Once in a Blue Moon

Going into last night's League Cup quarter final, Manchester City were winless at Arsenal for over 36 years. Playing for Arsenal in that last victory was Brian Kidd. The European Cup winner moved onto City the following season, a nice contrast with the rather more exotic talent drain flowing up the M6 in the 21st century. Two ex Gunners were on show last night, the universally admired Kolo Toure and the universally derided Samir Nasri, who after his ill-judged comments about Arsenal supporters when he left the club, and least gave Gooners all round the ground the opportunity to get ready for Pantomine season by booing his every move. This added to a real cup tie atmosphere in and around the ground with everyone in red ready to give Arsenal their full support as underdogs.

Both side fielded a very much second choice eleven, with Arsenal as usual opting for youth whilst City's line up was sprinkled with star dust with the likes of Toure, Nasri, Zabaleta, De Jong, Hargreaves, Johnson and Dzeko, not to mention Aguero who ended up coming off the bench to play two thirds of the game. Yet despite the gap in fully developed talent it was Arsenal who looked most likely to score for most of the game Park and Oxlade-Chamberlain bring the best out of the Blues keeper Pantilimon in the first half.

Whilst City seemed happy to sit back in the second half Arsenal continued to try and force the issues, driven on by promising performances in the midfield from Frimpong, Coquelin and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Yet even when Gervinho entered the fray the goal would not come, the attacking threat of Chamakh being easily snuffed out.

With Arsenal doing the utmost to avoid extra time the crucial goal came from the Maidenhead United counter-offensive, a Gunners corner being turned over quickly by Dzeko who set in motion a move which Aguero finished with ease.

A late Gervinho cross almost found the head of Chamakh but the Moroccan ended up heading fresh air and the  final whistle soon sounded to spark the worst kind of gloating from some of the City fans on the way out. Still well worth a tenner.

Bolton the blue

Half term week and the League Cup is in town to offer thousands of kids on holiday, not to mention two teachers a cheap night out watching two Premier League teams. Arsenal's tie at home to Bolton fell on my birthday  - 29 years after my first visit to Highbury give or take a day (goalless draw against Birmingham since you ask) - so an ideal opportunity for my wife Ewa to make her first visit to Ashburton Grove.

Accompanying a far from regular football watcher showed me how easy watching Arsenal has become, wander up to the turnstile, insert ticket in the reader, walk through the gate then across the concourse to our comfortable seats in the lower tier on the halfway line.

Early first impressions could have come straight from the media "why do the Arsenal players look like kids?", and "why do Arsenal keep passing to each other instead of going for goal?". By half time two well matched teams looked like producing another first stalemate. Bolton fielded a stronger team which meant they were the equal of the Gunners more blended selection.

Ten minutes of the second half changed all that. Bolton kicked the game into life when Ivan Klasnic combined well with Fabrice Muamba to give the former Arsenal striker the chance to prove the law of the ex and give the Trotters the lead.

Fortunately this was the spark Arsenal needed. Andrey Arshavin, with Ewa's favourite number 23 on his back, levelled with an excellent shot threading the eye of the needle to elude a host of defenders and the goalkeeper before hitting the back of the net. He then turned provider cleverly drawing the Wanderers' back to the centre of the pitch to give Ju Young Park the time and space to receive the Russian's pass then curl his shot around Adam Bogdan.

That seemed to be that as Arsenal settled for a one goal lead but Bolton pushed them all the way to the end, and will consider themselves a little unlucky not to extend the game to extra time. One slip aside Lukasz (note from Ewa to PA the L is pronounced as a W) Fabianski had one of his better games to keep the Trotters out and offer the opportunity of another cheap night out at the Grove in a month's time.

The Taming of the Shrews

Could Arsenal's start to the season get any worse? It would cost just £10 to find out as they took on Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup.Taking my seat thirteen rows behind the Town dugout, the aura of excitement, usually so prevalent on these cut price evenings which allow many a rare opportunity to watch an Arsenal game live, was in short supply save from the massed ranks of the Shrewsbury fans behind one goal who needed little prompting to remind everyone of the strange name of their region, Salop.

With the ground little more than two thirds full, an early goal was required to lift the atmosphere. In the opening ten minutes Arsenal scarcely went into their own half as Marouane Chamakh was twice denied by goalkeeper Ben Smith. Having survived the early onslaught though Shrewsbury took the game to their hosts, serving notice of their intent by hitting the post before Jamie Collins opened the scoring with a header. Cue much celebration at the Town end and a smidgen of congratulation all round for their manager Graham Turner, a great unsung hero of the lower divisions with a managerial career spanning over twenty years.

Naturally the goal also sparked a few boos and panic from the Arsenal ranks, with Shrewsbury continuing to dominate. In particular Town defender Reuben Hazell looked like a chip of his old uncle Bob. The tide turned when Francis Coquelin ran half the length of the pitch to make a great tackle in his own area, and thanks to Smith fumble Arsenal drew level when Kieran Gibbs' header crept in at the near post.

In the second half a powerful strike from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completed the comeback before Yossi Benayoun capped a good night's work with a third.

Game over and the post mortem in Che Guevara's produced the consensus of a good night for Ignasi Miquel, Benayoun and Coquelin. However Johann Djourou despite being captain looked a man broken by his Old Trafford experience, as did Carl Jenkinson, whilst Ju Young Park gave little cause for optimism. Still job done and the chance of another cheap night out in the next round.

Samir Nasri and the Sunshine Band

Two Samir Nasri extra time penalties sent Arsenal fans into rapturous song at White Hart Lane, reviving KC's 80 classic hit to an increasing number of empty seats as the Tottenham fans made an early exit.

This Carling Cup tie provided the 36,000 crowd with a typically bombastic North London derby as both managers went against recent practice by fielding strong teams for this stage of the competition.  Arsenal's line up was certainly the stronger on both paper and grass so it was no surprise that they won comfortably, playing the role of home team throughout by keeping on the attack.  Thus Tottenham's main threat was on the counter and they seemed to be keen to test hapless goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski from distance, their strategy paying off when he fumbled Robbie Keane's shot over the line to give Spurs an equaliser at the start of the second half..  Arsenal had earlier taken the lead when Henri Lansbury had finished off a terrific move initiated by a visionary crossfield pass by Emmanual Eboue.  

Tottenham's defence seemed to grow in strength as the game wore to the extent that Arsenal were increasingly frustrated in normal time with a late Spurs winner not out of the question.  However within minutes of the start of extra time Nasri had converted two penalties so by the time Andrey Arshavin made it four, the Gunners could have virtually declared with fifteen minutes left.

With bragging rights secured the 4,200 Arsenal fans who serenaded White Hart Lane with the full Gooner songbook would have left feeling they had seen a good night's work but the real consequences of the night's full blooded encounter may be felt over the next ten days when both clubs face a Champions League tie in between two league matches.

Plain Easy

The sheer depth of club football in England is one of its most alluring aspects.  All across the land we are presented with differing football cultures and grounds. Thus we are offered a lifetime of discovery so when finding myself at a loose end and being offered a lift by a Reading Season ticket holder to their League Cup tie at Torquay earlier this week I found it impossible to say no to visiting a new ground (number 194 if you're counting  - I am) and completing the set of Devon's Football League Stadia.  

On arrival in Torbay we headed for the picturesque coastal suburb of Babbacombe.  After dining on award winning Fish and Chips we had a leisurely pre match pint in a pub where supporters of both clubs mingled freely.  

A ten minute walk brought us to the ground where without a policeman in sight we were able to enter the turnstile untrammelled by the intrusive hands of a yellow coat, and exchange cash for a place of our choosing on the away terrace behind the goal.

Plainmoor, which has been home to the Gulls for a century is tidy enough and split 50/50 between terracing and seating with the main stand just about offering the ideal set up of a terraced paddock in front of the seats. 

For perhaps the first time when attending a match between two Football League clubs I felt like I was at a non league game.  This was not surprising when the crowd of 2,832 (up to a third from Berkshire) is considered but the whole friendly tone of the evening contributed to a stereotypically laid back West Country atmosphere.  

The game kicked off with Reading adopting an attacking 4-2-4 formation, the class of Jimmy Kebe reflecting the two divisions which divided the two clubs.  Yet Torquay had gone 781 minutes without conceding a goal and so despite their superiority Reading struggled to create a clear cut chance. Instead it was Torquay who looked most likely to score, causing confusion in the Reading defence on more than one occasion to test goalkeeper Steve Hamer.

As the tie moved towards full time Reading peppered the Torquay goal with set pieces which Scott Bevan dealt with comfortably and when Elliot Benyon hit the inside of the post with a strong shot deep into extra time it seemed penalties were inevitable.  With stoppage time being played Torquay were punished for refusing the opportunity to clear a corner and the hitherto inept Grzegorz Rasiak scored from close range with an athletic finish.  So Reading stole the tie and were offered a great chance to go on their second cup run of 2010 when they received a home tie in the next round against lowly Northampton.  Torquay were left to reflect on their bad luck which is typical of all the Devon clubs' amazingly poor record in this competition.