Arsenal vs Hartlepool Utd. 03/10/95

Arsenal (2) 5 - 0 (0) Hartlepool. 3rd Oct 95

First leg: 3 - 0, aggregate score: 8 - 0

(TWO REPORTS)

Arsenal: 
   Seaman Dixon Adams Keown Bould Winterburn 
   Jensen Parlour Merson(Helder)
   Bergkamp(Hartson) Wright

Scorers: Wright 3, Bergkamp 2.

Hartlepool team & more details in second report (Derek's) below.

After a slow start, Arsenal showed their superiority with 5 fine goals and an excellent hattrick from Ian Wright.

Rioch stuck with the "defensive" formation used at Chelsea on Saturday, with Keown Adams and Bould in the central defensive positions. All played well, and Keown in particular hardly put a foot wrong, but whether we're ready to try it again against Premiership opposition is another matter. David Platt nominated Ian Wright as man of the match. His pace and control was just too much for the visitors, who did not trouble Seaman at all. The down side, as it so often is, was Wright's mouth getting him a yellow card. He was protesting at a vicious elbow that caught Dixon in the head towards the end of the match and which apparently did not require a caution itself.

The goals:

Bergkamp, on the left hand side of the penalty area, controlled a lofted ball across the penalty area from Merson, and with his second touch coolly passed the ball into the far corner of the net.
Wright benefitted from a pass by Bergkamp, which put Ian in the clear. On the left hand side and a bit outside the penalty area, his favourite place for a chip (remember Swindon?). Once again, perfectly executed.
(second half). Parlour's shot through a crowded goalmouth was too much for the keeper to hold and Bergkamp stabbed it home.
Wright's pace took him clear onto Dixon's excellent through-ball, and he just managed to squeeze it between the keeper and the near post. The 'pool section start singing "we've been beat by more than four". Subsequently...
Bergkamp was taken out of the game by a ferocious "tackle", which has left him with a swollen ankle (x-rays being taken apparently). Hartson came on for his first appearance of the season to great applause (and Bergkamp was ovated (?) all the way round the pitch to the dugout). At the same time Helder replaced Merson. These two linked up to provide Wright's third, Hartson nodding back Helder's deep cross to an unmarked Wrigth about 8 yards out. He'd been left unmarked and had been practicing his volleying last week. Nuff said.

Report by Rupert Ward.

Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bould, Winterburn, Keown, Parlour,
         Jensen, Merson, Bergkamp, Wright
         Subs: Hartson (Bergkamp 69), Helder (Merson 69), Bartram 

Hartlepool: Jones, Ingram, McAuley, Billing, McGuckin, Lowe, Oliver, 
            Tait,Henderson, Halliday, Howard
            Subs: Homer (Howard 49), Lynch (Ingram 75), Lee (Tait 86)
   
Result  : Arsenal               (2) 5   Hartlepool             (0) 0
Scorers:  Bergkamp 29,49, Wright 33,58,87

Bookings: Wright                        
                                     
Att     : 27194
Referee : S W Dunn (Bristol)

Quite an enjoyable and relaxed evening at Highbury last night, though as somebody else pointed out, there was the shrill noise made by lots of schoolkids to put up with. Apparently Arsenal distributed 3000 free tickets to local schools.

Rioch persisted with the 3 centre halves, though this time Merson wasn't up front and seemed to roam where he liked at will. And looked better for it I thought. And with the opposition barely getting out of their own half, the fullbacks spent most of the time in midfield. Dixon in particular kept popping up all over the place.

I managed to miss the first 5 minutes because the queue at the away tickets window remained stationary for 10, but don't think I missed much. From outside you wouldn't have known the game had kicked off. However, Arsenal eventually got going after about 15 minutes with a series of opportunities from outside the box. First a nice move between Parlour and Bergkamp put in Merson for a shot on the run, but on the wrong side his right foot shot from just outside the area screwed well wide of the post.

Then JJ had space for his customary 20 yarder, and as is the custom it went high and wide. Bergkamp then went closest, making space for himself well, and putting a wickedly curling, dipping shot just the wrong side of the post. Parlour also made a break from midfield, and faced with a couple of defenders in the box, stopped and then turned full circle to shoot more or less straight at the keeper.

Eventually Arsenal did manage to score. Merson made a nice break down the right, but was held up on the edge of the area, passed inside to Dixon and received the return. He then chipped to the far post where Bergkamp took the ball down and simply passed just inside the opposite post from the left corner of the 6-yd box.

A few minutes later it was two. Bergkamp received the ball with his back to goal about 10 yards inside the Hartlepool half, and spotting Wright making a run across the line, turned to play a beautifully angled ball into his path. Put free, and with the keeper halfway out to meet him, Wrighty then produced a lovely chip over the keeper from the left hand corner of the box with his left foot.

Arsenal then enjoyed themselves, playing some nice football without quite producing the killer touch. Bergkamp again went close with his now trademark swerving and dipping shot from outside the area.

After the break it wasn't long before Arsenal increased their lead. A period of heavy pressure ended with Jensen laying the ball along the edge of the box to Parlour. His first time shot was parried by Jones and Bergkamp reached the loose ball just ahead of a defender to hook it in off the prone keeper.

There was then a good break down the right by Parlour, with his ball across the box just too far in front of Wright and Merson, before ten minutes later the 4th goal arrived. Dixon spotted Wright making an early run and played a superb through ball. Wrighty took it down well as it dropped over his shoulder and this time slid the ball past the keeper and in off the near post.

Not long afterwards we very nearly witnessed Johnny Jensen doubling his goals tally for Arsenal. Bergkamp broke down the left, checked back and played a lovely ball into JJ's path as he ran into the box. From about 15 yards his shot crashed against the near post and bounced back into play, just eluding Wright and Dixon in the middle.

Meanwhile Hartlepool were actually having a good spell in attack. Adams and Bould got in each other's way and the ball bounced through to leave Halliday free, but his shot was sliced well wide. Soon afterwards, Hartlepool won a corner, and following it Lowe produced a nice turn on the edge of the box which induced Dixon into tripping him. The ref decided it was just outside the area, and the free kick came to nothing.

A heavy tackle on Bergkamp resulted in him needing treatment and was the signal for Helder and Hartson to come on to great applause, replacing Merse and Denise. Bergkamp was applauded all the way as he limped round the touchline. Meanwhile, Dixon was heavily barged down and apparently got an elbow in the face, Arsenal were awarded the free kick, and Wright was booked for saying something to the referee.

Helder had a good run diagonally across midfield, doing well to make space for a shot from the edge of the box, but his effort was similarly woeful to those in the last couple of games. Eventually though, he did make the goal which finished off the scoring and Wrighty's hattrick. He produced a lovely far post cross from tight to the by line, and Hartson (in attempting to go for goal I think) headed back to Wright in the middle and he lashed it home.

There was then still time for Helder to cut into the box from the right, turn inside and put a left foot shot against the foot of the near post. The ball then rolled along the line and somehow missed the other post and went out for a goal kick.

Not really much of a test for the Gunners, so it's hard to judge their performance. They did what they had to though, and we can't really complain about 5 goals. Wrighty was made man of the match, and he and Bergkamp certainly enjoyed themselves. Merson too got reasonably involved and Parlour and Jensen were competent enought. Keown did make quite a few charges forward in the second half. Hartson didn't really have much a chance to make an impression, though Helder again looked lively when he came on. His shooting does leave a lot to be desired though.

The real test comes with the next few league games. Leeds away, followed by Villa at home, and Man U not long afterwards. And then away to Sperz.

report by Derek Brownjohn.

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