Game Report

The Specials - Ghost Town 

    English football lives on with Arsenal's third big game in two weeks.

    In the red corner, Arsenal, fresh out of two upsets against the EPL's bigs, in need of redemption. In the blue (more like dark grey-black, whatever that color is) corner, Liverpool, deep into a disappointing season, also in need of redemption. Arsene Wenger, his youth tactic now more than ever doubted, against Rafael Benitez, his Spanish armada also now more than ever doubted. Cold night in London for a cold duel.

   

  The Gunners line-up with a most predictable 4-3-3 that reads ball possession, small passes and trendy red shoes: Almunia - Eboue, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy - Fabregas, Song, Diaby - Nasri, Bendtner (a striker hooray!), Arshavine.  Liverpool responds with the "emergency defense" combined with “our top striker is out” 4-2-3-1: Reina – Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Insua – Lucas, Mascherano – Kuyt, Gerrard, Maxi Rodriguez – Ngog. Fans scream at the moving camera, scarves are tucked in well, fancy businessmen sit in the heated suites gin tonic in hand, ball boys heat up as best as they can, referees check the nets. Ready, set, go.

     Well “go” is an overstatement. The first half is a (soporific) midfield battle filled with mistakes, useless runs, series of headers, high pressing and defense clearances. No possession lasts more than a minute. In these conditions, set pieces rule the earth (welcome to England): a corner here, a free kick there, but no can do: the first twenty minutes are a bleak picture. Liverpool rush their conclusions (see Ngog’s grandmother-shot) and Arsenal’s passing game doesn’t reach Reina’s box. Mascherano’s dreamland. The crowd seems finally involved when, around the 25^th minute, Arsenal get a good spell. Arshavine’s delicious passes perforate the Reds’ stronghold on two occasions but Bendtner sends the leather to the fans as a nice welcome gift. Arsene’s protégés also discover the side of the field with Nasri and Clichy only to get some more corners. Liverpool starts to retreat leaving Ngog to run after a fictitious ball thanks to Vermaelen (impeccable tonight). As the visitors settle down so does the game. Insua blasts it up the left flank (again and forever), Lucas gives each ball away, Nasri is replaced by Rosicky (slight head concussion), two yellow cards are shown (just let him go already Gael, he’s just better than you), Diaby starts to touch the ball (an omen), Insua forgets to keep his feet down on a throw in.

    Half time. The fans rush to the hot dog stand, presidents talk to each other, Gerrard gets a massage, Wenger sits his class down, some random guy is voted “Number One Fan of India”.

Second half sees the fake rhythm disappear. The game speeds up, wingers move up the pitch and spaces are created. First Lucas shoots as close as possible to the crossbar but on the wrong side. Then Gerrard feeds Ngog caviar, which pushes Gallas to a saving tackle, although I doubt the Liverpool striker would have actually scored. Within the same minute Rosicky finds himself face to face with Reina after a flawless triangular play, but I guess they don’t teach to shoot at Arsenal. Liverpool win the midfield duels but can’t seem to get close to Almunia’s goal. At the 55^th Carragher is substituted for Degen. Bendtner dives, Insua forgets Arshavine, Clichy forgets Kuyt, still many mistakes. Arsenal starts to get a feel for the ball. The next ten minutes are theirs (chances for Rosicky, Bendtner) until that fateful moment where Degen (that’s why I mentioned him) forgets (it seems everyone does it nowadays) that wingbacks also defend. Rosicky with a diamond of a cross (head height, curling, strong, one touch) finds Diaby, unmarked, about two meters aways from Reina. Nothing to do, 1-0 (71^st).

    

 So Liverpool do what they do best: roll their sleeves up and try to come back (3-3 anyone?). It’s all in the image of captain (America) Gerrard: courage, strength, intelligence and all that we already know. Arsene makes his changes, Rafael too. Everyone is concentrated, on the edge of their freezing seat, looking for warmth wherever they can find it. Babel finally puts Almunia to (some fine) work with a bullet (seriously) after leaving Sagna stuck (86^th). Crossbar. Arsenal manage the last minutes. Fabregas thinks he is the King of the world. Three whistles. Deserved win overall. Arsenal come back closer to Manchester (who drew) and Chelsea (who lost). It’s not over.

Grades (note: these grades are not to be taken seriously)

Arsenal - 7: Good show of Wenger's team, precious points in the end.

Almunia – 7: Not much to do except Babel’s shot, which he saved very nicely, ok now you can stop dying your hair, you’re Spanish, everyone knows it.

Eboue – 5 then 8: Respectable as right back, it’s when he moves up to midfield at the end of the game that Emanuel explodes with his strength and rapidity digging into endless supplies of energy.

Vermaelen – 6: not a game for the books, clean, efficient, diligent (sprint back and forth after a counter attack), the problem was more within the opposition, Ngog seemed like a walk in the park.

Gallas – 6.5: As for Vermaelen, not much to contrast him, put his leg out when he had to and his head as well.

Clichy – 5: It’s nice to have quick feet and a good pace, but if the passes never exceed five meters in length, then what good is it? 3 is the grade I want to give him, but at least he kept up with Kuyt.

Song – 5.1: just above average for finally using his body, could have done much better in neutralizing Lucas, but he has cool armbands.

Diaby – 5 then 9: first half silenced, second half flamboyant with destabilizing controls and accelerations, passes, physical strength, good linkage and a nice goal to top it all off. He didn't even get injured.

Fabregas – 4: already in Barcelona Cesc?

Nasri – N/A: playing with a head concussion

Arshavine – 6: Tried for sure, some good turns, good speed, good passes, not 4 goals though. Has also started defending at last!

Bendtner – 3: out of shape maybe but can’t miss a shot like that if you are a striker. You can, though, dive like that.

Rosicky (33^rd f.h) 7 – brought some punch to the attack, a nice assist, I will never give him a bad grade. Long live King Tomas!

Walcott (23^rd s.h) 2 – I just don’t get the point.

Sagna (38^th s.h) N/A – Get a haircut

Liverpool – 4: cruelly missing key players although showing good collective cohesion.

Reina – 5: only one save to really make and a lot of yelling at his defender. Not much he could do on the goal (hence the yelling)

Carragher – 32: yes, at 32 you can still play right back, with a bloody mouth and an injury. Industrious, pale, rough, Liverpool at its best. Many will say that the Reds could have won had he stayed on, who cares? Jamie is a legend already.

Agger – 5: good at intercepting, alternative level throughout the game.

Skrtel – 7: surprisingly excellent tonight, his passing could on the other hand be worked on (instead of getting all those tattoos).

Insua – 1: I take the ball, and if I don’t kick it up aimlessly straight away, rush forward head down until I see an opponent when I touch the ball with the tip of my foot so that it goes out of bounds (20 times). Fan-tas-tic

Mascherano – 6: gave it all he got as usual, unfortunately one man cannot do everything (don’t you miss Xabi?)

Lucas – 4: seems he can’t get one pass right, could have at least put that shot in as the Brazilians know how to do so well.

Gerrard – 9: For endlessly carrying his team on his back even when it (the team) doesn’t live up to his (Gerrard’s) standard, vieni all’Inter Steevie!

Kuyt – 6: Marathon-Man once again ran three matches worth but he is not a Genius of the ball, if somebody would have only crossed to him more often.

Maxi – N/A: (one of my personal favourites) not applicable because he had no clue what was going on. Overtaken (took?) by the pace, the sound, the pitch, Vermaelen, the jerseys, some good runs which indicate some future hopes, otherwise he sucked.

Ngog – 0: yes because every one of his touches went straight to the other team, felt like a player more for Arsenal. And don’t talk to me about that shot on target…

Degen (10th s.h)  – 2: Not only did he catch the attention with a horrible haircut but also by possibly being the reason why Liverpool got scored on. A critic’s heaven.

Babel (41st s.h)  – 7: I never understood Ryan, but his shot is nice, and he doesn’t have a Mohawk.