GILBERTO will make a difference against West Ham.
He will make a big difference.
When he’s played at centreback they miss him in midfield. When he’s injured, they miss him in midfield. He has had a good season and you really notice it when he’s not there.
Obviously, Arsenal need a win against West Ham, and a performance, or their season could collapse completely.
The Hammers will battle all the way. But under Curbishley they won’t play with as much tempo as they did under Pardew, and Carlos Tevez might keep it interesting. A nervous game for both teams, so don’t expect too much rhythm. It could be scrappy. At this stage, results are everything
Monday’s Newcastle-Arsenal game is on PPV at 3pm.
Newcastle have the man with the best Christian name in the Prem : Obafemi Martins. On his day, he is some player.
ELSEWHERE, it’s been quite a week in football .
Manchester United lost 2-1 in Rome, Liverpool won 3-0 in Eindhoven, Bayern drew 2-2 in Milan, and a Drogba equaliser gave Chelsea a chance in Valencia on Tuesday night.
In Seville, Spanish police battered Spurs fans, including disabled fans in wheelchairs. Spurs scored early through Robbie Keane, conceded a penalty which was a ridiculous decision against Paul Robinson, who dived at Adriano’s feet and got the ball, then lost 2-1 after some chaotic defending by Michael Dawson.
Horrific hooliganism by Rome’s riot police also marred this week’s Champions League quarter-finals.
It was a miracle that nobody was killed by cops who clubbed defencless fans on the head again and again and again. Are these cops psychopaths or what? Do they have adequate training?
The mayor of Rome contributed to an inflammatory atmosphere by complaining bitterly that Man United had warned their supporters to avoid certain areas of the city. United were only passing on advice given to them by the Italian authorities, who were seeking to minimise trouble by keeping their supporters away from knife-wielding Roman gangs.
The EEC must now insist that every riot cop in every country has a big white number on his helmet, so that he can be identified and prosecuted for gratuitous violence such as this.
Come on Brussels, wake up ! You can’t ignore this.
VERDICT on Champions League first legs?
A lot of crocks, a lot of burn-out. Everywhere I look, I see coaches running out of bodies. Really key players like Alex and Vidic and Essien are missing, some players like Drogba are not fit, not going in for challenges as he normally would.
Fuelled by rage at the ref’s appalling decision against Lucio in that 2-2 draw, Bayern Munich will pulverise AC Milan in the second leg.
At least Arsenal don’t have midweek fatigue and knocks to recover from now.
Spurs lost their Uefa Cup first leg and then worked at Seville’s training ground on Friday and flew back last night to play at Stamford Bridge at 12.30pm Saturday, while Man United trained at Roma’s facility and flew back to Portsmouth.
I’m very relaxed today, almost too relaxed to write, because it’s a warm Good Friday in old London town and Caroline’s come home for Easter, so it feels like a holiday. She’s working on an 8,000-word essay and we won’t see her till she finishes uni.
Before Michael goes out to meet friends, he says, “If Dominic pitches up, tell him we’re in the park.”
A while later, as I’m watching Roma-Man United highlights, a knock on the door, and it’s Dominic, a Man United fan. Caroline comes down the stairs.
“I’ll join you in about an hour,” she says to Dom.
So I stand in the sunshine by the front gate of Palmer Mansions, talking to Dom, saying, “Roma surprised me. They’re young, sharp, lively, great interchanging – they might be the best of the eight teams left in. Not a bunch of old men like Juventus and Inter and Milan – Mexes and Chivu are only mid-twenties. OK Panucci’s about 47. They’re very good. On a neutral ground, in a one-off game, like the final in Athens, Roma could beat anybody. But at OldTrafford, who knows what they will do? They might bottle it.”
Dom’s mobile rings.
“I’m talking to your dad…we’re talking football…I know where the park is, whereabouts in the park are you?”
He clicks off his phone.
“In the green bit ? Don’t be clever, Michael,” he says, smiling.