If football was fair, 1-1 would have been 3-1.
If Bendtner was not such a berk, he would have jumped over that Fabregas shot.
If patriotic Dutch ref Vink had given a penalty against a Dutch striker, when Kuyt tugged the arm of Hleb, Arsenal would have won.
If Bacary Sagna had played, he would have tackled Stevie G and Kuyt would not have equalised.
The Bendtner incident was more significant than the Hleb-Kuyt tangle because you still have to score the penalty. Reina might save it, Ade might hit it wide.
So Arsenal need a 1-0 win at Anfield on Tuesday night. I can’t see that happening. Or they need a 2-2 draw.
Fired by the injustice of last night, this team will strive mightily to beat Liverpool in the league on Saturday. Rafa will rest a few, including Torres.
Rafa’s comment was ominous. He said the away goal gave him “options.” By that he means, “I can make sure it’s 0-0 at Anfield.”
Rafa’s workmanlike Valencia beat Arsenal on away goals with two workmanline performances. He is not in the entertainment business and never will be. Rafa Benitez is in the results business.
Man United are the world’s best team and look set for Moscow.
Roma are a good little team whose style depends on Totti linking runners to create shooting positions. Vucinic is a different kind of player who cannot duplicate Totti’s creative link-play.
Fenerbahce beat Chelsea 2-1. The oligarch wonders, “If we can’t win in Istanbul, how are we gonna win in Moscow?”
In the end, a week of two big jumps. Ade and Cristiano.
Cristiano is a monster action-hero. What he does is comic book fiction. He’s Ronaldo of the Rovers.He beats you by dribbling, by stunning free-kicks, by flick-goals, by cannonball shots. And then he plays down the middle in Rome and gets kicked to bits and comes back boldly with a mindboggling mega-leap and thumps in a monster, monster header from 12 yards.
Adebayor heads in from six yards for 1-0. Yes !!
Three minutes later, Arsenal concede.
That was my week.
A week of two headers.
A week of two jumps, two headers and Peter Doig.
I’ve been beating my brains out for months but have this week off…. and….it’s been enjoyable so far.