The Wizard of Ozil leaves Napoli spellbound

Pie haters

I was really looking forward to the visit of Napoli to North London on Tuesday night. I remember well what was possibly the greatest period of Diego Maradona's career when he took the club from the poverty stricken south of Italy to a brief period of national and European glory which hadn't been repeated before or since. 

Despite the rather unwelcome headlines created by the actions of one section of the Napoli support when they indiscriminately smashed up Piebury Corner which has fast become a new Arsenal landmark on the Holloway Road, the Italian fans passionate support contributed to a great night at the Grove with the football taking centre stage.

From the start the confidence garnered from a long unbeaten run was self evident as Arsenal momentarily played keep ball before launching an opening blitz on what hitherto this season had been an invincible Napoli side.

The Gunners' forward play continually threatened the Italian goal and the two goals that ensued in the first twenty minutes effectively won the game. Attacking the end at which I was sat high up above the penalty spot, the opening goal created one of those transcendental moments which make sport special. As Aaron Ramsey's pass found Mesut Ozil on the edge of the penalty area, the German magically controlled the ball and simultaneously directed it with power under the cross bar but beyond the dive of Pepe Reina. Like Richard Pacquette's winner against Hayes earlier in the season it was a moment that froze you to the spot as you witnessed something you weren't expecting.

The score soon doubled when Ozil fed Olivier Giroud for one of the Frenchman's trademark close range finishes. At this point Arsenal seemed to be poised to thrash Napoli but instead opted to lock down the game, the tough tackling of Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky snuffing out any hope of a comeback, reducing any efforts to long range shots which in no way troubled Wojciech Szczesny.

All the Italians could do was to back their team vociferously until the final whistle. Conducted by a man with a chest that qualified him for page 3 the Napoli fans engaged in much fist pumping and orchestrated chanting until even the Arsenal fans caught up in the second half with the North Bank and Clock End engaging in old fashioned call and response which echoed around the stadium. Thus the match ended with the ground en fete. Who knows where it will lead but the promise of great things to come was in the night air throughout.

Mustard finish sees off negative Norwich

A funny day at the Grove yesterday which began with a massive sigh of relief when I discovered that the Maidenhead game at Dorchester had been called off at 2.45 pm. But for an early evening engagement, I would have made the pointless trip, but at least those that did could drown their sorrows with £1.50 bottles of Carlsberg.

As for the game in front of me, despite Arsenal's strong Spring league form I was full of worry about the result. I was sat in the North Bank where I rarely see Arsenal win, indeed I can remember watching Chris Hughton's last visit in 2010 when his Newcastle team won a dour game 1-0, shortly before he was sacked. Still at least the prospect of goals were on offer, having sat nearby when almost a year ago Norwich shared six goals in a great game of football, and also earlier this season when a late penalty missed by Mikel Arteta prevented the Fulham game being settled by the odd goal in seven.

The last ten minutes aside though what transpired was an awful game of football to match the miserable weather which even seem to dampen the spirit of the foam finger wearers and split scarfers. With Norwich struggling on the brink of the relegation zone, their approach to the game was entirely understandable putting ten men behind the ball. Arsenal's starting eleven was unable to break them down, with Gervinho lacking guile, Wilshire match fitness and Cazorla stuck out of position on the wing. With Giroud seeming to play in a withdrawn role (false nine? - cue joke), Arsenal offered little promise of scoring whilst the game remained goalless.

As usual it took an opposition goal from a set piece by Michael Turner to spark the Gunners into life, with at least Wenger having the option to bring on some quality attacking players in Walcott, Podolski and Chamberlain. With the first two of the three returning to fitness it was good to see the impact they had on the game and hopefully they will be deemed ready for selection in the crucial game against Everton on Tuesday night.

However Arsenal's salvation was late coming and in the time between the Norwich opener and the equaliser, the Canaries demonstrated some cynical gamesmanship to slow the game down and waste time. I have no problem with the goalkeeper moving the ball across the six yard box or waiting for an attacker to challenge before picking it up but I really detest the antics of Grant Holt who when on several occasions a throw was clearly awarded to Arsenal did everything to obstruct a resumption of play. Norwich were helped by a weak referee who acquiesced with their tactics as the temperature grew in the stadium with the boiling blood of the Gooners.

That the equaliser came from a controversial penalty made it all the sweeter although the controversy was somewhat manufactured as it centred on how far away the linesman was when he made the award rather than the actual foul itself. The game then threatened to descend into pantomime as the Norwich players refused to conclude their heated debate with the officials in the corner, and then goalkeeper Mark Bunn stormed off in a huff to leave an empty net. The referee would have had a lot of sympathy for allowing Arteta to put the ball into the unguarded goal but he waited for Bunn to return before the midfielder delightfully placed the ball just beyond the keepers reach in the far corner.

The last few minutes then made up for the dross that had been on show before with Arsenal taking the lead with what looked like an own goal claimed by Giroud, and Fabianski making a superb save with his feet from Howson in a Norwich move direct from the restart. Podolski then completed the scoring with the goal of the game, a computer style turn and Howitzer shot which gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Job just about done as the Gunners rise to third place in timely fashion, looking good to stay there with a lot of important squad members returning from injury.

Revenge of Plastic Fan

A strange night at the Grove on Wednesday, a evenly contested first half, a spectacular opening to the second which decided the game, and a training style end following a long stoppage for a head injury.

It was eventful off the pitch too, at least in the section of the Upper tier of the Clock End where I was sitting where a boisterous young man a few seats along my row decided that his vocal support was not enough when West Ham took the lead. Indeed Arsenal's inability to only go into the break on level terms thanks to Lukas Podolski's equaliser hit like a kicking horse, was supposedly down to everyone's failure to match his volume and veracity of support. With no one rising to his bait, allegations that we were all plastic fans and responsible for Arsenal's demise in recent seasons soon turned into more personal abuse which crossed the line and he so he found himself put in his place by all around him.

The cameradarie engendered by the feeling that none of us were like him was boosted when he failed to return for the second half and thus missed the enthralling ten minute spell when Arsenal scored four times through Olivier Giroud (with two), Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott to make it game over.

Allez Allez

Just how I like it on Wednesday night. I alighted for the first time at Drayton Park station which must be even closer to the ground than Arsenal underground station. Crossing over the railway on the bridge adjacent to the ground presented possibly the best approach to the Grove. I didn't realise the famous clock could be seen from the outside of the stadium too. 

A keenly contested game between two well organised teams ensued, with Arsenal's superiority telling in the second half, the much maligned Olivier Giroud setting up goals for Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podolski, whilst his replacement at Montpellier Gaetan Charbonnier looked like a French Dave Kitson. An Arsenal clean sheet completed a satisfying evening although the Podolski goal was so good it gave rise to pangs of loss, recalling as it did the magic of Robin Van Persie.

With the result settled long before the end entertainment was provided off the pitch by the excitable antics of the Montpellier fans. Having caused a stir on their visit to Olympiakos earlier in the season there were plenty of active stewards in what was a smaller than usual away section. Their attempts to prevent  the Frenchmen turning the block into a mosh pit proved fruitless, and for once a drum coupled with an original repertoire of songs provided some much needed atmosphere. As the game drifted into stoppage  time  they repeatedly launched crazy goal celebrations which eventually influenced every one else to join in as Arsenal qualified for the knockout stage once more.

Here Comes The Car Crash

The all too predictable decline of Arsenal continued apace yesterday with a result and performance which squarely places the Gunners in the growing pack of clubs secure in their Premier League status and chasing the fourth qualifying Champions League spot. 

Since moving to Ashburton Grove Arsenal have regularly lost world class players, with their good but not great replacements seeing a title challenge fade further onto the horizon. The presentation of the dates of trophy wins around the new stadium seems to have frozen the honour roll in aspic, as Arsenal have fallen victim to a modern football malaise, the fetishisation of history and tradition. In this way the club has become a theme park where spectators buy a ticket to bathe in the warm glow of history before watching the men in red destroy the opposition in style.

Unfortunately the latter half of the equation is becoming an increasingly rare occurrence as the current playing staff do not have the ability to work within a formation which puts a premium on attacking play. Thus when the much maligned centre forward Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski had propelled Arsenal into an early two goal lead, Fulham had no fear in their capacity for a comeback. With Bryan Ruiz and Dimitar Berbatov mystifying the Arsenal defence with their free running across the Arsenal half, and the painful exposure of the red flanks by Podolski and Walcott's defensive deficiencies when required to protect their respective full backs, Berbatov's swift response was met with a comment from a weary season ticket holder in front of me of "here comes the car crash".

His words were a response to not just the Schalke comeback in midweek but the regular house of cards quality Arsenal now display when they don't have the ball. Sure enough Alex Kacaniklic soon equalised and Fulham almost took the lead before half time.

However when Berbatov completed the fait accompli from the penalty spot Arsenal sparked back into life, equalising straight away when Giroud redeemed himself for hitting the post when well placed by getting on the end of a Walcott cross when the ball was put pack into the box. Yet although Arsenal looked capable of taking the lead the aforementioned defensive frailty and the way in which the central midfield pair Arteta and Ramsey were regularly caught in possession meant Fulham looked equally threatening. All of which might seem to have created an all action environment beloved of the champions of the greatest league in the world theory but left me mourning the domestic death of the art of defending. Then again judging by the criticism of Spain and their perfect game plan of keeping the ball to ensure the opposition do not score, whilst waiting for their opportunity to arise, I guess I'm of a minority view.

Deep into stoppage time it was Arsenal who were provided with the chance to take all three points, somewhat harshly it seems, when they were awarded a penalty for handball. This gave Arteta the perfect opportunity to redeem his sin of giving a spot kick to Fulham earlier, but his spot kick, although well directed into the corner, did not send Schwarzer the wrong way, and with the ball fizzing along the ground the keeper was able to keep it out with the final touch of the game.

This was a match neither team decided to win or lose, with the main conclusion being that they are two very equal elevens, with plenty of attacking flair but no security at the back.

Capital Punishment

As usual the League Cup provided a first midweek visit of the season to Arsenal and a new journey to the Grove from my new workplace in Southwark, one of those virtually hidden routes through London, up the Northern Line then a train from Moorgate. I could have alighted at Drayton Park, right next to the ground, but with time on my hands I headed onto Finsbury Park where I was met with a large crowd gathering to make their way to the ground. I joined them walking down St Thomas Road, past an endless line up of fast food vans. For me pre match victuals were waiting at the last one, although tempted by Wojciech Szczęsny pointing me to Piebury Corner (wonder if he gets image rights), a trip to Arsenal is always enhanced by one of Fat Harry's foot long hot dogs.

Pausing to eat I was struck by waves of passers by bearing a slightly different character than usual. It was clear that the fact that tickets were cheap and freely available had attracted a crowd which was much more reflective of London. The benefits of Arsenal's continuing commitment to this League Cup ticketing policy were plain to see and later shown by a crowd of 58,351 with the only gaps to be seen in the top tier of the away end (Coventry being given the rare privilege of having access to virtually all of the Clock End). The attendance was in stark contrast to several poor figures in other ties but also a reminder of how popular football has become in the last 25 years as I can recall from personal experience a league match between the two teams at Highbury in 1986 a crowd not even half as much as this one to see Arsenal Reserves and the worst Coventry team in my life time.
With Arsenal lining up in a 4-2-4 formation which included a forward line of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, Andrey Arshavin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a thrashing seemed inevitable for the Sky Blues but it seemed like there was too much congestion in the Coventry penalty area until Giroud scored with practically the first chance of the game six minutes ahead of the break. Much was made of the summer signing's lack of a goal, a usual desperate media angle as he was starting only his fourth game.
The expected onslaught arrived after half time with Arsenal who appeared to be playing 2-4-4 when going forward with the ball at last began to profit from the midfield industry of the impressive central pair of Francis Coquelin and Nico Yennaris (the team mascot the last time Coventry visited N5).
A penalty for a clumsy foul on Arshavin presented an opportunity for Giroud to double his tally, but before the penalty could be taken, events took a farcical turn as the referee stopped the game due to an unwelcome incursion from the stands. A Coventry supporter wandered onto the pitch at the other end, calmly disrobed and waited for the stewards to give chase. In the meantime he was joined by a fellow fan and it became clear it was the Stewards' development squad on show as they hesitated before sending on the eldest member of the team with the two pitch invaders seemingly deciding themselves when to leave the stage. All this led up to a Giroud penalty miss or rather a penalty save by Joe Murphy.
Nevertheless the Ox soon doubled the lead and soon it was 3-0 as Arshavin who had been showboating all night scored with a delightful trap and finish. The Russian stood head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch and although its unlikely he will find a way back into the Arsenal first eleven he will surely find a stage for his amazing talent sooner rather than later. Another player with his Arsenal future in doubt made it 4-0, and it was interesting to see Walcott left on his own to celebrate by the rest of the team. Callum Ball scored a consolation for Coventry before the classy Ignasi Miquel and another goal from Walcott completed the scoring to leave the result as 6-1.
As expected an easy night out for the Gunners maintaining my recent record of watching goal fests with 28 coming in my last four football matches, a record which surely can't continue this lunchtime in North London. An outcome which would leave me in need of the services of the shock Doctor, Chris Kamara.