By Myles Palmer
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Arsenal 2 Leeds 3
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Kewell 5, Henry 30, Harte 49, Bergkamp 63, Viduka 87
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THE TEAM that cannot hold a lead never got into the lead in this game.
A back four of Toure-Keown-Luzhny-Cole was worrying.
It certainly made a mockery of the bookies price of 7-1 against Leeds to win the game.
Luzhny had a nightmare at Bolton and here he was in his worst position, playing with less confidence than I’ve ever seen him.
He would not even pass the ball long. He just passed the buck, pushing it square for Keown to hit long.
Arsenal almost went ahead in three minutes when Gilberto headed a corner against the bar.
After 5, Kewell cheated the ball onto his left foot with his right hand and hit a sensational cross-shot past Seaman.
Kewell soon went round Seaman on the other side of the pitch but miscontrolled the ball.
THIERRY HENRY had one of his best games.
Henry, Cole and Parlour were Arsenal’s best players.
After 15, Henry improvised a shot which deflected and the startled Robinson parried the ball.
After 30, Henry headed home after Parlour’s 30-yarder bounced twice and Robinson tipped it onto the post.
After 36, Henrys shot hit the post and Wiltord knocked in the rebound.But he was offside.
Ian Harte hit an inswinging free-kick -like Zola, like Djorkaeff- and it went off Cole’s head and Gilberto’s chest, past Seaman for 2-1 to Leeds.
ARSENAL WERE PLAYING WELL IN THIS PERIOD and a goal soon reflected that
After 63, a good move : Henry found Pires and he cut into the box and set up Bergkamp, who moved very cleverly to make room for a stab into a narrow space for 2-2.
A very well-worked goal and Arsenal continued to play quite well and still looked like winning the game.
Gilberto miscued a shot after running 60 yards, a sharpish chance from a dodgy angle.
After 68, Bergkamp hit a floater a yard wide.
After 70, KANU for Toure was inexplicable.
Toure was not producing a final ball, but Kanu is static and clumsy.
Toure, raw as he is, could at least join in moves and occupy an opponent or two.
Arsenal seemed to dip as soon as Kanu came on.
Keown had a bizarre header from a corner, sending it back to Pires, the corner-taker !
Then Seaman made a good low save from Kewell.
THEN ARSENAL BROKE AND ALMOST WON IT.
They defended a corner, the ball went out to Bergkamp deep in his own half and he volleyed to Wiltord who gave it back to Bergkamp and he passed wide to Henry, who had overtaken him, sprinting 80 yards up the left side.
HENRY stepped inside Danny Mills and hit a scorching swerving shot which beat Robinson and clipped the base of the far post.
Pennant then came on for Wiltord, who had a very,very poor game.
HENRY had a shot deflected for a corner.
Gio came on for Pires, who was injured.
79 minutes had passed but time was not running out yet. There was plenty of time for a goal and it looked as if Henry might score it.
But when Henry hit another shot, Kanu blocked it as he backed into his defender.
Most Gooners hope they never see Kanu again.
Then came the avoidable denouement.
PENNANT got too clever and ignored an obvious pass to Bergkamp, who was unmarked in a position where he could have created something.
Any schoolboy player could have made that pass.
And Arsenal might have scored if Pennant had made that pass.
But instead he turned the other way into three Leeds players and Matteo took the ball off him and strode into the centre circle and released Viduka, who was coming back in an offside position.
The flag stayed down and Viduka scored the goal that gave Sir Alex the title.
Since Bolton, and since last night, I’ve heard a lot of anger, disappointment, recriminations.
Many people have been blamed.
Bottom line, Man U is a monster and Arsene Wenger has done a great job for seven years and it was wonderful to take two titles off them.
I tried to stay optimistic after the 2-2 draw against Man United.
Five close friends all said, “It’s not over.”
All five are knowledgeable and three are Gooners.
SO I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD SAID.
I still thought it was over, so I had a bet on Man United.
I hoped I would lose the bet.
Spinal players, that was my theory.
Sol and Patrick are Arsenal’s spinal players and you need your spinal players.
Without Sol and Pat I could not see Arsenal winning the title.
That 2-2 draw was 19 days ago and the FA Cup FInal is in 11 days time.
Southampton v Arsenal on Saturday May 17.
IN THE PAST HENRY has bottled the Galatasaray, Liverpool and Chelsea finals, but I think he will win this one for Arsene.
Thierry owes him that.
5th May 2003.