Arsenal (0) 1 - 0 (0) WatfordHighbury, Saturday 25th September 1999FA Carling PremiershipSee below for reports by: RupePreview
Arsenal (0) 1 - 0 (0) WatfordHighbury, Saturday 25th September 1999FA Carling Premiership
Scorer: Kanu 86
Arsenal:
Manninger
Luzhny Adams Keown Silvinho
Ljungberg (Suker 68) Vieira Parlour Overmars
Henry (Bergkamp 75) Kanu (Vivas 87)
Watford started the season as everyone's favourites
to go down. Bookies were even quoting surprisingly short
odds on them not winning a single game! But wins over
Chelsea and Liverpool had made everyone sit up and take
notice, so those Gooners expecting a goal-fest today
were probably being a bit optimistic. Watford defended
with great spirit, and managed to keep us out almost to
the end. With performances like this they'll be losing a
lot fewer games than people were expecting, although to be
frank they're going to have to go forward a bit more if
they're going to win many more.
Anticipating that we'd be going forward rather more than defending, Arsène Wenger took this opportunity to give games to the new full-backs Oleg Luzhny and Silvinho. Winterburn and Vivas were on the bench as back-ups, and it remains to be seen whether Nige and Lee were being rested, or Moose and Silvinho were being given a run-out before their big game at the Nou Camp on Wednesday. I suspect that we'll see Lee back on Wednesday. Even if he lacks the pace of Luzhny, there's no questionining that he understands the system better. In the first half in particular, Luzhny repeatedly failed to get up in support. The first of many examples came early on, with Overmars breaking up the left. He passed cross-field to Parlour, who shaped to slip it on into the space to his right. But there was no-one there. It was only thanks to even slower play by the Watford defence that when Oleg eventually did arrive, he still had room to get a cross in. But it was over-struck and the attack fizzled out. Parlour was struggling to control a bouncing ball outside their box, and a Watford player was unfortunate to concede handball as he tried to gather the ball himself. Ljungberg saw the chance of a quick free-kick, and chipped it towards the far post where Adams's free close-range header was placed right into the goalie's arms. Silvinho was put clear down the left and crossed it low to Henry on the near side of the box. But Theirry dwelt on it rather too much, perhaps looking for a chance of a shot, when he could have laid it back, and the chance was lost. Vieira very nearly gave away a goal completely against the run of play when he lobbed the ball back towards Manninger. Watford's Smart chased it and managed to get a header in as Manninger challenged him, but could only direct it wide. I couldn't make out if they had a shout for a foul, it did seem clear that the other guy had got to the ball first, and that Manninger had collided with him. Both of them were receiving treatment for a while. Kanu flashed a low shot past the left post from nowhere, and then a 1-2 on the dege of the box involving Kanu and Parlour saw the latter tackled just as he was about to shoot. Silvinho took the corner from the right, the keeper flapped at it and it bounced up towards Overmars 10 yards out who tried to volley it back but caught it wrong so the shot hit the ground a yard in front of him and bounced up and out. Silvinho won the ball with a nice tackle just outside our box to break down a Watford attack, and after exchanging passes with Vieira he was bringing it forward. Again Henry dallied on the ball when Silvinho slipped it in to him, and he went down on the edge of the area making an understandably half-hearted appeal to the ref. But Vieira won it back and passed square to Parlour. Again Luzhny was slow on the overlap, but he did eventually win a free-kick over on the left wing. Overmars swung it in and Vieira got his head to it but again it went straight at the keeper. There was something of a tussle going on between the Watford captain Page and Keown, whevere the latter got forward. The ref talked to them after a bit of argy-bargy in the josling before a corner was taken, and then when it was taken Keown ended up flat on the floor, but I didn't see what happened. Overmars wasn't having the best of matches. He appeared reluctant to take his man on on the left, and his low near post crosses kept gettimng cut out. One of these led to corner which Marc took from the left. He played it low, back to the edge of penalty area, it came through to Keown on the far side who touched it back to Parlour. If it was intended it was well worked, but it might have been better to have a Bergkamp there! Ray's shot was always rising and flew over the bar. On 30 minutes Luzhny made himself available for a throw on the left, running towards the goal-line where he received the ball and was then pulled right over as he approached the box. Silvinho whipped the cross back to Vieira whose header went straight up in the air and came down right on the goal-line where Adams and a Watford defender challenged for it and the ball was in. It appeared that the ref was indicating a goal, but it soon became apparent that he'd blown for a foul. Adams was clearly not happy, and nudged Williams with his head as he brushed past him, follwed by much "pointedly pointing" at Williams in a "I know what you did" kind of way (It'll be interesting to see a replay). Watford had another attack, but with Arsenal struggling to clear the ball Hyde went for the lazy option and blasted high from distance. Although we had by far the better of the first half, it was rather scrappy, and Watford had to be commended for their defending. That continued int he secodn half, but Arsenal stepped up a gear and looked more dangerous, especially after the substitutions. But it started with a dangerous Watford break after Luzhny lost the ball on the right. But Overmars chased back brilliantly to make a saving tackle on the right. Adams was put clear on the right of their box and his low shot forced a good save. But the keepr couldn't hold it and Tone was able to get in for a second go. This time the keeper got to it again, and deflected it up and away towards the edge of the area. There, Kanu shaped nicely for the overhead kick but couldn't keep it down and the shot went over the bar. Another collision between Manninger and Smart saw both of them down for a while again. This time Manninger got up with a heavily bandaged right wrist (Lukic popped up on the touchline to prepare in case needed - I guess Seaman doesn't do bench-warming!). Luzhny had obviously been told to get forward more quickly. One time he steamed down the wing giving Ljungberg a bit more space to get his cross in. Henry rose together with a defender at the far post but neither of them was able to make contact. Henry was doing a bit better too. He received the ball in the box and held onto it for a while, then managed to slip it wide to Ljungberg whose cross across the face of goal looked a cert to be turned in by Kanu at the far post but somehow it went wide. Kanu hit the woodwork twice in the course of 10 minutes. The first being another surprise shot from otuside the box which bounced out off the face of the far post with the keeper nowhere near, and then a header from a Ljungberg cross which was placed nice and low and bounced past the keeper's hand but again back of the post. Watford made a couple of substitutions which livened them up going forward, in Wright (who scored their play-off winner last season) and Mgonge. The latter looked set to shoot after beating Luzhny in midfield. He was charging down the centre but as he got into the box Oleg showed his pace getting back to make the tackle, and together with Keown the two of them managed to scythe him down collectively, and come away with the ball. Before you knew it Ljungberg was racing up the middle towards their goal. He had more options than Mgonge had had, with Overnars and Henry up there with him, but he took too long over his decision and was beaten by numbers. Freddie had had a good game overall I thought, but on 68 he was taken off for Suker. Shortly after this, Bergkamp came on for Henry. These substituions gave Arsenal quite a boost, and although we were well on top beforehand our attacks started looking more frequent and more dangerous. So I'm afraid that for me much of the last 20 minutes went by in a blur of tension and excitement. Several times the Watford defence saved themselves with great blocks, throwing themselves in front of the ball as the shots rained in. I do remember Overmars feeding Suker inside the box on the left, and his shot forcing a fine save at the near post. And another shot from the Croat this time from the edge of the area, which he took a bit quick and, leaning back, sent it over the bar. Keown went on a fine break, carrying the ball from the half-way line into the penalty area before firing a fierce low shot which forced another good save. Kanu. coming in for the rebound, appeared to be tugged back but still got a foot to it to poke it goalwards and again the keeper made the save. It looked like becoming one of those "so near and yet.." games. But with 4 minutes left of normal time we won a throw on the left, taken by Luzhny. Kanu received it inside the near side of the area, with his back to goal. He spun goalwards and rammed it through for a much deserved winner. Immediately, Wenger reminded us what a defensive substitution looks like, bringing Vivas on for the goalscorer Kanu. With Man Utd slipping up at home to Southampton (2 second half equalisers from Matt Le Tissier!), Arsenal and Leeds have caught up a couple of points. Other reports
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