By Ian Grant
Arsenal 2 Cardiff City 1 (FA Cup Third Round)
A cold damp day with more Police on show at Kings Cross than 7/7 – just to marshall the Cardiff fans.
I said to a copper in a yellow jacket and flat cap: “They must have a bad reputation.”
“Nah, they’re as good as gold,” he said. Obviously.
There was an aggression in the air reminiscent of the seventies and eighties (particularly away games at Leeds).
Talking of the past, there’s now a fantastic long mural on one side of the Arsenal tube tunnel celebrating Highbury history. It is a combination of photo-collages, and artwork – some from local kids. Arsenal players featured range from Mercer, Compton, Kennedy, Brady, George, Rocastle, Smith, and Thomas to today’s team.
There were a lot of new faces in the stands today, including some egocentric prats behind me who put themselves above the collective community spirit, along with a junior who kicked the seat in front next to me with unconscious but metronomic regularity. Hope Ashburton Grove has kick-proof seats.
Wenger put out a hybrid side with four ‘reserves’ in defence – Almunia, Gilbert, Dojorou and Senderos. Lauren switched to the left. Flamini, Gilberto and Pires comprised the midfield. Captain Bergkamp, van Persie and Reyes the front three.
Cardiff had a smattering of well known players with Purse, Cox, Ardley and Whitley. Rhys Weston was ex-Arsenal. Loovens grew up with van Persie and Jerome, the big centre forward had star billing.
And he should have but Cardiff ahead in the second minute – clear in front of Almunia, he lobbed over.
It took two characterstic mis-placed passes by Gilberto to get Arsenal going.
But on 7 a good angled pass from Reyes found van Persie, who found Pires free on the right of the area. The Frenchman cooly picked his spot past Cardiff keeper, Alexander.
Senderos had a couple of bad moments with a dangerous pass back and a booking.
On 19 a similar move to the first goal, saw Van Persie move it quickly to Bergkamp, who found Pires in the centre of the area. Again he was coolness personified and picked his spot past Alexander.
The game was over – or should have been.
Gilberto tried an old fashioned banana shot which whistled just wide and Senderos headed over, but a major feature of the first half was the inter-change link up play from van Persie and Reyes with at first one being creator, the other the stiker and then vice versa.
The other was the Cardiff crowd, who took the whole of the Clock End and did a coarse interpretation of a mass Welsh choir. It didn’t have the finesse of the rugby equivalent, but they bellowed loud and long.
Along with the Ajax fans, they were the noisiest so far this season. “We’re gonna win 3-2, “Highbury’s a Library.” “2-0 and still no song.” etc;
Cardiff defenders hacked Reyes’ ankles four or five times, with Loovens getting booked.
Wenger spared him further punishment, putting on Owusu Abeye at half time for an all Dutch front three.
Again a feature of the second half was how van Persie set up Abeye on the left several times.
Van Persie himself had a strong shot saved and headed onto the bar from a corner.
Senderos committed a bad foul and could have seen red.
Jerome and Whitley had shots saved by Almunia.
Larsson came on for van Persie and narrowly missed from an angle.
But generally Arsenal didn’t go out of their way to score another and by the 80th minute the attack had petered out -with only Abeye up front on his own.
The earlier heavy Police presence was explained when Almunia was hit by an object from behind the goal, and soon after pushed by a pitch invader (reminiscent of the seventies). Both perpetrators were ejected.
Cue Cardiff, with their muscular players to fight back.
A corner on 86 saw Purse head goalwards. It hit Jerome’s thigh and went over the goal-line.
Arsenal began protective possession football. But it didn’t stop an injury time panic when Almunia dropped the ball from a cross causing a penalty box scramble.
So in the end, a familiar tale of Arsenal hanging on, in a game which they should have long put to bed.