Arsenal (3) 5 - 0 (0)Highbury. Saturday 18th April 1998FA Carling Premiership
Arsenal (3) 5 - 0 (0)Highbury. Saturday 18th April 1998FA Carling Premiership
scorers: Adams 12
Overmars 17
Bergkamp 19
Petit 54
Wreh 88
Arsenal:
Seaman
Garde (Dixon) Adams Upson Winterburn
Parlour Petit Vieira (Platt) Overmars
Bergkamp Anelka (Wreh)
Ok, let's not get too carried away. Face it,
bogey team or no bogey team, Wimbledon were shit.
On the other hand, shit opposition or not, today Arsenal were once again irresistable. A devastating team performance, all playing well, all appearing to enjoy themselves, this was more like a team that had already won the league than one that was playing for it. One of the most joyous days at Highbury, and one that raises the real possibility of winning the Premiership at Highbury. The first goal came after Parlour won a corner down the right wing with a nice run and blocked shot. Adams had already headed a corner just wide, but this time he met Petit's ball, floated over the penalty area, on the far corner of the 6-yard area and his header looped back into the far top corner. The second came just 5 minutes later, when Overmars fed Anelka from ithin the Arsenal half. Nicolas carried the ball to the edge of their penalty area, where he slipped it inside and back to Overmars. Just inside the box, and with 3 defenders on him, he found a precision shot through them into the far corner. It was a pretty soft shot and really it seemed Sullivan was slow getting across to it. Never mind, eh. Unlike Monday, it took Arsenal nearly 20 minutes to go 3 up. Again Anelka created it, this time winning the ball himself in our half (I think from a Wimbledon free kick). He did well to hang onto the ball, and again carried it up the field. Again he slipped it to the right for a Dutchman, but this time it was Bergkamp unmarked on the right hand side of the area. His shot appeared to go under the keeper. Sullivan may have been slightly at fault for both of these, but Arsenal were attacking at will, with lovely passing moves through the midfield, and could have had a few more. Sullivan's saves kept the score down more than his errors sent it up. The first half also saw a surprise return for Dixon. Puzzlingly he came on for Garde very early (I think it was almost immediately after the first goal). I didn't see Remi get injured and he seemd to be playing alright. So if Dixon was fit why didn't he play from the start? Answers on a postcard... (...AFCi says Garde was injured).
The second half started with much fun at the ClockEnd, welcoming
David Seaman with He got into a spot of bother early on, lack of communication between him and Dixon allowing a Don to get the ball in our area, but it was too near the goal-line for him to do much with it. Still, a bit of a nervy moment. Not long after, Seaman came out to claim a ball but appeared to have misjudged it. His first touch took it out of the area and he had to chase it, towards the right wing. He caught up with it near the touchline, but instead of hoofing it into touch in the traditional manner he hit a perefect pass the length of the pitch, right along the touchline. Bergkamp caught up with it near the corner, and passed it inside to Anelka. He passed it along to Overmars who passed it on to Petit, the ball going across the edge of the area to Manu who was clear on the left side. He blasted it home at the near post for his first Arsenal goal. The fifth and final goal came in the last minute when Dixon lofted a ball forward for Wreh to run onto. Sullivan came out for it but Wreh got there just in time and lifted it over the keeper. I think it was going in but with great style and composure Wreh nodded it home without the ball bouncing, just to make sure. Wimbledon had few chances in the whole match. Seaman was forced to make a few saves, and there was one moment in the second half where they looked to have scored, a shot going past Seaman and hitting the far post. It bounced across the face of goal and Adams hoofed it clear. Like I said before this was really a team performance, but a couple deserve particular mention. For a start, while he didn't score this time, I thought this was Anelka's best game in an Arsenal shirt. Lots of good moves, good awareness of his team mates, and a couple of goals created for others. I saw him smiling in the second half, I like to think because he could hear us singing his name. Dixon was good as ever in defence, and with Bould and Keown returning from suspension you've got to say the defence looks as strong as we could hope for for the remaining matches (assuming Winterburn continues to make the lack of cover for his position a merely academic concern). But having said that about Bould and Keown, I wouldn't want to appear to suggest that Upson can't do the job too. He was superb today, you'd never know he was a newcomer to the Arsenal back line, which bodes extremely well for the future. And on his 19th birthday too! Grimandi's fitting in well too but isn't the kind of age to help so much with the permanently postponed problem of our aging stars. As if it needs saying... we're now top of the league thanks to a Newcastle draw at Old Trafford. One point clear, 2 games in hand. If we win all our remaining matches we'll win the league at home against Everton, with Liverpool away and Villa away as fallbacks.
Arsenal vs Wimbledon Sat Apr 18 1998
Result : Arsenal (3) 5 Wimbledon (0) 0
Scorers: Adams 12, Overmars 17,
Bergkamp 19, Petit 54, Wreh 88
Arsenal: Seaman, Garde, Adams, Upson, Winterburn; Vieira, Petit,
Parlour, Overmars; Bergkamp, Anelka
Subs: Dixon (Garde 14), Platt (Vieira 70), Wreh (Anelka 76),
Boa Morte, Lukic
Booked:
Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Perry, Blackwell, Thatcher; M Hughes,
Ardley, Roberts, C Hughes; Clarke, Gayle
Subs: Cort (C Hughes h-t), Francis (Ardley 75),
McAllister (Blackwell 83), Kimble, Heald
Att: 38024
Ref: P Jones (Loughborough)
I can't help feeling there's something wrong here. The end of season run-in surely means we should be enjoying tense, edge-of-the-seat matches with toe-curling drama. Instead, Arsenal are making a habit of 3 goals in 10 minute bursts which effectively kill off any chance of the opposition making a game of it. Boring Arsenal as they say, and long may it continue. Those of a nervous disposition (moi?) might have been apprehensive about the prospect of facing our Highbury bogey team (with the best defensive away record in the league and legendary exponents of direct football) without either Bould or Keown, but any such doubts were quickly dispelled as Arsenal went 3-0 after less than 20 minutes. Adams had already gone close from a corner when soon afterwards, as cheers spread round the ground with news of Newcastle's goal at Old Trafford, Parlour won another with a typical driving run down the inside right channel. Petit lofted the corner to the far post where Adams rose above a knot of 4 or 5 other players to head the ball majestically back into the opposite top corner. Soon afterwards Garde went off (presumably injured) to be replaced by Dixon, but Arsenal carried on unperturbed and five minutes after the first goal it was two. Petit won a tackle on the half-way line, Overmars' first time pass released Anelka on a run down the left, and the young French striker held the ball up just inside the box before knocking it back to Overmars again. The Dutchman jinked the ball from right to left foot to work himself some space and drove in a shot from just outside the area. It didn't look particularly well struck but was perfectly angled across Sullivan and just inside the far post. Another quick break two minutes after that set up the 3rd goal and it was all over for the Dons. Upson headed a free kick clear from the edge of the area, Anelka brought it down and then turned brilliantly past his marker to race into the Wimbledon half with only one defender covering and both Bergkamp and Overmars in support. He carried the ball to the edge of the area before laying it off to Bergkamp on his right. The Dutch master took one touch to control the ball before whipping a shot into the net from just inside the area which was close to Sullivan but past him before he could get down to it. After that Arsenal relaxed a bit and contented themselves with giving Sullivan a chance to save a couple, and his team-mates a couple of chances to score at the other end. Bergkamp ghosted along the edge of the area past a couple of challenges to win some space, but sliced a left foot shot wide. He then teased a defender wide on the left before skipping past a tackle to run free along the by-line. He might have cut the ball back for Overmars and Anelka in the middle but chose to try and surprise Sullivan with a near post shot from an acute angle. The keeper was equal to it though and made a good block. Petit blasted a long range chance high and wide, and Parlour crashed another one straight at Sullivan. Then Overmars chased a long ball forward and nodded it on for Anelka who steadied himself before striking a 20 yard volley. He caught it quite well but Sullivan was well placed at his near post and made a sharp catch. At the other end Wimbledon were creating the odd chance. Ardley headed straight at Seaman when well placed, and then just before half time the visitors again broke well down the left and Gayle sent in a low cross which picked out Michael Hughes steaming in unmarked just beyond the far post. But 5 yards out and with Seaman stranded, he put it high and wide. Wimbledon made a commendable gesture at getting back into the match by bringing on a big striker Cort, to replace a little midfielder, Ceri Hughes. It was a vain hope though, as even luck appeared to be against the visitors. Clarke reached a ball forward into the right side of the area ahead of Seaman, and from an acute angle lobbed goalwards over the keeper. It looked a goal but the ball bounced against the far post and back along the goal line before being hooked clear by Adams. And 10 minutes after the break Arsenal got their fourth goal though Emmanuel Petit, which brought the house down. Seaman came out of his goal to act as a sweeper and sent his clearance soaring along the right hand touchline. The ball found Bergkamp chasing clear and he took it on into the area before cutting it back from the byline to pick out Anelka who'd dropped off at the near post. Anelka passed it on to Overmars, who in turn passed it on to Petit who was running in unmarked at the far post, and the Frenchman lashed in a left foot shot from 10 yards which gave Sullivan no chance as it flashed between the keeper and his near post. Petit almost got his second soon afterwards with a thunderous 20 yard drive which Sullivan couldn't hold. Overmars was first to the rebound and walked it round the keeper and into the net, but as Highbury celebrated the linesman waved his flag for offside. Another scintillating move between Bergkamp and Anelka almost brought the fifth goal. The Dutchman made a brilliant run down the middle before touching the ball forward to pick out the Frenchman's diagonal run across the area. Anelka ran onto the pass and tried a left foot shot from an angle, but Sullivan was quickly off his line and made a good block. Anelka recovered quickly to stop the ball going out of play and stabbed the ball back towards Bergkamp from the byline. Bergkamp brilliantly flicked the ball over a defender's lunge before stroking in a shot which looked a certain goal. Somehow though Sullivan had recovered and plunged across to make a fantastic save. The fifth goal did duly arrive a couple of minutes from time. Last Monday it was Winterburn with a superb long pass to set up Anelka. On Saturday it was Dixon with the pass, Wreh (on for Anelka for the last 15 minutes) with the finish. He ran onto the pass and just got there ahead of Sullivan and a defender, knocked the ball over the keeper and as it bounced in front of the goal nodded it in from 5 yards before doing his now familiar gymnastic celebration. Overall, quite a good performance from the Gunners. Alright, perhaps a brilliant display of attacking football from the Gunners, though in truth Wimbledon didn't off a great deal of resistance. I can't quite believe how easy it all seems to be at the moment. The pessimist in me keeps insisting it's bound to all go wrong sooner or later, but Arsenal are playing with such confidence at the moment it's also hard to see how it can.
Seaman 7.5 A couple of comfortable saves, a couple of good catches,
the odd moment of hesitation and a good pass to help set
up Petit's goal.
Winterburn 7.5 As per normal.
Dixon 7.5 Not a great deal to do defensively, but looked in
reasonable form and a great pass for the last goal.
Adams 8.5 Superb again, constantly talking to Upson.
Upson 7.5 Again rarely tested, but coped calmly and competently
with most of what Wimbledon could throw at him.
Vieira 8.0 Another good game, continuing his recent magnificent
form.
Petit 8.0 Also superb again, and lovely to see him at last score.
Left Arsenal with only 10 men for the final couple of
minutes as he went off with a whack on the shin.
Parlour 7.5 Another powerful performance, though relatively quiet
in the second half.
Overmars 7.5 Used his pace to cause Wimbledon consistent problems,
and unselfishly set up Petit's goal.
Bergkamp 8.5 Brilliant form again.
Anelka 8.5 I think I'd agree possibly his best game yet. Seems more
aware of his team-mates, evidenced by the way he helped
set up 3 goals.
Derek
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