Arsenal 3 Sheffield United 0
It was noticeable from the start that Arsenal used the width of the pitch more and sent in aerial crosses – as an antidote to previous criticism of Ashburton home matches that they played it on the ground and were too narrow.
Sheffield United in a Newcastle-like black and white didn’t look like the Blades of old with the ‘fighting red and black stripes’. Recent history between the two has a beauty and the beast feel, based around physical FA Cup ties, with the Seaman save and the Kanu-Overmars throw-in, leading to a replay.
The fact that Warnock was clocking up his 1000th game, and Arsene coming up to his decade in charge meant there was a celebratory air.
Sheffield seem to have lost a bit of their previous brutality for more guile – with the the brawn of Leigertwood, Davis and Jagielka matched by the likes of Gillespie, Armstrong and Wright.
The latter was often part of a back five – only venturing forward to make a 4-5-1 on occasion. So the stall was set. Arsenal had to break them down.
Freddie tried his heart out down the right, getting clobbered by Wright early on. A high hanging ball from Fabregas was met by Gallas at the far post, but Gilberto’s overhead from the loose ball was wayward.
Soon after, Rosicky, Arsenal’s most dangerous and creative force of the first half cut through and set Gallas up for a shot, which he sent wide.
As if to emphasise the theme – the imperious Toure strode purposefully from the back and sent in a perfect diagonal ball. Henry rose, connected – but it was straight at Bennett. Thierry had a poor first half – nearly everything he touched went wrong.
As the half drew to a close, Sheffield with tough midfield and defensive play and a few hoofs upfield had a chance when Hulse and Gillespie combined. The corner ended up in the net from a Leigertwood shot, but the whistle had blown for Hulse’s high boot on Djourou.
Ljungberg and Adebayor had mixed halves. One moment the Togo forward was laying off the most exquisite of passes, the next losing possession. Similarly Freddie, one moment fighting to get his crosses in – the next giving it away unncessarily.
Fabregas was late with a tackle and saw yellow; so too Henry – but he got away with it. The crowd thought it had ignited the latent physicality.
Something was missing from Arsenal – but it was hard to pinpoint. Pires was perhaps the answer, as some of Henry’s lay-offs were not read by his colleagues. Someone to knit the midfield and attack was needed.
Arsenal appeared more dynamic in the second half. Maybe that was down to Sheffield getting tired – man-marking in several areas of the big pitch.
Again, like the first, Ljungberg was the first to make headway, with a run and shot – and from a corner had a header tipped over by Bennett.
It was the Swede who initiated the breakthough on 66 when he ran from right to left, found Henry on the edge of the area. The Frenchman dinked the ball up for the on-rushing Fabregas, who in turn teed it up for Gallas, who volleyed it high into the net.
The Ashburton crowd have taken to Gallas immediately – hardly surprsing with the infectous enthusiasm and freedom with which he plays and this will help seal his popularity.
Wenger stresses the importance of getting the first goal. Someone once said Premiership teams who score first go on to win 80% of games.
Goals change games and you could see the collective angst disappearing up past the white aluminium rafters.
As if to emphasise the mood, Henry – a different player to the first half – taunted the Sheffield defence on the left and dinked in a low cross. Jagielka turned too late as it hit his hip and deflected past Bennett.
Hleb, Van Persie and Baptista came on for Ljungberg, Adebayor (to an ovation) and Rosicky between the 70-80th minutes.
Baptista, who at the moment looks very solid, not putting a foot wrong, set up Eboue on an overlap. With Arsenal’s policy of more direct aerial balls, the Ivorian sent over a perfect cross, finding the space between two defenders for Henry to score a rare headed goal.
Lehmann pulled off a remarkable save, a la Old Trafford, in injury time, as Gooner Steve Kabba connected, and the German re-adjusted in mid-air.
In the lower tier a banner hung over the edge, saying: ” In Arsene we trust.” Using the pitch width, along with higher crosses – and tiring the opposition out, will allow a lot more Arsenal fans to believe it.
Arsenal:Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Djourou, Gallas, Fabregas, Gilberto, Ljungberg, (Baptista 77), Rosicky, (Hleb 71), Adebayor (Robin Van Persie 71), Henry Subs not used: Almunia, Flamini
Sheffield United: Bennett, Wright, Sommeil (Alan Quinn 78) Geary (Robert Kozluk 78) Armstrong, Leigertwood, Davis, Jagielka, Kazim-Richards (Kabba 88) Rob Hulse Subs not used: Bromby, Akinbiyi