Norwich: Marshall, Bowen, Newsome, Newman, Ullathorne, Adams, Bradshaw, Johnson, Eadie, Cureton, Ward Subs: Sutch (Ullathorne 41), Brownrigg, Rhodes
Result : Arsenal (3) 5 Norwich (1) 1 Scorers: Hartson 4 13, Dixon 6, Cureton 32 Merson 75, Newman 90og
Bookings: Adams, Newman
Att : 36942 Referee : P Jones (Loughborough)
At last a half-decent performance to report on. Half decent is possibly the operative phrase here because the middle part of the game, either side of half-time, wasn't much better than some recent home games. However, that's probably nit-picking because the first and last 20 minutes were wonderful. Norwich were without Polston in defence, and Crook in midfield though.
It was an astonishing start from Arsenal. 3-0 up with less than 15 minutes on the clock had the crowd buzzing with disbelief. Helder had already bothered the Norwich defence with a run down the left and cross which was just too high for the red shirts in the middle when he was given another chance by Winterburn. Nutty did well, gathering the ball after challenging a Norwich defender for a short pass, and then releasing Helder overlapping down the left. Lionel beat the covering defender for pace, evading the sliding tackle, and carried the ball tight to the byline a couple of yards outside the 6-yd box. There he had time to look up and pick out Hartson rushing in, and the young striker coolly steered the ball inside the far post from about 8 yards.
Two minutes later it looked as though Hartson had got his second. Dixon took a throw in on the right, got the ball back from Helder and then turned back onto his left foot to slant in a cross. The Norwich defence stood and watched as Hartson darted in to swing his foot at the ball about 10 yards out. It later turned out he hadn't made contact, but his intervention was sufficient to fool the keeper as the ball bounced inside the far post.
The Canaries defence was again caught square and static for the 3rd goal. Dixon played what was little more than a clearance forward from about 15 yards inside his own half. Hartson was left on his own to chase the ball and took it on to just inside the right side of the area. His shot was probably a little too close to Marshall who got quite a firm touch on it, but nonetheless the ball bounced over him and on into the net.
A few minutes later it was very nearly four. Winterburn again did well coming forward down the left and won a corner. Helder's outswinger sailed over everyone in the area and bounced kindly for Merson lurking just outside it on the right. His volley was heading for the top corner before the young Norwich keeper pulled off a brilliant save, just tipping the ball onto the angle of post and bar. It then bounced high into the air and dropped into a scrum of players a couple of yards in front of the line. I think the keeper again just got a hand to it but it fell to Hartson on the six yard line. His shot was blocked by a defender on the line.
Morrow went off injured (looked like a hamstring problem) to be replaced by Keown, and Arsenal proceeded to let Norwich back into the match. Cureton caused problems with a couple of mazy runs, one of which ended in a shot from the edge of the area which Bartram could only block. Adams put the loose ball behind for a corner. Then, with Dixon out of position, Ward's pass out to Eadie on the left beat Arsenal's offside trap. Eadie was left unattended to run on down the left and play in a simple ball along the ground which Cureton hit into the roof of the net from about 6 yards.
This did induce slight feelings of anxiety as to what might happen if Norwich got another goal back, and indeed they had most of the play for the first 15 minutes or so after the break. However I can't actually recall a real threat on the Arsenal goal in the 2nd half. Eadie did cause Dixon one or two problems, but the former England right back used his experience to avert any real danger in the end.
Eventually Arsenal did start playing again, sparked by a near goal midway through the half. A deep cross from the left, from Helder I think, was nodded back by Hartson to Merson on the edge of the area. His well hit shot was heading just inside the far post before Marshall again pulled off a superb save, just tipping it round the post.
Merson finally did beat the keeper about 15 minutes from time. Keown no less, bent in a short cross from the right. Wright's header from about 12 yards appeared to be blocked by his marker's arm, but the ball fell to Merson just inside the area anyway. His volley appeared to go through the possibly unsighted keeper and into the far corner.
A few minutes later Glenn Helder had the crowd roaring with delight with a breathtaking piece of skill. He dribbled the ball into the far left corner, and then appeared to over-run it slightly but instead flicked with the inside of his left foot behind him and through the defender at his back to leave himself with a clear run along the goal line. His pass into the area set a chance up for Wrighty on a plate, but old reliable's left foot swing at the ball completely missed. However Hartson behind him did make a good connection and Marshall again had to make a good save.
The icing on the cake came in injury time. Helder again combined well with Merson wide on the left to get free along the goal line. His cross to the far post was then headed into his own net by Rob Newman in a style worthy of Lee Dixon.
A very enjoyable game for a change, and a performance which will hopefully put the team in good spirits for Thursday's match against Sampdoria. Unfortunately I'm going to manage to miss that game, having foolishly arranged a holiday without first checking the football fixtures. Just have to hope they have it on TV in Gozo, and then content myself with the return leg in Genoa.
Pretty good performances all round really, with only Wright and Merson, to a lesser extent, disappointing. Keown did pretty well in the second half after looking his usual self in the first, and Hillier also played quite well. It was a couple of his passes which really got Arsenal going again in the second half. The outstanding performers though, were Hartson and Helder. The middle period of the game when Arsenal didn't impress coincided with Helder seeing little of the ball. Every time he did get it you felt something might happen. Hartson did look very tired towards the end of the game, unsurprisingly given his midweek trip to Bulgaria.
Report by Derek Brownjohn