By Myles Palmer
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RUSSIA is a nation of 145 million people.
And Moscow is a city of 9 million.
Clearly, Russia will take two more generations to sort out a proper balance of democracy and capitalism.
The country has some catching up to do.
However, Moscow already has a middle class and lots of capital.
So a Moscow club could become Euro-successful any time between now and 2020.
Who knows, Roman Abramovich might buy a Moscow club in 2010 and have a team with seven Russians and three Ukrainians and six Latins – and thrash Man United and Real Madrid.
THIS WEEK,however, it’s an Arsenal win.
Arsenal are too powerful and too determined to lose to Moscow Lokomotiv at Highbury on Wednesday night.
It will be tight and tense, but the Russians have not had a competitive game since their league ended three weeks ago.
So they will lack sharpness and Arsenal will overwhelm them late in the game, if they do not score an early goal.
ASHLEY COLE’S assault at Leicester was the most EVIL tackle by an Arsenal player since Ian Wright on Schmeichel on 19th Februray 1997.
Wright was not sent off that day by Martin Bodenham, or even booked.
What was Ashley Cole doing on the right side of the pitch? On TV, we could not tell.
Gilberto had silenced his critics with a power sprint into the box to head home Bergkamp’s cross in 60 minutes.
The move was six touches.
Lehmann threw the ball out to Pires, who took one touch and passed down the wing to Bergkamp, who beat Thatcher with one touch before crossing left footed, so that the ball floated over quickly and perfectly and down in front of the Brazilian, who checked his run to stay onside and judge exactly where the ball was going.
DB10 is still a superb technician, as that sublime cross proved.
It should have been enough to win the game.
But Ashley Cole sent himself off with 20 minutes left when a 1-0 win would have restored Arsenal to the top of the table in a title race I have recently predicted they will win.
Keown came on in defence, Impey hit a long diagonal ball that should have been cleared, Scowcroft nodded down,and sub Craig Hignett raced in to stab home.
In injury time.
Thanks, Ashley. If you had been on the pitch you would have covered Hignett’s run.
You’ve cost Arsenal two points and you will be banned for three matches.
You took a slack touch, on the wrong side of the field, and lost control of the ball.
So you lost the plot. You lost your head. You lost your discipline completely.
You steamed in over the top, with both feet, missing the ball, but crunching the shin of Ben Thatcher.
IT WAS A SHOCKING CHALLENGE IN ANY LEAGUE, let alone by a professional player employed by Arsenal FC.
It was wholly inexcusable.
At first I thought it was the most disgusting tackle I have seen by an Arsenal player in 20 years.
Until I recalled a couple of Keown classics.
And until a friend recalled Wright’s X-certificate stomp on Schmeichel’s thigh.
LEEDS v Arsenal in the FA Cup Third Round?
No reason why Arsenal should not reach a fourth consecutive FA Cup Final.
The competition likes Arsene, and Arsene likes the competition.
It will take more than Jermaine Pennant to knock Arsenal off that route into the history books.
But it was a fine goal by Pennant against Chelsea.
Robbing Makelele as he muffed a short pass to John Terry, Pennant beat Terry, rounded Gallas, and fired between Cudicini and the near post.
Damien Duff,plunging through a ruck of bodies to stab home a rebound, after Robinson had parried a Mutu shot, earned Chelsea a point.
DID YOU SEE Bowling for Columbine on C4 on Saturday?
The most important American film of my lifetime.
If anybody has seen a more important American film, please let me know.
December 7th 2003.