By Myles Palmer
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Arsenal 1 Southampton 0
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Pires 38
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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 in Cardiff.
Well done, son. You’ve had a great season after a marvellous World Cup.
DENNIS BERGKAMP was the classiest player on the pitch.
His vision and energy and technique were superb.
He has lost a yard and can’t get past the second man so often, but Bergkamp deserved Man of the Match for his majestic 40-yard pass from the halfway line that bent round the centreback and released Henry.
DB10 is an unselfish genius who always plays for the team, not for himself.
WILTORD came on for him and did nothing and could not even stay onside.
GILBERTO looked fresh and full of running and made several good tackles and four good clearances.
He was often tucked in as a third centreback.
He has bulked up. His upper body is chunkier now and he is more muscular.
Gilberto will be a powerhouse next season, when he’s not jetlagged by playing dozens of World Cup qualifying games all round South America.
PARLOUR is vital to Arsenal even if his engine ain’t what it was.
LUZHNY was nervous when the first high ball came in. He headed it straight up in the air and a million Gooners winced and thought, “Gawd, here we go!”
But Oleg was magnificent after that. He is no centreback but he did well in the middle. Although the service to Beattie and Ormerod was almost nil.
GORDON STRACHAN did not want half a billion football fans in 154 countries to see the Saints hammered 6-1 again.
So Strachan went for damage limitation.
He removed right winger Fernandes, who had played all season,pushed Telfer forward and brought in Chris Baird, a young right back who had played only one game.
That tightened up their right flank against Arsenal’s dangerous left-sided attackers.
KEOWN could not feel his thigh after an injection ten minutes before the game. He was excellent.
LAUREN had a good game but was below 100% fitness.
HENRY rarely does it in big games.
But he won PFA and FWA player of the year and Goal of the Season, so let’s give our media darling the Man of the Match as well.
SEAMAN should retire now and be replaced Rustu, a brave, agile keeper who CATCHES THE BALL.
PIRES turned his back on one tackle in the first half but put himself about a little bit in the second.
His sweet finish was his 16th goal, a vital contribution to a season which began late for him.
THE MOVE for the goal was a typically slick, fast Arsenal move : Gilberto to Parlour to Henry to Bergkamp to Ljungberg.
The shot rebounded off Lundekvam onto Freddie and broke for Pires to score from eight yards.
A very good goal, almost as good as Freddie’s two Cardiff goals, one of which was made by Pires, against Liverpool.
And as good as Parlour’s wonder-strike last year. Different butas good.
LJUNGBERG worked the touchline more than he wanted and was rarely in the box.
When Freddie did have one good chance he stabbed just wide
ARSENAL’S FEAR mounted up as the second half went along and when they were time-wasting by the corner flag after 89 minutes Mrs P.looked up from her newspaper and said, “Come on Arsenal, you’re better than that.”
I thought that time-wasting was neurotic and squalid.
CELEBRATIONS? Nice to see Sol smile for the first time in a month.
Was Pennant there? I didn’t see him.
CLASSIC QUOTE from Arsene :“I hope that, for the next 20 years, we will have seasons as disappointing as this one.”
Clearly, Arsenal deserved this FA Cup having won 2-0 at Old Trafford and won a replay at Chelsea .
It was a one-sided final, forgettable apart from Bergkamp’s quality, and Cole’s electric save on the line.
STEWART brought our daughter Caroline home from Cardiff at 11 pm. Thanks Stewart !
She is 17 and has seen three Cardiff finals now.
Caroline met lots of friends and said the atmosphere was great.
“Taking Dennis off was criminal,” she said. “When Wiltord came on I thought we were gonna lose.”
I could have gone to Cardiff too but didn’t fancy it.
A long season is almost over.
Only two more big games : QPR v Cardiff on Sunday and Milan v Inter on Wednesday.
20th May 2003.