Matchday 6 can often be a tame game, so let’s hope Steaua Bucharest isn’t quite as dull as that 0-0 against Ajax a couple of years ago.
Arsenals’ minds are on Sunday’s game against Chelsea, and it looked as if Avram Grant’s mind was on the same thing, as he left out Joe Cole from his starting line-up last night and Chelsea drew 0-0 with Valencia.
Jens Lehmann is back in goal at last. I gather he doesn’t train with the other keepers, and that is credible after his badmouthing of Almunia. He didn’t go in at half-time in an away game last week, staying on the bench to advertise his alienation.
Many Gooners are saying the manager blew it by fielding a weakened team in Prague, where they drew 0-0 with Slavia. By not winning that game against the second worst team in the group, he may have put Arsenal into a match against such formidable group winners as Inter Milan or Real Madrid. Both those teams are a lot stronger than the last time Arsenal played them. Who thinks Slavia Prague will beat Sevilla tonight ? Nobody I know.
After a red card in Sevilla, where Arsenal lost 3-1, Arsene Wenger serves a touchline ban tonight.
Van Persie and Diaby are in the squad.
Most of us would like to see RVP start but the manager knows his players better than anybody. For the fans, it’s nice to have a home game at last, even one like this. Rest assured, the performance won’t be as flaccid as Middlesbrough. Arsenal won’t play as badly as that again this season. Diarra was a dynamo at Newcastle but couldn’t do it twice in 4 days.
Steaua Bucharest have no points after five games.
The Arsenal team might be something like this : Lehmann; Hoyte, Gallas, Senderos, Traore; Walcott, Gilberto, Denilson, Diaby; Van Persie, Bendtner
Before the Marseilles game, Rafa said it was a final, he wanted to control Marseilles, and it would be good to score first.
Liverpool, playing a straight 4-4-2, roared into a two-goal lead in 11 minutes and won 4-0.
Stevie G won the penalty and scored at the second attempt in 4 minutes. He’s scored in seven consecutive Liverpool games.
Fernando Torres soon waltzed round Rodrigues and sidefooted into the far corner for 2-0.
The first time I saw Torres play for Atletico Madrid I thought : the blond Anelka ? He has power, disguise, explosive pace and bottle. He delivers in big games because his temperament is right. Even without the ball, he’s menacing. He wants to take the ball off a defender and score. He is world class and he didn’t need time to settle in. He went out there and scored 12 goals by December 11. If he had been playing for Liverpool in last year’s final against AC Milan, they would have won.
At 2-0 the game was over, so I wrote my Xmas cards for USA and Thailand, and started flicking between Real Madrid-Lazio, Porto- Besiktas, and Chelsea-Valencia.Baptista scored the first as Madrid won 3-1. I saw Ricardo Quaresma slot for 2-0 against the Turks.
Rangers v Lyon with the ‘Gers needing a draw to qualify?
Good test for Benzema, the big young striker everybody is talking about. He’s a bit raw but one to watch. Haven’t seen much of him. But what I’ve seen, I’ve liked.
If you’re going to the Emirates tonight, wrap up, support Jens and Robin. And if it’s very boring, write a few Xmas cards.