Leeds United (0) 1 - 0 (0) ArsenalElland Road, Tuesday 11th May 1999, kick-off 8pmFA Carling Premiershipsee below for reports by: Rupe, DerekPreview
Leeds United (0) 1 - 0 (0) ArsenalElland Road, Tuesday 11th May 1999, kick-off 8pmFA Carling Premiership
scorers: Hasselbaink 86
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon Adams Keown Winterbrun (Vivas)
Parlour (Diawara) Petit Vieira Overmars (Kanu)
Anelka Bergkamp
terrific end-to-end match with plenty of good chances at
both ends. We can count ourselves unlucky not to have scored,
but on the other hand, lucky that they missed a penalty and
weren't awarded another.
The first chance fell to Leeds, only a minute into the game, when Batty's long range shot sent Seaman scrambling to his left only to see it narrowly clear the post. Then Anelka, steaming forward in possession, let the ball get too far ahead of himself and Radebe tackled. The ball came to Hasselbaink who put in a good cross from their left which just missed everyone in the box. Anelka had a chance for us, looking composed on the edge of the box he took his time to find a shooting chance through the defence, but when it came he rushed it a bit and scuffed the shot wide. Then Overmars was put in with a good opportunity on the left but he was pulled up for offside. Vieira went on a good run up the right and was barged off the ball by Bowyer. The free-kick led to a corner which was eventually scrambled goalwards through the sea of legs but straight to Martyn. Adams then had a couple of chances. The first came from a Vieira back-header in the box which came down to Adams on the 6 yard line but Martyn saved his effort. And then a nice break started by Bergkamp's interception and continued by Parlour on the right, ended with the cross coming just behind Adams as he powered into the box. He tried to "do a Kanu" and hit it with his trailing foot but didn't make contact. Seaman made a great save as a shot from their left looked to be headed for the far top corner. Right at the end of the 45 minutes, Keown conceded the penalty, upending a Leeds player unnecessarily as he tried to retrieve the ball right on the goal-line a few yards wide of goal. He claimed to have played the ball but no-one was fooled. Fortunately the penalty crashed back out off the crossbar, and Seaman dropped to smother the shot from the rebound. 10 minutes into the second half, Adams got away with a similar kind of challenge, also clearly a penalty (but not given this time). Kanu made his inevitable appearance, coming on for the relatively quiet Overmars. On 67 minutes, Bergkamp tricked his way into the box and crossed. It was intercepted by Radebe but came back to Dennis. This time he tried a shot but Martyn saved at his near post. Then Adams volleyed just over the bar from a corner. On 71 minutes Diawara came on for Parlour, and nearly put us ahead shortly after. Anelka, on the left of the box, had his shot blocked but at the second attempt he played it through towards the keeper. Kanu's challenge forced the ball out to the middle of the box where Diawara hit a cracking volley, which Woodgate did brilliantly to head off the line. On 75 Winterburn got kicked in the face (and had the free-kick awarded against him) and was taken off with blood poring from the bridge of his nose. Vivas came on as a simple replacement. Alan Smith headed over from a Batty cross, and Martyn saved again from Diawara. Then Kanu was awarded a corner for a deflection that never was. Vivas took it and Diawara's header clipped the top of the bar. With 5 minutes to go Seaman nearly made a big mistake which brought memories of Paris back. His weak clearance fromt he edge of the box went straight to Batty who chipped it back in as the keeper tried to regain position. He failed, but the shot clipped the outside of the post. But a minute later, Hasselbaink popped up unmarked at the left post to head in a good cross, and although they tried valiantly, the Arsenal didn't have time to force an equaliser in. So, the title race is surely as good as over. We desperately need Blackburn to get some kind of a result on Wednesday.
Result : Leeds (0) 1 Arsenal (0) 0
Scorers: Hasselbaink 86
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown, Adams; Vieira, Petit,
Parlour, Overmars; Bergkamp, Kanu
Subs: Kanu (Overmars 64), Diawara (Parlour 71),
Vivas (Winterburn 81), Bould, Lukic
Booked: Parlour, Petit, Vieira, Dixon, Adams
Leeds: Martyn, Haaland, Radebe, Woodgate, Harte, Hopkin, Bowyer,
Batty, Kewell, Hasselbaink, Smith
Subs: Wetherall, Granville, Robinson, McPhail, Jones
Booked: Hasselbaink, Batty, Smith, Harte
Att: 40124
Ref: Gary Willard (Worthing)
Non-believers sometimes ask why I'm so obsessive about Arsenal and
football, and after nights like last night I question myself too. A
knotted stomach all day, gut-gnawing tension during the game, and an
empty feeling as I trudged out of Elland Road. A game which could easily
have finished 5-4 to Arsenal eventually went 1-0 to Leeds, as the
Gunners seemed fated not to score. Martyn saved brilliantly from
Bergkamp, Anelka, Adams, Bergkamp, Kanu and Diawara, Woodgate cleared
off the line from Diawara, who also hit the bar, Overmars, Parlour,
Anelka, Bergkamp and Adams all missed decent chances. The luck on the
night seemed evenly apportioned between the two Uniteds either side of
the Pennines, with Arsenal only picking up scraps.
Arsenal started off rather nervously with some edgy defending in the opening minute letting Bowyer in for tremendous 25 yard volley which dipped just outside Seaman's right hand post. A couple of minutes later Hasselbaink got away down the left and whipped over a cross which was only just too far ahead of Smith in the middle. The Gunners gradually got into the match though and it was Martyn who was the first keeper to be called into serious action. Winterburn came forward down the left and tried a shot from outside the area which was blocked. Bergkamp picked up the rebound, went round a defender on the edge of the area before curling in a shot which was heading just inside the far post before Martyn flung himself full length to brilliantly tip it round the post. Parlour was then sent clear by Bergkamp down the right but scuffed his attempted shot from an angle. It turned into a decent pass for Adams who'd made a storming run down the middle, but for some reason, perhaps with the ball slightly behind him, he tried a fancy flick and didn't make significant contact. Midway through the half the ref got in on the act, seemingly penalising every Arsenal foul with a yellow card, Parlour, Petit and Vieira going into the book in quick succession. Hasselbaink became the token Leeds booking, losing out to Keown in a wrestling match and retaliating by raking his studs down Pug's ankle. Keown had to go off for a couple of minutes to get the wound stitched, and the Leeds crowd rather bizarrely started shouting "Ole" during a spell of possession by the home team while Arsenal were down to 10 men. Back to 11, Arsenal proceeded to dominate the rest of the half. Some good work by Dixon set up Anelka, but Martyn was alert to the Frenchman's cheeky flick and made a good save. Soon afterwards Dixon again did well to win possession in the Leeds area and the ball bounced kindly for Anelka to fire in an instant volley which brought a fantastic save from Martyn as he tipped it over the bar. On a quick break Bergkamp then took advantage of Anelka's space-making run to advance to the edge of the area before hitting a left foot shot which drifted just wide. A couple of minutes later another superb break by Arsenal almost engineered the opening goal. Anelka carried the ball at speed into the Leeds half before playing in Overmars on his left. The winger took it a bit wider than he intended but still fired in a terrific left foot shot which flashed inches wide of the far post. An Arsenal corner then induced a scramble in the Leeds area which ended when Adams turned on the 6yd line to volley goalwards, but Martyn somehow made a point blank save with his legs and Keown couldn't control the rebound. However, in the closing minutes of the half it was Leeds who should have taken the lead. First Kewell was given space and he hit a terrific 30 yard shot which seemed destined for the top corner until Seaman pulled off a brilliant save, palming it over the bar. Then in injury time some indecisive defending by Keown allowed Smith to nip in and steal possession. As he held the ball up on the byline to the left of goal Keown recklessly dived in and took his legs away, and the ref immediately pointed to the spot. Harte took the penalty and crashed it against the bar, Hasselbaink volleyed the rebound goalwards but Seaman recovered quickly and made another brilliant reaction save. Arsenal started the 2nd half off well, and early on Anelka played Overmars in on the left. The Flying Dutchman's cross was just too high for Bergkamp in the middle. Soon afterwards Vieira was played in as he made a run into the left side of the box and he held off a challenge to leave himself with what looked a good chance, albeit from a fairly acute angle, but he chose instead to play the ball across goal and it was cleared. At the other end Leeds had what looked a decent shout for a penalty turned down when Smith broke into the area and was brought down by Adams' lunging challenge. The ref had a poor view though and turned down the appeals. Smith proceeded to rattle Adams' cage further, first with a spiteful elbow and then with a dangerous high challenge on Winterburn. Adams hauled the youngster up by the shirt and told him what a naughty boy he was, Hasselbaink put his oar in and tried to further needle Adams and Keown, but Smith was the only one to be booked. Adams followed him shortly afterwards with a uncharacteristic late lunge on the young striker just outside the box which set off a bit of communal pushing and shoving, but it was sorted out without any further card waving and Hasselbaink's free kick deflected off the wall for a corner. Midway through the half, Kanu and then Diawara replaced Overmars and Parlour as Wenger gambled in an attempt to get the win Arsenal surely needed. It very nearly came off too. First Bergkamp brilliantly dribbled past Woodgate to leave himself with only the keeper to beat from a tight angle, which he did, but dragged his shot somewhat and Radebe cleared from in front of the line. The ball went straight back to Bergkamp though and he fired in another shot from an acute angle which Martyn somehow beat away from his near post. Petit's corner soon afterwards reached Adams running in unmarked at the far post, but his sidefoot volley just cleared the bar. Minutes after coming on, Diawara went even closer. Anelka got in on the left and had his initial left foot shot blocked by a sliding challenge from Radebe. The ball came back to Anelka though and he cleverly knocked it square for Kanu. Martyn blocked the Nigerian's attempt to go round him, but the ball ricocheted to Diawara at the far post. He hooked a superb volley which seemed certain to hit the back of the net, but Woodgate was somehow in the right place and brilliantly headed off the line. After the lengthy break for treatment to Winterburn after Haaland's knee accidentally caught him in the face, Arsenal's defence momentarily lost concentration and Bowyer swung in the free kick to find Smith unmarked at the far post, but he headed inches over the bar from 10 yards. At the other end Arsenal resumed their incessant attacks. Diawara was brilliantly played in by Kanu, but Martyn somehow got a leg to his shot from an acute angle on the right, and it deflected just the wrong side of the post. From a corner soon afterwards Diawara rose at the far post but his header glanced off the top of the bar. There was always the danger of leaving themselves exposed at the back, and it seemed Arsenal might be hit by the sucker punch when Adams' mishit backpass left Seaman with a hasty clearance to make which he misvollied straight to Batty about 40 yards out. He lobbed towards the empty net, with Seaman scrambling desperately back relieved to see it drop just outside the post. A minute later the sucker punch landed. Kewell whipped in a cross from the left which found Hasselbaink eluding his marker Vivas at the far post and he headed easily home. Arsenal pushed desperately for the equaliser to no avail. Anelka played Bergkamp in on the left, but Woodgate slid in to block his shot. Kanu tricked his way into some space on the left, but his chip into the middle eluded any red shirts. Finally Diawara stretched to reach another corner at the far post but could only head wide. Arsenal couldn't have tried much harder, and nor could Leeds. Had they been playing Man United the opposition manager might have said they were trying obscenely hard. Arsenal didn't quite have the cutting fluency of the games against Spurs, Boro and Wimbledon but I still thought though we were the better team and created enough chances to have won on another night against another keeper. Just wasn't to be though, and we're now temporary and unlikely Blackburn and Spurs supporters.
Seaman 8.0 Two great saves.
Winterburn 7.5 Typically brave performance, literally giving blood
on this occasion.
Dixon 7.5 A pretty good game overall.
Adams 8.0 Superb again, driving forward to get two of Arsenal's
best chances.
Keown 7.5 Good game overall though he in particular seemed
nervous in the first half.
Vieira 8.0 Another great all round display of the midfielder's art
Petit 7.0 Didn't play badly, but not at his best.
Parlour 6.5 Didn't seem fully fit.
Overmars 7.0 Had a couple of good runs, but also looked a bit jaded.
Anelka 7.5 Had a good first half, but didn't see much of the ball
until late on in the 2nd.
Bergkamp 8.0 Pretty good game again.
Kanu Again almost turned the match for Arsenal with some
lovely touches and passing.
Diawara Dunno who or what he has upset, but he seems destined
never to score.
Derek
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