Middlesbrough (0) 1 - 6 (3) ArsenalRiverside Stadium, Saturday 24th April 1999FA Carling Premiershipsee below for reports by: Rupe, DerekPreview
Middlesbrough (0) 1 - 6 (3) ArsenalRiverside Stadium, Saturday 24th April 1999FA Carling Premiership
Scorers: Armstrong 86 Overmars 3
Anelka 38, 78
Kanu 45, 60
Vieira 58
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon Adams Bould Winterburn
Parlour Vieira Petit Overmars
Anelka Kanu
Arsenal got off to a storming start, troubling
Boro on both wings and mopping up whatever they
managed to scrape together in the way of attackign play.
And after only 2 minutes Steve Vickers brought Anelka down in the box after he'd been put in by a lovely through-ball from Vieira. Perhaps it was a blessing that bergkamp had had to sit this one out through injury, as it removed the decision as to whether he'd take the next penalty (having seen his last 2 saved). It was no surprise to see Marc Overmars step up, and he wrong-footed Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer to give us a priceless early lead. (At the same time, at White Hart Lane, Ian Wright produced a typical bit of poetry to lob Ian Walker in the Tottenham goal). On 6 minutes Kanu, playing in the Bergkamp role this time (and demonstrating his versatility by following up a great centre-forward performance against Wimbledon with this display of playmakeing), had a drive easily saved by Schwarzer. In the middle section of the first half Boro got into it a bit more and had a few chances. Steve Bould blocked a shot, and from the resulting corner Seaman had to save with his feet from Ricard and then saved again from a Brian Deane header (the striker should have done much better). On the half-hour Schwarzer was called upon again, saving from Anelka who'd been set up by Overmars (!), and 5 minutes later Deane almost made amends for his bad header earlier with a great shot which Seaman did well to tip over the bar. Then on 37 minutes Anelka scored our second with a run from the half way line followed by a low shot. On 40 Dean Gordon produced an explosive left-foot drive which forced another good save from big Dave in the Arsenal goal, and then Seaman was in action again when Mustoe came at him with the ball. Seaman did brilliantly to stay tall as he pushed Mustoe wide, giving Adams time to get back to help protect the goal. But the shot when it came went wide. Just before half time Kanu started and finished a move which saw us 3 up and heading for the top of the table for the first time this season. He passed to Anelka whose low cross into the box was touched on by Overmars, and Kanu controlled nicely before slipping it past the luckless Schwarzer (luckless, like Neil Sullivan, in that he was in goal against the Arsenal this week!). The second half started with a couple of off-target shots from Overmars and then Dixon, but on 58 minutes Vieira made it 4, finishing off a lovely move which he started and which saw the ball move via Overmars and Anelka before Paddy stroked it into the net. And 4 minutes later Kanu scored his second with a typically sublime piece of skill - one of goals that defies description (but here goes...), it was a kind of nonchalant scissor-kick backheel. Whatever - just make sure you get to see it soemtime (I'm sure it'll turn up on Gustav Nygren's site before long - see "Fans links page" in the ArseWeb links section), Just before the 70 minutes mark Overmars was pulled off for Diawara, and (like in the Wimbledon match) the substitution was almost followed immediately with the concession of a consolation goal from a free-kick. Ricard curled it nicely round the wall and it beat Seaman but came back off the post. Vickers did well to miss his chance from the rebound! Shortly after Mustoe had a chance too, but hit the side netting. Then Anelka, on the break, failed to see the run from Diawara and Schwarzer got the ball away. But moments later Anelka made up for it with a magnificent finish for Arsenal's 6th, after being set up by the irrepressible Kanu (who was then brought off for Nelson Vivas). We had a couple more chances, Anelka's being headed off the line by Vickers (doing something right at last) and Tony Adams' going over the bar. Then Petit came off for Stephen Hughes, making his first appearance for some time after suffering a broken arm. 3 minutes from time Alun Armstrong pulled one back for Boro, but Diawara nearly restored the advantage in the dying seconds, rounding Scwarzer put putting his shot wide. Still this result has reduced the goal-difference problem to nothing. We're one goal behind Man Utd and scoring freely, and given that we still need them to fail to win a couple of games, it seems likely that if we can match them for points then we can also match them for goals. Another great performance from Kanu, and credit where it's due, an absolutely fantastic response from Anelka to being dropped for the last match. Great stuff all round. We take the top position for a day (see table) , and we'll be cheering Spider's Leeds on tomorrow. The Man Utd connections at the Riverside made some people think they'd be really up for this one. Well, up for it they may have been, but up to it they weren't. Now lets see if O'Leary's boys can do us a favour tomorrow. And while I'm talking about Arsenal Old Boys, congrats to Ian Wright whose opener for West Ham helped see off the recently in-form Tottenham at White Hart Lane, and especially Kevin Campbell, who scored twice for Everton today as they clinched Premiership survival against Charlton. He's now scored 2 goals in each of his first 3 matches for the Toffees.
Result : Middlesborough (0) 1 Arsenal (3) 6
Scorers: Armstrong 87 Overmars 4 (pen), Anelka 38,78,
Kanu 45,60, Vieira 58
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown, Adams; Vieira, Petit,
Parlour, Overmars; Anelka, Kanu
Subs: Diawara (Overmars 70), Vivas (Kanu 79), Hughes (Petit 86),
Grimandi, Lukic
Boro: Schwarzer, Cooper, Pallister, Vickers, Stockdale, Mustoe,
Maddison, Townsend, Gordon, Deane, Ricard.
Subs: Kinder (Cooper 37), Summerbell (Stockdale 61),
Armstrong (Maddison 71), Beresford, Cambell
Booked:Ricard, Summerbell
Att: 34630
Ref: Mike Riley (Leeds)
I probably used up my stock of superlatives for the Wimbledon game, so
perhaps I'll just lay out some context setting facts instead. Before
Saturday Middlesborough had lost just one of their previous 36 home
league games, had conceded only one goal at home in the league this
year, and were on a 7 match unbeaten streak. A tricky away fixture in a
game Arsenal simply had to win, Dennis Bergkamp missing through injury -
most would probably have predicted a gritty 1-0 win, the pessimistic a
low-scoring draw. So much for the pre-match theory.
To be fair to Middlesborough they were missing Gascoigne, Fleming, Festa and Lurch, lost Cooper after half an hour, and after going a goal down to an early penalty, matched Arsenal for much of the first half. There was a period when it was 1-0 during which the Gunners looked a bit uncomfortable, particularly at corners. During one short flurry in particular Boro threatened to equalise - Ricard turned Adams in the area to force Seaman into a saving block at his near post. From the corner Deane rose unmarked but headed straight into Seaman's arms. A few minutes later Deane flicked a ball up with his thigh and hit a tremendous right foot volley from 25 yards which was straight at Seaman but was moving at such at pace that the keeper was forced to palm it over the bar. The Ricard's flick sent Mustoe through, but Seaman did well again to hold him up, and Mustoe's shot on the turn drifted wide of the far post. Then after Arsenal had gone 2 goals up, Seaman preserved the advantage with a brilliant save from another blistering 25 yard volley, from Gordon this time. The 2nd half though was virtually one way traffic, though Ricard did hit the post from a free kick conceded by a rash Adams challenge, and then a couple of minutes from time Townsend floated in another free kick which the substitute Armstrong met unmarked, to glance a header into the net via the far post. That's got the home team's attacking contribution out of the way - the rest of the match was a catalogue of brilliant Arsenal attacks: Vieira gets possession on the halfway line, nonchalantly flicks the ball over Maddison's head and sets off towards the Boro area before slipping a pass forward for Anelka. The young striker is initially goalside of Vickers with the ball the other side, but with a quick change of direction he takes possession and catches the defender by surprise to lure him into a rash challenge. Anelka takes advantage of the proffered leg and trips over it, ref points to the spot. Kanu initially seems to be under the impression that he's going to take the penalty, Overmars informs him of his mistake. His spot kick doesn't seem to be perfectly struck, but Schwarzer dives to his left, the ball goes straight down the middle and into the net. Overmars breaks down the left, sets up Anelka (really) on the edge of the box. The striker hits his shot well but puts it straight at Schwarzer. Someone (Parlour I think?) plays Anelka through into the area, but his left foot shot from an acute angle blazes wide. Vieira wins possession from Gordon 10 yards inside his own half and once again strides majestically forward before sliding a perfect pass forward to pick out Anelka's run down the inside left channel. His pace and a good first touch take the young Frenchman clear, and he strikes a firm left foot shot from just inside the area through Schwarzer's legs and into the net. Normal rules apply though so it doesn't count twice and it's only 2-0 to the Arsenal. Just before half time, Kanu turns a Boro player a few yards in from the right hand touchline, just inside the Boro half and sets off at pace towards the area. Anelka makes a run across the line and Kanu slips the ball out wide right for him to run onto. Anelka checks before crossing the ball along the ground to try and pick out Overmars' run into the area. It goes just behind the Dutchman but reaches Kanu as he continues his run just forward of the penalty spot. He cleverly eludes Gordon with his first touch, and with his second calmly sidefoots the ball past the keeper and just inside his left hand post. Overmars notably turns to Anelka and applauds the pass. The Anelka-Overmars love-in continues early in the second half as Anelka gets away down the right, and cuts the ball back for Overmars in the middle. The winger turns one defender to leave himself with time to pick his spot from the edge of the area, but carefully places it just wide of the far post. Kanu then sets up Dixon for a shot from the edge of the box, but the veteran full back gets somewhat under the shot and it just clears the bar. Schwarzer gets a faint touch to make sure, but the ref awards a goal kick. A quite brilliant move then puts Arsenal 4 up. Anelka lays the ball off to Vieira on the half way line and spins away down the left to streak clear onto Vieira's first time return pass. Anelka again cuts the ball back to set up Overmars in the middle, the Flying Dutchman unselfishly (really) and brilliantly lays the ball sideways for Vieira who runs in unmarked at the far post. Vieira wrongfoots Schwarzer with a cool sidefoot shot back across the keeper and just inside the opposite post. A couple of minutes later even that goal is topped. Arsenal end a spell of showboating with a Parlour flick which sets Dixon up for a cross from the right which he whips in towards Kanu in the middle. It comes at what seems an awkward height, and slightly behind the Nigerian, but no trouble, he quite brilliantly backheels the ball between his legs and into the far corner from about 15 yards. An outrageously brilliant piece of skill. Arsenal are now completely rampant, and even Adams is emboldened to try a 25 yard shot which goes way over the bar. Shortly afterwards Anelka shows him how it's done. Kanu again sets him up after a break towards the box. Anelka dummies a shot to turn past a knot of defenders on the edge of the area and then fires in a real shot which is close to Schwarzer but hit with such power he has little chance of stopping it. Anelka's pass from the half way line allows Diawara to beat the offside trap and race clear down the left. Diawara returns the pass square for Anelka to leave him with only Schwarzer to beat but his first touch lets him down somewhat. He still gets in a shot but the keeper has closed him down by this time and makes a good block. The ball balloons up, Anelka latches onto it and hits a left foot volley as it drops just inside the area. He doesn't catch it perfectly, but the ball bounces into the ground and is heading into the net before Vickers appears on the line to head clear. Diawara is put through (by Parlour?) down the middle to leave him with only the keeper to beat, but he appears unnerved by the keeper's headlong dash from his line and his touch past Schwarzer is too heavy and the ball rolls a couple of feet wide of goal. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable game again, and another mesmerising display of attacking by Arsenal. Once again the whole team played well, though this time I would pick out Vieira, Kanu and Anelka. One thing I thought was noticeable was how much Vieira was making a conscious effort to get forward, something he wasn't doing earlier in the season. It seemed to be a positive tactic by Wenger for a game he knew we had to win. A special mention too for Bouldy, who stepped into the old back four as though he'd never been away.
Seaman 8.0
Winterburn 8.0
Dixon 8.0
Adams 8.0
Bould 8.5
Vieira 9.0
Petit 8.0
Parlour 8.0
Overmars 8.5
Anelka 9.0
Kanu 9.0
Derek
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