What a pass by Alex Song!
Everton played well enough to prevent Arsenal scoring until the 70th minute.
Song\’s diagonal pass was flighted over Phil Jagielka and dropped perfectly into the run of Robin van Persie, who placed a flawless left-foot volley across keeper Tim Howard, so that his shot bounced and went in off the far post.
A fabulous goal. You all saw it, you all talked about it, and you don\’t need me to describe its geometric genius.
A contender for Goal of the Season.
RVP admitted he didn\’t have a great game – but he scored the winner.
Robin said, “It was vital to stay on track and get the three points. Normally, I would have touched to get it right. It was a bit of a gamble, but in the end a very nice goal inside the post. I can’t wish for more. It was a hard game against a good Everton side. In the end, very pleased. We’ve been solid at the back for a couple of weeks now, I mean really solid, lots of things coming together.
“Then you know, as a forward player, one chance can be decisive. It was a great pass again from Alex Song- unbelievable. He is a defensive midfielder, but the amount of skill he has is just a dream. A great pass from him. Normally, I would have touched to get it right. It was a bit of a gamble, but in the end a very nice goal inside the post. I can’t wish for more.
“But it wasn’t a great game in my opinion, especially from myself as too often I had touches which did not go the way I wanted. I’m not really happy with that, with my own performance, but pleased with the win.”
Robin\’s wonder-goal rescued the day and provided a winning climax to the celebrations of the club\’s 125th anniversary.
Wenger said that George Graham should have a statue as well.
When they were talking about statues, and many statue jokes were being made, hack Tony Stenson said, of George, “He deserves a statue”.
And Wenger, very seriously, said: “He deserves one.”
ARSENAL(4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen; Song, Arteta; Walcott, Ramsey, Gervinho; Van Persie.
EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Heitinga, Baines; Coleman, Neville, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov; Cahill; Saha. Referee: Howard Webb
If Danny Welbeck can start scoring, Manchester United have a decent chance of overtaking Manchester City in the title race. A 4-1 win over Wolves was a bit more like it.
Their Champions League exit might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Chelsea could win or lose against Manchester City tonight but whatever the result, AVB must grow a thicker skin. Former Valencia team-mates David Silva and Juan Mata will keep it interesting, I hope.
All along I thought Cesc Fabregas would be valuable to Barcelona as a goalscorer.
Yes, I realise his goals were important to Arsenal, but they do not have as many reliable finishers as Barca.
Having said all that, and noted how instinctively Fabregas has combined with his mate Messi, I reckoned he would be more of a creator than he\’s been so far. It’s early days for him. And scoring goals is the hard part of the game.
Fabregas started his first Clasico and didn\’t have a great game but he sealed three vital points with yet another goal. When bionic competitor Dani Alves hit a killer cross from the right flank, Fabregas headed down and across Iker Casillas to make it 3-1 after 65 minutes. Barca cruised to victory after that decisive strike.
Cesc has scored 10 goals in 13 starts this season.
In 53, a Xavi shot had deflected off Marcelo and bounced and gone in off the inside of the post for 2-1. Benzema had scored after 23 seconds Kaka replaced Ozil after 58 and did quiet well but my main memory of the game will be Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean 22-year old who already has 44 caps.
He\’s a fierce animal who wasn\’t intimidated by Madrid\’s physicality and, in key moments, especially in quickfire exchanges with Messi, Sanchez proved to be a phenomenal technician. On 30 minutes he’d scored a magnificent equalaliser after a typically incisive move by Barca and a killer through-pass from Messi.
By the time it Real were losing 2-1, Lassana Diarra had been reduced to rugby-tackling Iniesta, and as soon as he did that, the always pro-active Mourinho took him off and put on Khedira.
When a dipping cross by the Xabi Alonso found the head of Cristiano Ronaldo, the handsome gladiator headed wide from six yards. An easy chance for a player who heads the ball as well as Ronaldo does.
A minute later, Fabregas made it 3-1 and it was : Thank you and good night!
Amir Khan was robbed of his world titles in Washington on Saturday night.
Hometown decision.
Joe Cooper was a ridiculous referee.
In a wild first round, when both fighters were throwing bombs, Cooper gave Lamont Petersen a slow count of 8 and the ref’s face gave the game away. He looked so guilty ! He looked as if he knew he was cheating.
Third round was a slugfest, a good battle, with Petersen on top. Khan was showboating in the fourth, being silly.
It was a close fight and the American\’s body punches were good and he rocked Khan with some terrific shots, while Khan\’s handspeed impressed, as always.
Overall, although Khan took too many punches,he shaded it over 12 rounds of brawling, boxing and wrestling.
But, eventually, Petersen won a split decision after Khan twice had a point deducted for pushing in the seventh and final round. One judge gave it to Khan, the others favoured Petersen by 113-112. Khan was robbed.
In the Sixties my dad used to go up to London from Stevenage to watch Dave Charnley , Terry Downes, Dick Tiger, Howard Winstone, Henry Cooper and many other champions.
Dad used to say that a British boxer visiting USA had to knock out an American to get a draw.
Much has changed since the Sixties. But that’s still the same.