By Myles Palmer
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Leeds 1 Arsenal 4
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AFTER seeing his team thrashed at Elland Road today Terry Venables made the point I made in Friday’s preview.
Tel said,”I honestly believe Silva has made a difference to an already outstanding team this year.His know-how and positioning has brought a greater maturity than they already had.”
David O’Leary left Leeds £30 million in debt.
Now a Sky pundit, he sits there pontificating in an appallingly disingenuous manner.
His players were a disgrace in this match.Where is £7 million midfielder Seth Johnson now?
Where was the Leeds spirit?
Their best player was Lee Bowyer,who has just bought a penthouse flat in Wapping and has only eight months left on his contract!
Months ago I suggested that Tel, a possession coach,might not be the ideal guru for a power squad who have more energy than skill.
After 8 minutes, Ashley Cole showed magnificent enterprise to rob Gary Kelly and feed Henry, who set up Kanu for 1-0.
After 18, Lauren’s slide-rule pass gave Henry a shot, which Paul Robinson saved expertly.
But seconds later Wiltord waltzed round Danny Mills and crossed for TOURE to score with a thumping header from eight yards.
GAME OVER IN 18 MINUTES!!
I love short games because I can start thinking about other things.
Toure is amazing. He can keep up with Henry,make runs inside him and beyond him.
After 23, Kelly redeemed himself by clearing GILBERTO’S glancing header off the line after an Henry corner.
At this stage Gilberto Silva was looking a better player for Arsenal than he does for Brazil, because the team is better organised and gives him more passing options.
If Gilberto goes on playing like this he will become a Brazilian Desailly, an anchorman like the great Marcel, who powered AC Milan to all those trophies.
After 29,Leeds started to do a bit.
Kewell put Bakke in on the right, where he was wrongly flagged offside.
Sol did very well to dive forward and nod back a header to Seaman, denying Smith who had nipped goalside of him for a split-second.
Dacourt played a pass and then dived over Vieira’s hip, conning the ref.That yellow card should be rescinded. If Patrick had kicked him, fair enough. But he didn’t touch him.
A rare Gilberto miskick allowed Bowyer to put the ball across the goal but Seaman made a 1996-style fast block at Kewell’s feet as the Aussie blasted a narrow-angled shot.
Seaman is playing so well now!
Second half,another early goal for 3-0 after 77 seconds.
Sol cushion-headed the ball to Wiltord, he found Kanu in the centre circle, and he released Henry, who dribbled right into the six yard box before flashing the ball inside the near post.
As I’ve been saying, Arsenal have more gears now.
At 2-0 here they slowed the game down.
At 3-0 up they slowed it down again.
It was the most one-sided Leeds-Arsenal game I have ever seen.
Then Alan Smith heads one against the bar from a free-kick.
Cygan tangled with Bowyer on the ground after a tackle and his boot catches Bowyer high on the chest. No yellow card is given.
In a revenge tackle, Bowyer soon got a yellow for leaving his boot in as Cygan clears,kicking the big man on the shin.
Luzhny had replaced Toure and now Pennant comes on for Wiltord in 79.
Just as the walkover was becoming utterly becalmed,Kewell backs into Lauren as a long Kelly cross reaches them and guides a volley back to BOWYER who shoots.
Seaman saves well,Bowyer shoots again,Seaman makes a second save with his chest, but the ball rebounds to Kewell, who hammers it through Lauren’s legs into the net.
So it’s 3-1 after 84 minutes.
Instantly, Pennant hits a fabulous 20-yard pass which bisects Mills and Matteo and allows Kanu to shoot across the keeper for 4-1.
Arsenal had regained their three-goal lead immediately.
Liverpool are second after Michael Owen scored all the goals in a 3-0 win at Man City.
Man United came back to win 3-1 at Charlton.
THE TITLE RACE IS BETWEEN ARSENAL AN MAN UNITED.
Liverpool have terrific players in Gerrard, Dudek, Hyypia and Riise. And Owen is a killer at times.
But Liverpool lack the classy teamwork of Arsenal.
It’s a two-horse race.
Again.
28th September 2002.
PS
Caroline went to the peace demo with 13 school pals and 200,000 other protesters.
She just came home. She reckons 40% of the people there were campaigning for a Palestinian state.