Arsenal (2) 5 - 1 (0) Deportivo_La_CorunaHighbury, Thursday 2nd March 2000. kick-off 8pmUEFA Cup 4th round, first legPreview
Arsenal (2) 5 - 1 (0) Deportivo_La_CorunaHighbury, Thursday 2nd March 2000. kick-off 8pmUEFA Cup 4th round, first leg
scorers: Dixon 5 Djalminha (pen) 54
Henry 25, 68
Kanu 77
Bergkamp 82
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon (c) Keown Luzhny Silvinho
Overmars (Kanu) Petit Grimandi Ljungberg
Bergkamp (Parlour) Henry (Suker)
Once again Arsenal showed their class against a top side,
with Dennis Bergkamp back to something near his best and
doing as much as could be expected to make his absence
in the second leg less of a problem.
Djalminha signalled his intention to go for goal with every free kick in the first minute when a very ambitious effort from their right wing was easily plucked from the air by Seaman. But before long we had a spell of one-way traffic the other way, ending with a great goal from Lee Dixon. The only other time Arsenal had beaten Spanish opposition was Lee's testimonial against Real Madrid earlier this season, so it was nice that the today's skipper got the first goal. Seaman kicked out to Henry on the left wing. He passed it back to Silvinho and the ball moved quickly via Petit to Keown. He spotted Henry's continued run up the left and hit a long pass towards that corner. Thierry caught up with the ball and, under pressure form 2 defenders, juggled it back upfield a bit before turning and whipping a cross in from just outside the box. It just missing Bergkamp as he jumped in the centre of the penalty area, but Dixon was free behind him. There appeared to be only the one defender on the both of them, and all he was able to do was clatter into Dixon's face after the damage had been done. Great header inside the near post. A minute later it was nearly 2. Petit this time passed forward for Henry. This time it was on the right and Thierry's pace got him there first. He crossed for Ljungberg beyond the far post. Freddie had to stetch a bit to control it and that made his first touch a little strong, but he just managed to get to the ball before it went over the goal-line and, at a stretch again, flicked it back into the danger area. Bergkamp managed to get a head to it but he was stretchign also so he didn't manage to head it down or with power. The keeper Songo'o still managed to make a bit of a meal of it but claimed at the second attempt. On 10 minutes Keown's cushioned header gave the ball to a striker in our box, but Silvinho came over to snap at his heels (very reminiscent of Winterburn I thought) and force the ball out for a Deportivo throw. From that, a cross was whipped across the fact of our goal. Flores swung a foot at it at the far post but missed it, probably largely due to the attentions of Lee Dixon. Deportivo were getting into the game more and looked very talented indeed. But Aresnal were defending well and Seaman dealt with everything he had to. On 15 minutes Lee's chip forward for Dennis gave him the chance to show us a bit of Bergkamp magic. He took it on his chest, then headed it, then reached up with his boot to poke it goalwards. Songo'o dropped on the ball but it was a fantastic bit of skill from Dennis under pressure from 2 defenders. Flavio dived in on Ljungberg on the left wing and the ref waved play on as Arsenal had the advantage. But he did remember to book Flavio once play stopped. One of many things that the ref did really well to get right. On 20 minutes Bergkamp received a throw on the left, with back to goal and under pressure from behind. He laid it off the Petit and via Grimandi it came back to Dennis. He then set off towards the box, playign a cute 1-2 with Henry on its edge. It looke dlike Dennis had lost the ball half-way in but he pulled off an outrageous sliding tackle, extending a leg under the defender and dragging the ball out, got up, moved the ball back and onto his right foot, and was unlucky to see the shot deflected for a corner. More special stuff from the master. Bergkamp then took the corner from our left, Henry's flicked header going over the bar. More good reffing as Flavio dived under pressure from Ljungberg. Replays later showed that there was no contact, but Flavio was writhing about like he'd been shot. Petit played the ball out so he could received treatment. Whichever Deportivo player took the throw, appeared not to realsie what had happened. But they threw it to Makaay who fortunately was alive to the situation and played it straightout for an Arsenal throw. A few minutes later Djalminha hit an incredible free-kick from at least 35 yards out which flew like a rocket and forced Seaman into a good save at his left hand post. Replays later showed that the shot had picked up a deflection off the top of Petit's head, making the save all the more impressive. A minute later Arsenal relieved the pressure somewhat with our second goal. This one looked even simpler than the first but was made so by perfect technique and vision from the 2 Dutchmen. First Bergkamp, receiving the ball some yards inside the Deportivo half on the right, delayed his pass forward for Overmars till the perfect moment. Marc's pace got him there first, he had a look up as he ran for it and, seeing Henry's run to the near post, cut it back from the touchline allowing Henry to sidefoot the ball inside the near post. Minutes later, a Grimandi cross to Bergkamp in space on the left gave him a chance to go for goal himself, but the near post shot was well saved. Bergkamp played the ball forwqard for Henry who waited on the edge of the area but strangely no-one came up to support him. Maybe they were all assumign he'd shoot early. Maybe he should have done but even then, surely it's a good idea to have someone else up there? Henry was dispossessed and as Deportivo brought he ball out there was still no-one advancing from Arsenal. Deportivo put in a good free-kick from their right but the glancing header was too glancing and flew wide of the far post. Then Songo'o came out of his area well to deny Bergkamp after a nice ball forward form the centre circle by Overmars. Arsenal were back on top at the end of the first half, finishing with a Bergkamp cross which Henry's dive couldn't quite reach. Arsenal continued the second half in the saem vein, with much the better of the opening minutes. Then Keown got booked for a rather crude bit of holding back ("clothesline" style). That's his 3rd in Europe this season so he'll miss the second leg. The free-kick, speculative again, was slammed into the wall from way out on the left wing. Just less than 10 minutes in, and Deportivo capitalised on a spell of pressure with an extremely dodgy penalty. Makaay played the ball into the box for Flavio and once again he crunmpled to the ground as Ljungberg ran behind him. This time the ref was taken in, and Djalminha cheekily chipped the ball softly down the middle as Seaman dived to his left. But moments later Djalminha was booked for diving which, crucially, put him out of the second leg. It was unlucky for the guy, although he made a meal of it his shirt was being tugged by Dixon. Djalminha then let his outrage at this booking get to him. Grimandi came in from behind as the Braslian came forward with the ball, it was a bad foul for which he was rightly booked. Djalminha got up and pushed Grimandi. Ok, so it was probably a bookable offence, so he would have gone anyway off (expect that his first booking wasn;t really deserved). But Grimandi went down rather overdramatically and the ref pulled out the red card. 6 minutes later Kanu came on for Overmars. Straight away he ht a lovely through-ball for Henry but the keeper again did well to come out and make his challenge. Then Kanu was brought down just outside the box on the right as he tried to skip his wayinto the area. Petit whipped the free-kick to beyond the far post, where Henry ran in to head home for 3-1. On 76 minutes Suker came on for Henry, the impressive Makaay having left the field 2 minutes earlier. One minutes later, Bergkamp challenged for a high ball coming down a few yards inside the Deportivo half. I think he got the first touch but as it came down again the defender got his head to it. But he only managed in heading it square and into the path of Kanu. he headed it on into the box and then, with the ball rolling towards the left hand post he just kind of ran alongside it waiting to see what the keeper would do. The keeper fell on his arse, apparently out of sheer terror, and Kanu walked the ball into the net. Although Songo'o wasn't in the Cameroon squad for the African Nations Cup, when Kanu missed a penalty to lose to them in the final, it must have given kanu some pleasure not only to have scored against a Cameroon keeepr, but to have made him look a prat in the process. It certainyl gave the watching gooners a kick! 10 minutes to go and Bergkamp prepared to be substituted. He even went over to the touchline, but Parlour who was coming on didn't have his shirt on yet so Dennis got back to the game. Kanu won a free-kick a few yards outside the box on the left. Parlour was ready by now but Dennis clearly wanted a pot at the free-kick. Just as well too, as the shot was deflected off the wall and just inside the far post. To be fair to the keeper, he managed to change direction very quickly and considering the wicked deflection he did very well to get as close to it as he did. 5 mins to go and Silvinho went on a good run ewht the ball into the box. He lost it, but kept pressuring and forced a hasty clearance. This gave Petit the chance to show off a bit with a beautiful flick back, over his own head and his opponent. He hit a good diagonal ball into the box for Henry but a defender got his head to it first. 2 mins to go and we won a free-kick on the right for a nasty studs-up challenge on Dixon. It came to Petit in the centre circle and then Ljungberg, who flicked it forward towards Suker in the left-hand side of the D. H ehaded it square for Kanu on the right of the D whose first-time volley was saved at the second attempt. It was hit with such power that holding it first time was virtually impossible. So, a great win and a tricky european hurdle all but negotiated. Hopefully Adams will be back next week, in which case he'll presumably partner Luzhny in defence (with both Keown and Grimandi suspended). But Vieira will be back so hopefully that'll help keep things solid at the back, as well as making up a bit for the absence of Bergkamp. Other reports
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