By Myles Palmer Brazilian Alex Gontijo emailed two weeks ago to say that Arsenal scouts have been watching Deco. Stocky, skilful and tenacious, Deco is a playmaker who likes a tackle and takes good free-kicks. He said he would play…
By Myles Palmer _______________________ Arsenal 1 Southampton 0 _______________________ Pires 38 _______________________ Ashley Cole is a great goalkeeper who doesn’t use his hands. Ashley blocking that James Beattie powerheader with his thigh was one of the few moments of drama…
By Myles Palmer RAIN is forecast in Cardiff. So the roof will be closed and the noise will be kept in. It should be Thierry’s final. He is Europe’s top goalscorer/assist-provider in league competition. 24 Premiership goals scored and 20…
By Myles Palmer Juventus 3 Real Madrid 1 ________________________ A textbook team performance. No football coach could ask for more. Juventus settled quickly into their rhythm, scored early, and dictated the game. Big games need big performances from big players,…
By Myles Palmer Arsenal couldn’t beat them, I kept thinking. Watching AC Milan v Inter last week, I kept thinking, “Arsenal couldn’t beat either of these. The defences are too good.” Far from being a 0-0 bore-draw, as some suggested,…
By Myles Palmer _______________________ Sunderland 0 Arsenal 4 _______________________ Henry 7, Ljungberg 39,78,88 _________________________ A GREAT GOAL against Liverpool in Cardiff, an even greater goal against Chelsea last May – and now Freddie is fit for Southampton. The spiky Swede…
By Myles Palmer Lippi is without his best spinal player, Edgar Davids, in Madrid tonight. His best bet is to go for a 2-1 defeat. He will have to attack to get a 2-1 defeat. Did you see Real Madrid…
By Myles Palmer __________________ Arsenal 2 Leeds 3 ___________________ Kewell 5, Henry 30, Harte 49, Bergkamp 63, Viduka 87 ___________________________________________________________ THE TEAM that cannot hold a lead never got into the lead in this game. A back four of Toure-Keown-Luzhny-Cole…
By Myles Palmer __________________ Arsenal 2 Leeds 3 __________________ DIRTY DIEGO MARADONA would have loved the first goal. A 50-yard lofted pass by Jason Wilcox and a deft right-handed handball, knocking the ball neatly into his stride on the left…
By Myles Palmer ___________________ France 5 Egypt 0 _____________________ Henry 2, Pires, Cisse, Kapo _____________________ ARSENE was sitting high in the stand next to Aime Jacquet and Didier Deschamps. He must have wondered : Who was that striker who headed…