Arsenal vs Leicester City. 12/04/97

Arsenal (1) 2 - 0 (0)

Highbury, Saturday 12th April 1997

FA Carling Premiership

scorers:
     Adams   Platt

Arsenal:       Seaman
               Dixon  Adams Bould Keown Winterburn
             Platt Vieira Hughes (Parlour)
                Wright  Bergkamp

As well as Parlour Arsenal subs included Merson (back from injury but not used). Anelka was unavailable due to international duty.

Arsenal started brightly and continued in the same vein for most of the game. We were helped a bit by Leicester fielding less than their full strength, with their CCC final replay coming up on Wednesday. Wright had a chance early on but his header under challenge, from an excellent Dixon cross, went just wide.

The away side weren't in it much at all, all I remember from the first half was an easy save for Seaman from a low shot practically straight at him.

Adams celebrated his return to fitness with an excellent display and got forward a lot. Our first goal came from an extended one-two between him and Bergkamp. Adams broke from the half-way line and played the ball wide to the right for Bergkamp to run onto. It went a bit far but into space, so Dennis was able to get onto it and run at the defender. He got to a yard from the goal-line and whipped the cross across, dipping to the far post where Adams stooped and dived with an unstoppable close range header.

The second goal, in the second half, saw Platt popping up in the box to run ontoi an exquisitely casual diagonal pass from Bergkamp, and he drove the ball past Keller into the far corner.

Although Leicester did rally towards the end the result never seemed in doubt, and we much fun taunting Seaman at the clock End. Actually it started a bit too soon and things could have got awkward if Leicester had pulled one back.

I thought Vieira had a good game, particularly in his tackles with thos telescopic Inspector Gadget legs. He goes in hard often ending up on the floor along with his victim, but he always seems to get up with the ball.

Winterburn deserves mention too, for in the first few minutes it looked as though Leicester's pacey right winger Lawrence had him well beaten. But before long Nige had his measure and he had another fantastic game both defensively and in attack.

Platt was erratic, but his good moments were superb, with some great first-time touches. I guess this kind of game is ideal for him, his tricks and overheads go well with the carnival atmosphere. But in his defence he was also all over the place, scored a good goal, and I was well glad we had him today.

But if anyone in this country has the talent to show off when given the opportunity it's Dennis Bergkamp, and today he did just that. As usual the referee rarely blew up when Bergkamp was bundled over but he stuck at it. There were two players on him much of the time but he saw plenty of the ball and did plenty with it. Surely this is the best player ever to wear an Arsenal shirt...?

Not much to say defensively. There were some heart-stoppingly casual bits of interplay under pressure, with Keown and Adams exchanging lobbed passes over Leicester forwards on the edge of our box in front of me in the second half, and some head-tennis going on under similar circumstances at the far end in the first half. All a lot of fun. A full Leicester team could have made a bit of a difference. I don't think Parker was playing for example (I tend to think that one usually remembers something of him when he does). But we shouldn't condemn our players for taking it easy a bit when they can. They need to win their remaining matches, which would surely give us a decent chance of the title and a very good chance of second place, and a win today, with no injuries (touch wood) and no cards, is very nice indeed thank you. Man Utd won 3-2 at Ewood Park so their still 3 ahead with a game in hand. Liverpool play Sunderland tomorrow.

report by Rupe.

FA Carling Premiership
Arsenal vs Leicester City                            Sat Apr 12th 1997

Result : Arsenal               (1) 2   Leicester City          (0) 0
Scorers: Adams 35, Platt 66

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn, Platt,
         Vieira, Hughes, Bergkamp, Wright
         Subs: Parlour (Hughes 76), Marshall, Merson, Shaw, Lukic

Leicester: Keller, Whitlow, Hill, Watts, Elliott, Lawrence, Guppy, 
           Lennon, Taylor, Robins, Marshall
         Subs: Izzet (Hill 63), Claridge (Robins 63), Campbell (Taylor 72), 
               Poole, Rolling 
         Booked: Watts 

Att: 38044
Ref: S J Lodge (Barnsley)

A comfortable win against a depleted Leicester side which may have had it's mind elsewhere, maintained the Gunners' recent momentum, though Man United's victory at Blackburn dampened championship hopes somewhat. After a fairly low-key opening half hour during which Leicester succeeded for the most part in stifling Arsenal's attacks, the game burst into life with another classic goal, and thereafter Arsenal played some confident and thoughtful football which prevented the visitors from even remotely looking like taking anything from the game.

Adams returned to lead the side, replacing Garde and Merson was on the bench. Early on Arsenal nearly took the lead, following a spell of patient passing. Vieira switched play to Keown on the right, and he fed Dixon as the right back made a run towards the byline. The old boy swung over a superb far post cross, Wright rose above a couple of defenders and nodded the ball down only to see it bounce a foot or so wide of the upright.

For the next half hour or so Arsenal struggled to create anything clear cut. Vieira did make a superb tackle to dispossess Elliot in the Leicester area, but failed with his attempt to knock it to Wright when it looked as though he should have had a shot himself. Then Bergkamp flicked a header from a Hughes chip forward into Wright's path, but the striker supreme sliced his ambitious attempt to hit a first time left foot volley from 25 yards.

I was just beginning to fret about whether it was going to be one of those matches, when the opening goal arrived. Winterburn superbly won a tackle a few yards outside his own area, and fed Wright out on the left hand touchline. WWW knocked it inside for Adams as he charged up from the back, and the big man took it on into the Leicester half before playing the ball out to Bergkamp as he made a run down the right. The pass forced the Dutch master a bit wide, but he had time to collect, turn and tease a defender before whipping in a perfect cross. It dipped onto the head of Adams who had continued his run to the far post and his diving header crashed emphatically into the net.

Soon afterwards Leicester did threaten to equalise. Whitlow played in a ball from the left, Marshall knocked it back to Robins in the area, and he turned sharply to fire in a shot which required a good save from Seaman as he plunged to his right. But soon after that his opposite number was also in action. Vieira again won one of those block tackles and was quickly on his feet to feed the ball forward for Platt as he ran into the area. His first time shot was well hit but too close to Keller, and the keeper made a comfortable save. Then Bergkamp went down in the area, seemingly following a push in the back as he chased a Platt flick, but the ref waved play on.

The second half started in much the same way as the first, with Arsenal going very close to increasing their lead virtually straight from the kickoff. Bergkamp cleverly turned in the centre circle and played an instant pass into Wright's path as he made a forward run down the right channel. He took on to the edge of the area before touching it inside, which took out the defender marking him and laid the ball perfectly into Dixon's path as he came steaming forward. His first time shot was well struck and heading for the far top corner before Keller brilliantly got a hand to it to turn it aside.

Bouldy was the next to get in on the action, intercepting just outside his own area and carrying the ball forward into the Leicester half before slipping a lovely little pass forward to pick out another of WWW's forward runs. Wrighty knocked the ball past a defender and ran clear into the left side of the area. He then tried a left foot chip over Keller which cleared the bar when a less spectacular shot across the keeper would surely have brought him a goal.

Another lovely Arsenal move resulted in Keller knocking one of his defenders out. Bergkamp slipped a clever little ball forward into the area for Hughes, and his left foot cross tempted Keller to come, and he collided with Colin Hill, the former Arsenal player, as both missed the cross. Another defender half cleared before Bergkamp put the ball out of play to allow Hill and Keller to receive treatment, and the former to be substituted.

Soon after that Arsenal were two up. Another patient Arsenal passing move ended when Vieira fed Bergkamp about 10 yards outside the Leicester area. The Iceman held the ball up before slipping another brilliant little pass forward to pick out Platt as he made a run across the area. England's top scorer turned onto the pass and finished well, shooting back across the keeper rolling the ball just inside the far post.

At the other end Leicester at last managed to pose some sort of threat. Lennon won a corner which Izzet took from the left. Elliot rose to head goalwards, the ball went through Claridge's legs which put Seaman off somewhat, and the ball bounced off his chest and against the post before he managed to push it away again and Keown completed the clearance.

Arsenal had chances to improve their goal difference. Bergkamp had been off the pitch receiving treatment but had just been waved back on when a Leicester attack broke down. This left him unmarked, Wright knocked the ball wide to him which allowed to Dutchman to race unmarked down the right. He knocked in an early pass to try and pick out Adams as he made yet another charge forward, but Keller came out and bravely blocked.

Soon afterwards Wright again fed Bergkamp as he ran forward down the right. He outpaced a defender and took the ball on into the area, but he too tried to chip the keeper but didn't get enough on it and Keller made a comfortable catch.

Overall, a pretty confident and competent display from Arsenal which carried on from the game against Chelsea without quite matching it's heights. Again nobody was below par and Bergkamp was once more in imperiously creative form.

Seaman     7.0  Very little to do. One good save and some good takes 
                from crosses.

Dixon      7.0  Competent again, and a couple of good moments in attack.

Winterburn 7.5  Another of those all action displays which have 
                characterised this season.
            
Adams      7.5  Again enjoyed himself going forward.

Keown      7.0  Solid again, though rarely tested in defence.

Bould      7.0  Also had a fairly untroubled game.

Platt      7.5  One of his better games for Arsenal. 

Vieira     7.0  Dominant as ever, particularly in the 1st half, though I
                thought he looked a little tired in the 2nd which led to
                him giving the ball away more than usual.

Hughes     7.0  Another composed and confident display, and some good 
                runs again.

Bergkamp   8.0  Superb again - looks so confident at the moment.

Wright     7.5  Sharp and enthusiastic as ever, though his finishing was
                a touch ambitious.

Report by Derek Brownjohn

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