Arsenal (0) 1 - 0 (0)Highbury, Saturday 6th March 1999FA Cup quarter-finalsee below for reports by: Rupe, Derek, Paul.Preview
Arsenal (0) 1 - 0 (0)Highbury, Saturday 6th March 1999FA Cup quarter-final
scorer: Kanu 89
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon Adams Keown Winterburn
Hughes (Vivas h-t) Parlour
Ljungberg (Kanu 65) Overmars (Diawara77)
Anelka Bergkamp
Derby came for a battle and defended deep, making it
extremely hard for us to break them down. In the first
half we really missed Vieira and Petit (who wouldn't miss
the best?) and were resticted mainly to long-range
efforts. But in the second half we made plenty of chances
and Derby were lucky to survive till the last minute.
Ljungberg took Parlour's place on the right wing, with Ray moving inside to partner Hughes. Parlour didn't look too comfortable in that position to start with, but while Freddie wasn't as good defensively he looked excellent going forward particularly for a player who's been out for a while. Bergkamp had a couple of tricky early chances, set up by great runs & passes by Ljungberg and then Anelka. Anelka then headed an Overmars cross wide, when he might have done better to leave it for Dennis who was waiting behind him in the box. Overmars went on a superb mazy run which, not for the last time in this match, ended with a bit of selfishness as he lost the ball after hanging onto it too long. To be fair, it wasn't just Anelka he neglected to play it to as both Nicky and Dennis were clear, one on each side of Overmars. Still, it's hard to be hyper-critical, Marc's runs being the main threat for a lot of the match. Derby had a few worrying attacks in the first half. Seaman had to save from a good Wanchope effort, spinning with back to goal to get a surprise shot in from inside the box. Ljungberg won a few free-kicks on the right wing for Dennis to swing into the box. One dangerous one was just flicked wide by a defender's head, and Parlour's corner was fisted awkwardly down and out by the Derby keeper. On 33 Parlour had a great shot deflected just wide (by Anelka I think), and then Overmars went off on another run. With the defence opening up in front of him it looked promising but he was tripped from behind - the defender lucky that there were others close enough to make it a yellow card rather than red. Bergkamp hit the low free-kick a foot wide from 25 yards or so. We had a very scary moment with Wanchope chasing a ball forward. Seaman came out of his goal and Keown closed Wanchope down. He got in fronbt of him and headed back towards Seaman but the goalie had coem further out than Martin raelised and saw it loop goalwards over him. Fortunately it didn't have the pace to reach goal before Keown himself was able to run on and gather it safely. Hughes was replaced by Vivas at the start of the second half, and the little Argentinian had another good game both defensively and pinging the ball forward intelligently for Bergkamp et al to run onto. Hughes had, I thought, been a bit disappointing. Overmars went on another excellent run, fed this time by a Seaman throw-out. Anelka was a bit slow to make a run but maybe he knew Overmars was going for goal (still, a run from Anelka might have taken a defender or two away). Marc's eventual shot went just wide. It was one of those games where you wonder if a player's got money on himself for first goal. Some good approach play saw Overmars get the ball down ont the goal-line. His cross was close to Ljungberg but there were just too many defenders on him and it was cleared for a corner. When the corner came out Parlour drove a shot just wide formt he edge of the area. Then Parlour won a corner himself, and took it. Adams headed it back to Overmars but again the shot was wide. Bergkamp die well to fox his marker (Carsley, who was trying to get Deniis's shirt all afternoon) down in the right corner. Via Ljungberg and then Parlour the ball came to Vivas in the centre and his canny chip over the defence was just too close to the keeper for the onrushing Dixon to get to it. A tame-looking Dixon grasscutter was awkwardly pushed aside for a corner, and when that came in it was just too high for Adams who rose alone above the penalty area. Ljungberg had a well-struck shot blocked and then Bergkamp again beat Carsley to clip a left-footed curler just over from the corner of the box. On 65 minutes Ljungberg was replaced by Kanu. Given the quality and energy of some of Ljungberg's attacking play, it says something extra for Kanu that his appearance made all the difference. Lamost immediately he linked up with Bergkamp who supplied a cross which Anelka did well to get to but could only direct at the keeper. Bergkamp picked up a pass in the box, pulled his marker to the side and tipped it back towards Anelka near the penalty spot. He moved the ball sideways creating a clear chance for himself, but was disappointed to see his carefully placed shot come back off the foot of the post. More Kanu magic with a great touch that sent Dixon running at goal but again the shot was just off target. Kanu was involved again, feeding Parlour who knocked it back to Overmars for another shot just wide. On 75 Diawara came on for Overmars. Parlour hit another shot just high and wide. Then Kanu's delightful backhell nearly put Anleka through. Things were looking desperate. How could this dominance go unrewarded? Well it was looking ever more likely, we'd had about 20 shots and many more chances but it just seemed like one of those days. Some strong play from Diawara got him to the goal-line on the left, his cross went right across the face of goal to Kanu who struck a similar cross back across towards Bergkamp running in at the left-hamd post, but it was too narrow an angle and his volley hit the side netting.
Finally, in the last minute of normal time, the goal came. A corner
was crossed from the left to the far side of the box where Adams played
it down and Keown struck it goalwards. It hit Kanu and he swung at it
with his right boot before it had time to start coming down, crashing
it past the keeper for his first Arsenal goal.
Arsenal continued to dominate for the closing minutes, and some great wing play from Anelka set Diawar up for yet another chance to go just wide. A great result from a very hard match in which the opposition came to fight, and not just metaphorically. The ref didn't do much to help (constantly penalising Bergkamp for backing into Carsley, and occasionally justifiably, but hardly ever penalising the continuous shirt-pulling the other way). It featured performances from the likes of Kanu Ljungberg and Vivas that demonstrate clearly that Wenger has greatly improved the strength of the squad this season. The draw for the semis will be after the Everton-Newcastle match tomorrow. Spurs will be in the hat still, their match at Barnsley having been postponed due to snow. It may "only" have been Derby today, but I think the signs were there that, especially with Vieira and Petit back, we have nothing to fear.
Result : Arsenal (0) 1 Derby County (0) 0
Scorers: Kanu 90
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown, Adams; Hughes, Ljungberg,
Parlour, Overmars; Bergkamp, Anelka
Subs: Vivas (Hughes h-t), Kanu (Ljungberg 65),
Diawara (Overmars 78), Upson, Manninger
Booked: Winterburn, Anelka, Parlour, Vivas
Derby: Hoult, Laursen, Stimac, Prior, Schnoor, Powell, Carsley,
Burton, Eranio, Wanchope, Sturridge
Subs: Hunt (Schnoor 87), Harper, Poom, Kozluk, Baiano
Sent Off: Sturridge (90, 2nd bookable offence)
Booked: Powell, Eranio, Laursen, Sturridge, Schnoor
Att: 38046
Ref: Steve Dunn (Bristol)
Kanu hogged the FA cup headlines again, but this time it was for the
right reason, a last minute winner. After Derby's physical approach and
spoiling tactics had frustrated and unsettled Arsenal in the first half,
the Gunners gradually cranked up the pressure after half time until the
Rams cracked in the final minute. It was the introduction of the
Nigerian Super Eagle midway through the 2nd half which eventually saw
off the Bald Eagle's men, as his subtle passing and movement helped to
open up the cracks in the obdurate Derby rearguard.
Arsenal were missing both French midfield masters which meant we had to make do with two English pupils, Hughes and Parlour in the middle. Ljungberg returned from a long injury layoff to take Parlour's usual wide right position, and Arsenal were otherwise at full strength. Derby's tactics weren't apparent from the teamsheet, but soon after kickoff became obvious. Three strikers was really one as Burton and Sturridge withdrew to bolster the midfield weakened by the use of Carsley purely to manmark Bergkamp. Carsley stuck to his job with leechlike tenacity, and with Anelka also being closely marked, usually by Prior, Arsenal struggled to create much in the first half. They were also put off their stride somewhat by what is often euphemistically called a "robust and uncompromising" approach to the game by the visitors, and most of Arsenal's best efforts were from long distance, most notably from Parlour of all people. Fairly early on he strode through the middle before cracking in a 20 yard shot which was goalbound but took a slight deflection off Anelka which took it inches the wrong side of the post. Arguably Derby had the better chances in the first half. An Eranio cross from the right picked out Sturridge at the back post and he beat Dixon in the air to nod back across goal towards Wanchope. The Costa Rican collected the ball under challenge from Adams and spun to hit a shot goalwards, but it didn't have sufficient power or placement to beat Seaman. Then another ball in from the right was chested down by Burton on the edge of the area and Powell ran on to it to fire in a 20 yard shot which took a slight deflection and went narrowly wide. Burton then fluffed a difficult half chance, completely missing a left foot volley at the far post after Wanchope had flicked on Sturridge's cross from the right. However, probably the biggest scare was all Arsenal's doing. Keown chased a long bouncing ball towards his own area and headed it alarmingly over Seaman as the keeper dashed out. Fortunately he got a hand to the ball as it passed over his head at the edge of the area, and took enough pace off it for Keown to be able to race back and collect it before it crossed the line. At the other end Ljungberg was looking quite lively, getting round Stimac to the byline on the right only to have his cutback cleared, and then wandering out to the left to get clear and chip in a cross which picked out Anelka unmarked, but the striker mistimed his header and put it well wide from about 12 yards. Overmars was also looking dangerous with a couple of thrilling runs from deep. On the first he held on to the ball too long and tried to beat one man too many when he had men free on either side of him, and on the second Laursen lunged in to cynically trip him as he got within 10 yards of the area. Hughes took the free kick and his daisycutter from 30 yards had Hoult scrambling but went a foot or so wide of the far post. Anelka then nicked the ball off Prior inside his own half and broke forward before threading a pass through to pick out Bergkamp in a bit of space in the left of the area but the Dutchman's first touch let him down for once and allowed the ball to run out of play. He did better shortly afterwards taking on Dixon's pass to get into the right side of the area, but dragged his early shot wide of the far post. It was actually Parlour who had Arsenal's best effort of the half, firing in another 20 yard shot which swerved viciously and Hoult could only parry it for a defender to clear for a corner. Ljungberg also went close with a first time half volley from Dixon's cross which had Hoult backpedalling but dropped onto the roof of the net. Arsenal's frustration almost boiled over just before half time, and surprisingly it was Anelka who got most wound up. I think he was aggrieved at a couple of nasty looking two footed tackles by Stimac which went unpunished and squared up to the Croatian after another confrontation. Bergkamp and Keown seemed to have calmed him down, but after the ref spoke to him, a two-fingered gesture earned him a booking. Lucky he didn't have long blond hair. Hughes had to stay off at half time with an injured arm (which later turned out to be broken). Vivas replaced him and Arsenal seemed to change their formation slightly with Ljungberg, Parlour and Vivas forming a tighter midfield, and Overmars moving bit further forward and inside so that Arsenal were almost playing a 4-3-3. The Gunners began to dominate much more, and in fact I can only remember one real chance at the other end when Wanchope pushed Adams aside to get on the end of a long ball, and fired in an angled shot which I think was going wide though Seaman made sure with a fingertip save. The ref gave a goalkick, a decision rather symptomatic of his overall performance. Meanwhile the pressure was beginning to build up in front of the North Bank, the end Arsenal were attacking. Ljungberg just failed to get on the end of an Overmars cross and Parlour again drove a 20 yarder just wide. Overmars then went on another terrific run, picking up Seaman's throw inside his own half and carrying on to sidestep Stimac before trying to bend a shot round another defender, but it drifted just the wrong side of the opposite post. Dixon then forced a save from Hoult with a bobbling 20 yard shot which the keeper palmed round the post. The game really turned Arsenal's way though with the introduction of Kanu midway through the half. One of his neat touches laid the ball back to Bergkamp and the Dutch master clipped in a short cross which picked out Anelka at the far post. Under pressure from a defender though he seemed to turn away as he headed the ball and sent it straight at Hoult from just outside the 6yd box. Bergkamp finally got clear of Carsley in the area as he got on the end of a lovely forward pass by Vivas. He turned his marker before curling in a left foot shot which just cleared the bar. Overmars then went closest to a goal yet, after Parlour had been sent away down the right by another lovely Kanu pass. Pizza looked up before pulling the ball across to pick out Overmars, and his left foot shot from just outside the area was typically carefully measured and heading just inside the far post until Hoult's desperate dive just got fingertips on the ballt to touch it round the post. Overmars was then replaced by Diawara, and shortly afterwards it seemed that it wasn't going to be Arsenal's day as Anelka hit the post. Another good pass from Vivas found Bergkamp in the area and he did well to hold off Carsley before laying the ball back to Anelka. The young Frenchman executed a lovely change of feet to fox a defender before stabbing a left foot shot goalwards. It beat Hoult but bounced back off the foot of his right hand post and was cleared. Diawara then turned got round his man on the left and put over an inviting cross. There were no red shirts in the middle to profit, but Kanu retrieved the ball on the other side and chipped back a return cross which Bergkamp did get on the end of, but from a tight angle beyond the far post he put a left foot volley into the side netting. Soon afterwards Diawara very nearly put Anelka clear with a nice turn on the halfway line and a pass inside the full back. Schnoor however desperately stretched to deflect the ball to safety and in so doing injured himself so that he had to be substituted. A minute from time Bergkamp got clear in the right side of the area but his attempt to find Anelka in the 6yd box was cleared for a corner. Parlour lofted it in from the right, Adams and Keown challenged for the ball and it dropped to Keown's feet. He turned and hooked in a shot which may well have been goalbound, but it hit Kanu in the midriff, and as it dropped he turned and in one movement lashed it into the roof of the net from the 6yd line. Derby protested for either handball or offside, Sturridge received his 2nd yellow, but the replay proved the goal was good and Arsenal were through to the semi-final 3 minutes later. I think on the strength of the 2nd half performance it was a deserved win, and a spirited peformance against a team who were prepared to use any means to stop Arsenal playing. The most encouraging thing for me was Kanu's performance. If he carries on the same way, he could have a decisive influence on the rest of the season.
Seaman 7.5 One good save in the 1st half, and one brilliant though
unecessary one in the 2nd, though his rush from his
line almost led to an embarrassing own goal.
Winterburn 7.5 Typically determined and enthusiastic game.
Dixon 7.5 Also had a pretty good game.
Adams 8.0 As commanding and composed as ever, with a couple of
the by now expected charges forward.
Keown 7.5 Competent as expected.
Hughes 6.5 Didn't do too badly with the ball at his feet, it's
when he hasn't got it that he suffers in comparison
with Vieira and Petit.
Parlour 8.0 Had a pretty good game overall I thought, and did a
good job holding the middle together.
Vivas 7.5 Another reasonably impressive game.
Ljungberg 7.0 Did pretty well considering how long he's been out.
Overmars 8.0 Looked close to his best form with some great runs,
though the over-critical could say he held on to it
too long on a couple of occasions.
Bergkamp 7.5 Seemed frustrated by Carsley's close attentions for
most of the game, but grew in influence as the 2nd
half went on.
Anelka 7.0 Relatively quiet game, though there were a couple of
nice moments.
Kanu 8.0 With a lovely touch, and some beautiful short passing
I think it was him in the end who really turned the
game Arsenal's way.
Diawara Again had some good moments in the short time he was on
Derek
You've Been Dunne !
For those who were not able to be at the match on Saturday, and who watched the highlights on MOTD and/or read the newspapers, you may be under the impression that it was not an more physical game than we are used to. Don't believe any of it. This was possibly the most blatant display of deliberate fouling and spoiling that I have ever witnessed at THOF in twenty five years of watching the Gooners. In their match reports, most of the papers actually praise Referee Dunne for allowing the game to flow ! Please allow for my obvious bias , but I will suggest that it is very difficult to allow a game to flow when an Arsenal player is fouled every twenty seconds ! Unlike some others, I did not think that man-marker Carsley was excessively rough on Bergy, but he did deserve a caution for one challenge from behind which did take the ball but also took the man on the follow through. Trevor Brooking argued on MOTD that it 'looked worse than it was' but it was not too dissimilar to Eddie Youds challenge on Dennis at Charlton which possibly deserved a red card rather than a yellow. If the motorised carrot Durkin was in charge I reckon Carsley would have gone. Dunne's inconsistency was highlighted by his treatment of Wanchope and Anelka. Good old Paulo PorkChop must have committed at least fifteen fouls during the game but was not booked. Super Nic showed a bit of dissent to the Ref after he had another set-to with Stimac and was cautioned. The Ref completely ignored the fact that Stimac was once again the perpetrator in this incident which might have been the reason that Nic was upset and let Igor off the hook. Let's not forget that Dunne was the chap that missed Muscat's elbow on Bergkamp at Wolves but did have a bilingual linesman to sort out Petit ! If this Official returns to Highbury again this season, he should loose some weight so he can run a bit, get an eye test and wear some strong brown underwear ! Anyway, enough of me moaning about the Ref, we won the game, and that's what it's all about. The man we have to thank though, is our 6'5", size 14 feet Nigerian genius, Kanu - or as Terry behind me calls him, 'Canoe' ! Considering that he is still not 100% fit, and this type of match did not appear to suit his languid style, he was magnificent in the half-hour he was on the pitch. We are now in the fortunate position to be able to have two 'Dennis Bergkamps' on the field at once. We've not seen him hit a shot like DB10 from twenty yards but his passing and approach work is sublime. The best players always seem to have time on the ball (a la Chippy Brady) and this guy has this ability in bucketloads. For him to score in the final minute is what we deserved after the Attack v Thugs (Defence) match in the second period. Anyone out there who feels sorry for Derby to lose the match in this way and are not a Rams fan is just letting their anti-Arsenal tendencies to get the better of them once again. Here's to three points against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night. Until next time...... Other reports
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