Arsenal (0) 0 - 0 (0)Highbury. Sunday 26th October 1997FA Carling PremiershipPreviewArsenal have dropped to second going into this match following Man Utd's 7-0 home win over Barnsley. Blackburn's draw at St James's brings them level on points with the Arsenal. See table. Spurs were twice at Southampton but managed to scrap a 3-2 loss.Team news
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon Bould Adams Winterburn
Parlour (Platt) Petit Vieira Boa Morte (Anelka)
Wright Bergkamp
booked: Bould Vieira
sent off: Petit
A performance that was well below par, against a well organised
defence and dangerous attack. Against a lesser team we'd have won
this easily in the first half, against the better teams we'd have
lost just as easily. We were a bit unlucky in the first half. Bould and Vieira missed good headed chances from corners before Vieira got one in. But it was disallowed and Vieira booked for punching it in. He may have caught Bosmich as well because he was flat out for a while. The good news is that Petit took all these corners and they're getting better. Vieira had another chance from a Bergkamp free-kick crossed in from our right, but his volley agonisingly came back out off the underside of the bar. Wright had a powerful goal-bound volley blocked. Villa looked dangerous on the break, with Joachim troubling Winterburn down their right wing and Yorke bright as ever up front. It was Joachim who had their best chance of the first half, bringing a superb instinctive palmed save out of Seaman at point-blank range. The second half was more even, but still Arsenal were mainly on top. We got the ball in the net again when Bergkamp rode a Southgate challenge to get clear and beat Bosnich from an angle. But this time the ref decided to break the habit of 60 minutes and notice a foul on the Dutchman. Play was pulled back, Southgate booked, and the goal didn't count. Petit forced Bosnich into a save from the free-kick, and another better one shortly after with a long range shot from open play. Petit's sending off came after Bould had been booked quite rightly (he was possibly a little lucky only to see yellow). As the ref ran to the incident to tick Bouldy off he came past Petit and the Frenchman appeared to shove him. He may have been complainign about a penalty claim for hands by Ehiogu which we'd just had turned down (hard to see any complaints about Biould's booking). Some have said that the ref was running into him and it was a defensive action (see Guardian report listed below) but it didn't look like it to me at the time, from 50 yards away - I'll have to wait and see it on telly. So I don't want to condemn Petit at this stage. Let's just say raising your hands to the ref is a bad idea even if he is about to run over you. Petit had had quite a good game I thought, he's settiling in nicely and I think we'll miss him against Man Utd - the match he'll be suspended for because of this. It's not clear from the AFCi penalty points system page how long a ban he'll get. Some people have said just 1 match but I thought manhandling the ref would be one of the worse penalties. update Monday 27th The FA have confirmed that Manny's red card was for manhandling the ref, "violent conduct", and not dissent as some had suspected. This carries a 3 match ban so he's out of the matches against Man Utd, Sheffield Wednesday, and Liverpool. Wenger has until Wednesday to decide whether to appeal. We'll miss Bergkamp more, as is evident from how much we missed him against Villa. Rather than give everything in his last match before the ban he seemed rather subdued compared to his recent standards. Seaman had a good game when called upon. In the second half he made another point-blank save, this time from Yorke who controlled a ball over the top beautifully before trying to squeeze it through the keeper. He'd looked offside too but it wasn't given. Seaman was booked very unfairly for handball outside the area after he'd come out to clear and found himself stranded. He was trying to boot the ball away but it bounced awkwardly and up onto his arm. This, and the sending off, might make people think that the ref was unfair to us, but I'm not convinced. He was dreadful throughout and it could be bad luck rather than malice that saw us benefit from his crapness with a few strangely awarded corners and free-kicks, whereas Villa benefitted to the tune of a sending off and a prevented Arsenal goal. Good points? Hmmm. Adams played well of course. Petit and Vieira also, both seem a bit more willing to go for goal which I'm sure will reap rewards sooner or later. Parlour had one of his less effective matches. Boa Morte looked less dangerous than he has done overall, and Wright also was quiet. We stay in second place a point behind Man Utd and with a tricky run coming up. In-form Derby at their place then Man Utd at Highbury.
FA Carling Premiership
Arsenal vs Aston Villa Sun Oct 26 1997
Result : Arsenal (0) 0 Aston Villa (0) 0
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Bould, Adams; Vieira, Petit,
Parlour, Boa Morte; Bergkamp, Wright
Subs: Platt (Parlour 67), Anelka (Boa Morte 72),
Hughes, Grimandi, Manninger
Booked: Vieira, Bould, Seaman
Sent off: Petit (83, violent conduct)
Villa: Bosnich, Charles, Wright, Scimeca, Southgate, Ehiogu; Grayson,
Nelson, Draper; Joachim, Yorke
Subs: Hendrie, Curcic, Hughes, Murray, Oakes
Att: 38061
Ref: P A Durkin (Portland)
A second successive disappointing goalless draw saw Arsenal relinquish
the league leadership as they failed to find enough of a cutting edge to
overcome a dogged and well organised Villa defence. The Gunners
dominated the first half and had the greater share of possession in the
second, but frustration at their failure to find a breakthrough
eventually peaked when Emmanuel Petit was harshly sent off for an
alleged push on the referee a few minutes from time.
Arsenal should really have been in front at half time after almost completely dominating the first 45 minutes, though without ever really finding the attacking fluency we've been used to so far this season. Ironically it was from a succession of corners taken by Petit that the Gunners looked most likely to score. First Bould had what looked a reasonably clear header, but put it over the bar. Then Vieira looked as though he had scored, but apparently (couldn't see it from the other end) used his arm to knock the ball into the net, and earned a booking instead. Later Vieira had a free header from another corner, but from about 8 yards out mistimed it and in fact glanced the ball out for a throw in. He came somewhat closer after about half an hour when he met a Bergkamp free kick from the right, but unluckily saw his volley from about 12 yards crash against the bar and the rebound just eluded Wright. The one good chance fashioned from open play resulted from the best move of the half. Boa Morte played a lovely pass through the defence down the left to allow Winterburn to beat the offside trap. Nutty looked up before chipping in a cross which found Wright about 15 yards out. His left foot volley appeared crisply hit and on target, but Scimeca threw himself in front and made a brilliant block. At the other end Villa only rarely threatened, and I can really only recall one serious chance, though it's probably true it was the best of the half. Yorke chipped a curling ball forward into the box for Joachim to chase, the flight of which deceived Bould and allowed the little striker to run in on Seaman. Fortunately the England keeper spread himself superbly and made a brilliant point blank save, beating away the shot with his right arm. Somewhat encouraged, in the second half the visitors showed a little more ambition and the match became a bit more even, though Arsenal still dominated possession and had more shots at goal. They probably should have gone in front after only a few minutes when a nice bout of crisp passing in midfield ended when Petit chipped forward a lovely first time pass which for once caught out the Villa back three and sent Wright clear down the middle. The ball bounced a little awkwardly though, and under pressure from Scimeca Wrighty lifted his volley over the bar. Bergkamp did have the ball in the net, but only after the Villa players had stopped following the whistle for a pull on the Dutchman's shirt by Southgate, who was probably somewhat relieved to only receive a yellow card. Looked like the denial of a goalscoring opportunity to me. Petit took the subsequent free kick and forced Bosnich into a fairly comfortable save down by his near post. The Villa keeper made a less comfortable save from the Frenchman later, leaping to catch at the second attempt a well struck 25 yarder. However, it was Villa again who had probably the best chance of the half. Yorke, looking suspiciously offside, took a long ball forward brilliantly on his chest, turning on it at the same time to get clear of Winterburn and Bould, but having done the hard bit he lashed his shot from about five yards straight at Seaman, who was again in the right place. Platt and Anelka came on in the last 20-15 minutes, and the latter probably should have scored from yet another corner. Petit's kick found him unmarked about 12 yards out but I think he was put off by Bould and a couple of defenders leaping in front of him, and ended up snatching at a left foot volley as the ball passed in front of him. As the game wore on, the home crowd and team became more and more frustrated, particularly by some of the referee's decisions. It all reached a head seven minutes from time when he turned down a penalty appeal when a shot struck Ehiogu's arm in the area. The ball was cleared to Yorke on the half way line and he turned cleverly past Bould who promptly brought him down. It was a fairly obvious booking, but the referee was on a roll and a red card followed promptly for Petit, apparently for a push on the ref. I didn't actually see it myself, but the TV replay seems to show Petit merely using his hands to gain the ref's attention. It's my theory that in these situations referees tend to get a bit of a high out of making decisions which incur the wrath of the home crowd and the adrenaline buzz clouds and precludes any sort of common sense judgement. Anyway, Petit eventually trudged off though strangely Villa didn't make much of an effort to win the game, and indeed appeared to be taking every opportunity to waste time. They did nearly sneak it near the end though when a shot by Draper (I think?) was deflected by Winterburn, wrongfooting Seaman, and trickled agonisingly wide of the post. To ironic cheers Durkin awarded a goal kick. At the other end, Arsenal pushed desperately for a winner, there were more irate appeals for a penalty when Bergkamp went down under challenge from a couple of defenders, but they were rather hopeful and the game eventually finished goalless. All very frustrating, particularly the way Arsenal failed to consistently find the invention to break down a stubborn defence, though I guess some credit is due to Villa, especially the back three. Petit will miss the games against Man Utd, Sheff Weds and Liverpool assuming that the appeal is unsuccessful. As Durkin has already admitted one mistake so far this season I can't see him doing so again, particularly in a somewhat subjective case like this.
Seaman 8.0 Two great saves prevented a draw turning into a defeat.
Winterburn 6.5 Typically committed, though to labour a point, I still
think he needs too much time to control and pass the
ball.
Dixon 6.5 Also typically whole hearted, and got forward a fair bit
in the 2nd half, but also made a number of errors.
Adams 7.5 In confident and commanding form at the moment.
Bould 7.0 For the most part fairly solid.
Petit 7.5 Had a fairly good game until the red card.
Vieira 8.0 One of his best games this season I thought, and indeed
looked our most likely scorer in the 1st half.
Parlour 6.0 Seems to have lost his early season form.
Boa Morte 6.0 Looks like he still has a lot to learn, though a couple
of times in the first half his pace was used to good
effect.
Wright 6.5 Seemed somewhat lacklustre.
Bergkamp 7.0 Was well marked and relatively subdued.
Platt 7.0
Anelka 7.0 Somewhat out of position on the left, but one good run
made himself a chance which he blazed over the bar.
Other reports
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