Arsene’s miracle started before they hammered Birmingham 2-0.
What we have seen from his team in the last six weeks has been coming for months.
But nobody saw it because it was being nourished secretly in a field near St Albans.
Arsene saw it in training every day and told us he believed in his team, and then, the day after he suggested “I may be past it”, his youngsters put it all together and beat Real Madrid 1-0 and they’ve been flying ever since, except at Blackburn.
In the Champions League, his luck has held so far. They topped a qualifying group that Barnet could have won, outplayed an elderly Real Madrid team, won a pulsating 0-0 draw in the second leg at Highbury, and then outclassed another elderly team, Juventus, in the quarter-final first leg
People ask : What if Juventus get an early goal ?
I’m asking : what if Arsenal get an early goal?
Eboue and Fabregas are expected to play, and Nedved is back. Well past his best, the bouncing Czech warrior might have one stunning 30-yard shot left in him.
DID YOU READ James Richardson’s Serie A column in Monday’s Guardian?
James was talking about Juve’s 0-0 draw with Treviso, their thumping at Highbury, and he related the following exchange of abuse between coach and striker :
Capello: “Don’t play like shit.”
Ibrahimovic: “If you don’t like it, mister, take me off.”
Capello: “Get off then”.
Ibrahimovic, as he leaves the field: “Fuck off. And don’t tell me I play like shit.”
This from the striker who, when he was 15, told Arsene, “I don’t do trials.”
Gamblers love the Asian Line Handicap : You win at 1.92 if Arsenal draw or win the match. I’m back ing Arsenal with everything I won on AC Milan and Villareal last night.
LAST NIGHT we were three minutes from both Milan teams going out.
Pippo Inzaghi and Diarra scored with headers in 25 and 31 minutes and a 1-1 scoreline was putting Lyon through on the away goal.
The first came from Seedorf’s fine cross, which allowed Pippo a glancing header that gave Coupet no chance , and the equaliser came from Juninho’s pinpoint free-kick which found both centrebacks racing into the goalkeeper’s face, Cris blocking Dida and not watching the ball, so that the ball hit his back and popped up for Diarra to head home.
As late as 88, Kaladze’s diagonal ball from the halfway line was allowed to bounce and left back Adibal had gone AWOL, allowing Shevchenko to shoot across Coupet with power. The keeper touched the ball onto the post and when it rebounded from the opposite post, poacher Pippo stabbed in his second.
In 93, young right back Clerc made a sloppy back pass which found Shevchenko, who went round Coupet to make it 3-1.
Since I first saw him play for Kiev against Arsenal at Wembley, I’ve thought Andrej Shevchenko was the best footballer in the world. Power, skill, stamina, focus, ambition, temperament – he has everything
VILLAREAL’s EL MADRIGAL Stadium holds 22,000 and witnessed another remarkable display when the yellows beat the millionaires of Inter 1-0.
There were outrageous moments from Riquelme near the end of each half.
On 42, he was on the halfway line and flicked the ball away from Veron, then flicked it over Veron’s head, and cruised forward on the left side, and Veron chased him, so he shouldered Veron to the ground, cut back inside, waltzed round Cambiasso and, as three defenders closed on him, hit a 25-yarder which rocketed just over the bar.
The thing that makes Riquelme such fun to watch is the element of disguise. You watch him shape to do something and sometimes he does it, but often he does something else which is, occasionally, so surprising that you laugh out loud. Watching Riquelme is a bit like watching Gazza : the players keep feeding the ball to him, then run where he wants them to go.
The score was 0-0 at half time, but, man for man, Villareal were working harder and I still expected them to win.
On 58, Riquelme was held back by Figo and he took the free-kick clever;ly, disguising his intentioin by moving the ball a yard to one side, then pinpointing a chip into the run of fullback Arruabberena, who headed in.
At the death, a good break by Forlan with Riquelme, who dribbled towards the box, swerved to the right, taking Walter Samuel with him, then played the ball infield to his supporting midfielder Senna, and you wondered if Senna would find a way of turning back towards the flank, and playing the ball back to Riquelme, after giving him a breather.
And that is what Senna did.
There was no rush, as Villareal were winning 1-0 and going through on away goals, so Senna dribbled into the box and then out again, and then he turned and passed the ball wide to Riquelme, who was fifteen yards from the byeline and three yards in from the touchline, in a good crossing position. And as two yellow shirts raced in for the cross, Riquelme slammed a shot from an outrageous angle and Toldo dived towards his near post and parried the thunderbolt. The force of the shot knocked Toldo into the net but he kept it out.
ITV’s touchline reporter Robbie Earle, talking about the difficulty of marking Riquelme, said, “It’s as if there’s a force-field around him.”
A fascinating contest was marred by a heinous elbow from Materazzi, a calculated assault that split Sorin’s eye and left him looking like Henry Cooper after five rounds with Cassius Clay.
That disgusting, dangerous foul by Materazzi deserves a lifetime ban from the Champions League, but I suppose Uefa will let him off with a one-season ban.
RONALDINHO was not 100% focused in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.
Tonight’s Benfica game was on his mind, so he only played two great passes. He also scored a superb penalty after ridiculous gamesmanship by Roberto Carlos, who refused to leave the penalty area, and was given a second yellow card for dissent in 26 minutes. That a Brazilian should behave so badly towards a World Cup colleague was quite disgraceful.
Rob Hughes recalls a Portugal-Brazil match where Carlos lost it completely and was sent off. I remember that game, played in heavy rain, because it was Brazilian-born Deco’s debut for Portugal and he scored with a free-kick.
The first leg score was 0-0 and Barca’s goals have dried up since Messi was injured against Chelsea.
Frank Rijkaard is the first Barcelona coach to win twice in the Bernabeu. He will retain the league title as Barca have an 11-point lead.
So tonight is massive, it’s nervous, it’s history, it’s a big pay day which leads to another big pay day, its a chance to play AC Milan, his former club, it’s a sell-out, it’s as big as a game can be without being a final, and big Frank is without defenders Marquez, Edmilson, Motta and Silvinho.
At times like this, when the fiery Eto’o might be trying too hard and mis-firing, it’s re-assuring to have Deco, a player with huge perseverance.
If Deco’s 16th pass doesn’t create a goal, you know he will be there for the 17th and 18th.He has mental stamina and never hides.He always wants the ball, whatever the situation
Benfica will take heart from the exploits of underdogs Villareal, who have now eliminated Everton, Manchester United, Glasgow Rangers and Inter Milan.
Emotionally, this is huge game for their coach Ronald Koeman, who played for Barca in the Nineties and a shock win would look good on his CV.
Both games will be very tight. Last night Riquelme delivered, and so did Inzaghi and Sheva.
Tonight it could be Ronaldinho or Van Bommel, and it could be Reyes, Henry or van Persie. Or even Freddie, who is back for Pires. Bottle will be as important as calm teamwork tonight, so Freddie has been recalled.
We’ll soon see. Like you, I can’t wait.