Norwich will be much more of a test for Arsenal on Saturday the 19th.
West Brom gave Arsenal so much time and space that they made Robin van Persie look like Zidane.
Robin scored one and made two in a 3-0 home victory that puts Arsenal seventh, level on 19 points with Liverpool.
When Ramsey released Walcott, the lad hit the keeper and Robin popped in the rebound. Song took a free-kick found RVP, who hooked the ball across the goal for Vermaelen to slot from 12 yards. Good finish by the Belgian and a sign that he\’s returning to his best form.
Then Koscielny passed forward to Van Persie and wide to Rosicky and infield to Van Persie in the box to neatly set up Arteta for a sidefoot shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Those goals in 22 and 39 and 74 minutes gave Arsenal three points from a game where they had claimed 67% possession. Carl Jenkinson keeps improving at right back and crosses a good ball, unlike some other full backs we could name.
West Brom only had two shots on target and one of those was in stoppage time. Without Shane Long, Odemwingie and Scharner, they had no chance and knew it.
The first goal was Robin’s 28th in 26 league games.
Can he win a trophy for Arsenal? If the defence improves, maybe. If he stays fit, maybe. If Wilshere and Vermaelen play all the games from February onwards, maybe. It’s early days.
The other main matches were closer and more interesting.
There were three thrillers on Saturday with two featuring promoted clubs.
QPR\’s Jay Bothroyd scored the first goal against Man City, Dzeko levelled by half-time. Then David Silva scored an electric-as- Messi goal but when Traore’s cross bounced off young centreback Savic, in for the suspended Kompany, and broke for the diving Bothroyd, his header went in off Helguson for 2-2.The Icelander was just onside.
Eventually, Rangers gave Kolarov far too much space and his wickedly inviting cross allowed Yagoal Toure to score the winner with a spectacular centre forward’s header.
Norwich, a tidy, vibrant outfit, also took the lead at Aston Villa before losing 3-2.
Agbonlahor laid on two for Darren Bent.
Newcastle v Everton featured an own-goal by Heitinga and a thunderous shot by Ryan Taylor that went in off the underside for 2-0. Jack Rodwell headed in a beautiful whipped flat corner by Drenthe for 2-1 at half-time.
No goals in the second half but some good action in that third thriller.
With Andy Carroll missing an early volley, Liverpool struggled in a 0-0 draw with Swansea.
They definitely miss the creative composure of Raul Meireles. When they started the season without the Portuguese, I wondered why he wasn\’t playing. Now I know.
Dirk Kuyt is a very determined grafter who bags a few goals. When you leave Kuyt out, you miss his work rate and desire. He sets the tone in terms of pressing. He came on but couldn’t generate a matchwinner. Remarkably, Swansea enjoyed 65% possession at Anfield, had chances to win, and were applauded off the field by the Liverpool supporters.
Since Kenny Dalglish is truly the son of Bob Paisley when it comes to standards being maintained in every game Liverpool play, his verdict was straightforward. He tells it like it is.
Kenny said, “We were poor in most aspects, if not every aspect, of the game.”
Chelsea wobbled at Blackburn but managed to win when Ivanovic improvised a killer cross and Lampard knelt down to score with a header from ankle height. Cech got a broken nose after a collision with Ashley Cole and Yakubu.
After to losing to QPR and Arsenal, Villas-Boas really needed those points.
On Sunday Spurs won 3-1 at Fulham and the last five minutes were pandemonium in the Spurs six yard box with Fulham pressing fiercely and 2-1 down. Brad Friedel was immense and Modric had to kick one off the line in the 93rd.
Then came the sickener for Fulham in the 94th : Defoe smashed in Tottenham’s third from a hooked cross by Adebarndoor. Pulsating stuff. Kaboul went off on a stretcher before half-time but I knew he’d come out for the second half and he did, scoring an unlucky o.g.
Chelsea (4th) and Spurs (5th) each have 22 points but Spurs have a game in hand.
Manchester United unveiled the renamed Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and then unveiled a stuttering performance which they won with an own-goal.
Nanis\’s driven corner beat Welbeck’s jump, hit Wes Brown on the side of the head and ricocheted into the net.
On Saturday, as I read and watched some tributes to the knight\’s 25 astonishing years as manager of the world’s biggest football club, I tried to cast my mind back over the many times I had met Alex when I was a reporter. Trouble is, I only met him at stadiums, after games, so it was always the same situation. That can blur and merge memories and I was, frankly, struggling.
But three moments stand out vividly.
I first met Alex Ferguson at Wembley when he was managing Scotland after Jock Stein died. The match was in April 1996 and was one of his ten games as caretaker manager. He had Richard Gough, Willie Miller and Alex McLeish in his back four. Butcher and Hoddle put England 2-0 up, then Butcher brought down Charlie Nicholas and Graeme Souness scored the penalty.
After losing 2-1 this smart young Scot came in wearing a blazer and grey trousers. He talked honestly and realistically. Alex Ferguson was very charming and friendly, and he had time for everybody. You had to like him. I thought: What a nice guy!
Second time that sticks out was when Manchester United lost a game at Highbury and he praised the passion of David Rocastle, admiring the tackles Rocky made in front of Lee Dixon. He was amazed. He said, “The boy Rocastle, what an effort he puts into his game.†Some moments, some remarks, make a big impression and always stick in your mind. That was one of them.
Fergie knew he had to match the running power of Arsenal\’s midfield and that became a template for him. He took that important lesson on board from George Graham and soon came back with the first of his powerhouse midfields, four guys who could run box to box, win games and keep them won.
My third Fergie moment was ten years later, around 1996, at a party at the plush offices of a big law firm in Mayfair, which I attended with Mark Jacob when we were going to a few events concerned with Sport & the Law.
We met Maurice Watkins, the United director who looked after their legal affairs. Around that time Alex thought he was underpaid, so he used to write books to make more money and he did one with Peter Ball which I liked.
I said, “I really enjoyed Alex’s book. If anything, he was too candid and revealed too much.â€
Maurice said, “You should have seen the stuff I crossed out!â€