The week that was - August 2009
August 26, 2009
This morning I’m a bit reminded of that movie ‘Groundhog Day’, where Bill Murray wakes up each morning to relive the same day over and over. My reasoning has nothing to do with a furry rodent, however.
Last week we were reveling in a huge win and celebrating a fantastic start to our Champions League qualifier against Celtic. This week, we are reveling in a huge win and hoping for an even more fantastic finish to our Champions League qualifier against Celtic.
On Saturday, Arsenal played host to Portsmouth in the home opener. The big story at kick-off was Eduardo starting his first Premier League match since his leg was broken in a game against Birmingham in February of 2008.
The match itself can be quickly summed up this way: Yet another rather unorthodox goal scored by William Gallas, yet another example of the depth of the midfield, and yet another impressive performance by a player who has struggled with injuries over the years
Abou Diaby scored twice in the win against Pompey and was the star of the match. His performance earned him praise from Arsène Wenger as well as a comparison to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira. The fourth goal came from Aaron Ramsey, who came on for Cesc Fabregas at halftime.
Fans in attendance were able to see not only another fantastic offensive performance by the Gunners, but also the beginnings of the ‘Arsenalization’ of Emirates Stadium. Among the visuals and displays that will be popping up around the stadium: 12 greatest moments in Arsenal history, naming of the quadrants and concourses, and a ‘Highbury Shrine.’
The past week also saw the reserve team start their season with a bang by beating Fulham 3-0 at Underhill. Many in this year’s reserve squad were members of the double-winning Under-18 team from last season. Hopefully, they will continue their development this season, and perhaps we will see more some of them play at the Emirates in Carling Cup matches.
Looking ahead to this week, if Arsenal does secure their Champions League place, the draw for the group stage takes place on Thursday. Arsène Wenger, for one, is not looking beyond today’s match against Celtic, but that is no simple feat.
In addition to the draw, the team travels to Old Trafford on Saturday to face Manchester United in an early season showdown. After a shocking loss to Premier League debutants, Burnley, United returned to form by crushing Wigan 5-0.
Cesc Fabregas will sit out today’s game after tweaking his hamstring against Portsmouth, but the word right now is that he may be fit for Saturday. Along with Cesc, we could also see the long-awaited return of Tomas Rosicky.
Lastly, the annual event that always stirs up soccer fans everywhere, the transfer window will close early next week. Teams will try to fill the holes in their squad until the last minute, and we can expect a flurry of player movement. Will Arsène Wenger make any moves? It’s anyone’s guess.
Until next week…
- Kevin Mooney
August 19, 2009
Two games, two wins. Not a bad way to start the season.
Arsenal opened the 2009/10 season in electrifying fashion, with a 6-1 victory at Everton. Despite the final score, no one expected this to be a walk in the park. Last season, Everton finished fifth in the Premier League and was runner up to Chelsea in the FA Cup. This season, the Toffees are again expected to challenge for a place in Europe and make their case to be considered among England’s elite.
And yet…6-1.
What more can I say? The goals came from all over the pitch, the team played with passion and skill, and perhaps most importantly, I did not see any holes in the squad that played. Not a single player looked out of place. I don’t want to get cocky here – as Arsène says, it is only one game after all. But what a game! If you missed it, you can see it in its entirety on Arsenal TV Online.
Moving on to Celtic, The Gunners knew they had a tough game ahead of them as Celtic has a strong record against English teams in European competition. The Celtic faithful also makes Parkhead one of the most difficult venues for visiting teams to play in. Not that I was there, but I can say that the Scotsman who sat behind me at the pub was definitely the most vocal among the handful of fans that showed up for a Tuesday lunchtime match.
At 2-0, the game certainly was not a blow-out, but it was about as good of a result as we could have hoped for. Arsenal showed skill, tenacity, and also had a bit of good fortune. Although, I like to believe that in soccer, teams make their own luck. Let’s just remember that the job isn’t done yet. We’ll need to wait until next Wednesday to book our trip to the Champions League.
The results of these two matches make it difficult to pick only three stars, but I’ll try.
1. Cesc Fabregas. Two goals, two assists. What more can really be said about our talismanic captain? Arsène Wenger’s new formation certainly seems to suit the young Catalan.
2. Thomas Vermaelen. It is widely perceived that it takes new players the better part of a year to make the transition to English soccer. Vermaelen looks like a cagey veteran instead of a rookie. Even the boss thinks so.
3. Alex Song. After being on the receiving end of some fans’ ire for a couple of years, Song has really come into his own. I’d guess most of the naysayers now understand why the manager has always had such faith in him.
Looking ahead, Arsenal hosts Portsmouth on Saturday at the Emirates. Pompey is a team in flux right now, with several key players departing over the summer and a change in ownership on the cards. While last season proved that you can never look past ANY team in the Premier League, perhaps this is a good opportunity for Arsenal to try to build some momentum ahead of the August 29th clash against Manchester United.
Until next week…
- Kevin Mooney
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