Arsenal vs Coventry 11/08/97

Arsenal (1) 2 - 0 (0)

Highbury Monday 11th August 1997

FA Carling Premiership

scorer:  Wright 2

Arsenal:
           Seaman
   Winterburn Marshall Grimandi Garde
Overmars (Hughes) Vieira Petit (Platt) Parlour
   Wright Bergkamp

A more satisfactory performance as Arsenal never really looked in danger. Wright got the first after half an hour. Marshall had a header from a corner which crashed against the bar and across goal . In the Clock End many thought it was in, and were still being jeered byt he City fans when the ball came out to Bergy on the LHS. He put the ball in front of Vieira just inside him and his fierce shot from the edge of the area was too much for Ogrizovic. Marshall had two more headers from corners in the game which unfortunately both went just wide. Wright's second came at the start of the second half thanks to a pathetic attempt at a back-pass from Shaw which put him clear on goal. Wrighty coolly slotted the ball low into the far corner past the advancing keeper, to leave him just one goal short of Bastin's record. Next match Southampton, who Wrighty likes to score hattricks against!

Plus points: Petit - very assured performance, looked just the part in midfield with excellent control and passes (was replaced by Platt shortly after the second goal), Wright and Bergkamp's understanding (a lovely move in the second half with little flicks between the two of them ending with a good chance for Wright's hattrick), Garde looked assured at right-back (although they did get past on this side a few times) and not at all bad going forward (he had a fierce shot just wide from a free-kick which is encouraging - lots of options from set pieces this year). Marshall had a good one at the back as well as his efforts on goal.

It doesn't mean much at this stage, but it's nice to note that Arseanl are top of the league and Tottenham are bottom.

FA Carling Premiership
Arsenal vs Coventry City                               Mon Aug 11 1997

Result : Arsenal               (1) 2   Coventry                (0) 0
Scorers: Wright 29,47

Arsenal: Seaman, Garde, Marshall, Grimandi, Winterburn, Petit, Vieira, 
         Parlour, Overmars, Bergkamp, Wright
         Subs: Platt (Petit 48), Hughes (Overmars 75), Anelka, 
               Upson, Lukic
         Booked: Garde

Coventry: Ogrizovic, Shaw, Burrows, Williams, Breen, McAllister, 
          Salako, Telfer, Soltvedt, Huckerby, Dublin 
          Subs: Lightbourne (Huckerby 62), Boland (Solvedt 67), Hedman, 
                Richardson, Hall
          Booked: Shaw, Williams, Telfer

Att: 37324
Ref: K W Burge (Tonypandy)

The most comfortable of wins for Arsenal last night as Ian Wright edged to within one goal of equalling Cliff Bastin's record. It was one of the most one-sided matches seen at Highbury recently, and the disappointing fact that the Gunners didn't get more goals can possibly be put down to the team not quite being entirely on the same wavelength all the time.

Coventry really barely featured in attack, and the first half was for the most part a catalogue of Arsenal attacks and chances. Overmars was the first to force a save out of Ogrizovic when Bergkamp laid the ball off to him just outside the area, but the keeper comfortably dealt with his right foot shot. Soon afterwards Petit found Overmars in a bit of space for a change and the winger ran easily past McAllister to the byline and cut the ball back to Bergkamp in the middle. It came to him a bit quickly though and he sliced his attempt at an instant right foot volley from about 10 yards.

Marshall had the next decent chance when he was left completely unmarked at a corner. Overmars' place kick picked him out, but his header from about 15 yards out at the far post sailed a couple of feet wide of the angle of post and bar.

It was following another corner and Marshall header that Arsenal did eventually get the first goal. Overmars played the corner short to Garde and his cross from the right was headed against the inside of the post by Marshall. A defender hooked the ball clear from under the bar, but only to Bergkamp who picked it up just outside the area before laying it off to Vieira. He hit a fierce shot along the ground which Ogrizovic plunged to his right to save, but couldn't hold on to it and who else but Wrighty was first to the rebound to stab it home from just inside the 6yd box.

Marshall could have had a hattrick of headers soon after that. A Bergkamp free kick from the left picked out his run into the area, and he was again left completely unmarked but glanced his header from near the penalty spot wide of the post. Bergkamp also went very close with a brilliant effort, controlling a pass outside the area on his chest then, with his left foot volleying the ball as it dropped. It went inches over the angle of post and bar and hit the top of the net.

The final excitement of the half followed a superb move. Vieira played a one two in midfield with Bergkamp (who was clattered by Williams in the process). Vieira strode onwards before playing the ball out to Wright as he raced down the right wing. Paddy continued into the box and only just failed to get his long legs to WWW's near post cross.

At the other end I can only recall one real moment when Coventry threatened. Telfer headed a diagonal ball towards goal, and Dublin only just failed to get a touch before Seaman collected. At the beginning of the half Arsenal appeared to be putting Vieira on Dublin at the couple of free-kicks and corners they had, but thereafter City didn't really have any.

The game was pretty much over as a contest a couple of minutes after half time. Petit knocked what was really just a clearance into the Coventry half and Wright was apparently chasing a lost cause as Shaw appeared to have plenty of time to knock the ball back to Ogrizovic. He made a complete hash of it though and Wrighty nipped in and took the ball into the area on the left before cooly slotting the ball across the keeper and just inside the far post.

A minute or so later it should have been three following some brilliant play from Overmars. He skipped between two defenders going into the left side of the area before pulling the ball back to Bergkamp in the middle. The Dutch master was closely marked by Shaw but the ball bounced kindly for him and he was left with only Ogrizovic to beat. The keeper came rushing quickly out at him though so his attempt to lift the ball over him was hurried and it just cleared the bar as well.

Wright and Bergkamp then combined superbly through the middle, exchanging flicks, the last a brilliant backheel from the Dutchman which put Wright clear into the area on the left. Wrighty tried a cheeky left foot chip from an angle but mishit it tamely into Oggie's arms.

Bergkamp also went on a great diagonal run after a throw in on the right, ending it with an attempted left foot chip from just outside the area which went narrowly wide. He also went close again from a free kick awarded when Vieira was brought down just outside the area. Ogrizovic though did brilliantly to tip his piledriver of a shot over the bar. The ref appeared to be the only man not to see it though and awarded a goal kick.

Arsenal seemed content to take their foots off the pedal for the last 15 or 20 minutes and Coventry made a token attempt at getting back into the match, replacing Huckerby with Lightbourne. Salako did have a bit of joy down the left, getting away a couple of times but on each occasion his cross evaded his colleagues in the middle. There was one other scare when Telfer broke clear down the right and put over a great far post cross which Dublin might have scored from on another day, but appeared to be put off by Garde missing the ball in front of him.

Arsenal had one final chance when Wright played Winterburn in down the left with a lovely pass inside the fullback, and Nutty's pull back from the byline line was headed narrowly wide of the far post by Bergkamp.

All in all a pretty satisfactory evening. I don't think Arsenal are quite yet clicking consistently as well as they might do, and on last night's performance I suspect Coventry will be struggling at the foot of the table again, but it was still a pretty encouraging performance. Bergkamp, Wright and Vieira in particular were all close to their best, Petit showed the class he is going to bring to the midfield and Overmars gave glimpses of the kind of service he was brought to provide. The makeshift defence wasn't really tested.

Seaman     7.0  Hardly anything to do. One easy save I think.

Garde      6.5  Still not entirely comfortable at right back, but 
                provided some good moments in defence and attack.

Winterburn 7.0  Also not much to do in the way of defending.
            
Grimandi   7.0  Looked more comfortable than on Saturday but hardly 
                tested.

Marshall   7.0  Also had a comfortable and competent game. Should have
                got on the scoresheet though.

Petit      7.5  Is going to form a formidable pairing with Vieira.

Vieira     8.0  Right back to his best.

Parlour    7.0  I thought he had good, if rather typical, game. 
                Admittedly he did waste 3 successive promising positions
                the first 3 times he touched the ball but thereafter he
                did reasonably well.

Overmars   6.5  I think he is still feeling his way into the English 
                game. A couple of brilliant touches hinted at better
                times ahead.

Bergkamp   8.5  Another superb display from the master.

Wright     8.5  Another performance full of zest and exuberant movement.

Platt      6.5

Report by Derek Brownjohn