalke's main tactic (long balls and crosses to tall attackers), but
then they did lack height. Lauren didn't do a lot wrong: most of our
problems came down our left.
Paddy was a superb captain. Everywhere. Led. Got a penalty. Superb. Pires
had his quietest game at Highbury this year, but that is down from a very
high standard. Freddie looked really up for it. Ray drifted in and out
throughout I thought, but he does provide a balance to the midfield. We do
miss him. The midfield unit is working well together, and covered well when
Lauren and GVB went forward.
SW11's game went downhill after the mistake that led to S04's first
goal. Maybe he lost confidence. In contrast TH14 improved as the game went
on, and Dennis just looked sharp when he came on.
The really good news was Matty Upson coming on at the end -- hopefully
meaning he's fit for Saturday -- and Inamoto's debut. Junichi showed a lot
of promise, didn't make any howler and showed a nice touch. He's a real
good prospect.
A good 90 minutes work and the the group stage is more or less back on
track. Two tricky matches against the group leaders Panathinaikos come next.
report by Mike Pitt
Preview
- Arsenal team news
Ashley Cole is banned having been sent off
last week in Mallorca. Van Bronckhorst will fill in
at left-back.
Tony Adams is apparently fit again, and almost
played on Saturday. The fact that he didn't suggests
he probably will against Schalke. Let's hope so.
Dixon, Edu, and Luzhny are all still out.
Update Tuesday: bad news on Tone. See newsreel.
And if that's not bad enough, Campbell is now injured too (see here)
- Schalke_04 team news
Danish international striker Ebbe Sand is ruled out with a
muscle strain.
Polish defender and Schalke captain Tomasz Waldoch suffered a broken nose on
Thursday in training. "A decision still has to be taken as to whether Waldoch can play with a face mask in the Champions League game against Arsenal next Wednesday.",
says the official Schalke site
Men to watch: Gerald Asamoah, the black guy who came off the bench
for the second half against England, and looked the man most likely to
turn the tide in the period the moment Ashley Cole clattered him.
Andreas Moller, yes he's still playing (at 34). He's just retired form
international football like Tony and Dennis, and he scored a typical screamer
in
Schalke's game against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend. Jorg Bohme
had the shot for Germany which Seaman parried. Olaf Thon: Germany defender.
Marc Wilmots: Belgium midfielder. Victor Agali, Nigeria striker
(with 3 goals in his last 4 matches),
Emile Mpenza, Belgium striker.
update Tuesday
A few new absentees: Czech international midfielder Jiri Nemec is out with
a groin problem, and Jorg Boehme with a thigh injury. Another midfielder,
Sven Kmetch
is also out (hand injury), and maybe Moller will have to play in midfield on his
own, as Marc Wilmots is extremely doubtful after missing
training with a suspected torn ligament (he 's gone home to Belgium for
tests).
See also official site's preview, due to be published the day before
the match. There's also this news page (all in English)
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