By Myles Palmer
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SATURDAY’S game at Spurs was another 1-1 draw.
A day of things we have seen too often before.
Can’t defend set-pieces.
Can’t score in open play.
Fabregas and Reyes playing out of position.
Gilberto tackles more, so he fouls more.
Gilberto conceded a free-kick wide on Arsenal’s left.
Carrick swings a good ball into the box.
Unmarked Ledley King heads in from seven yards.
King had a free run and a free header.
Sol, Kolo and Gilberto don’t get their feet off the ground.
All Arsenal’s failings were flaws we have seen before.
It was predictable.
It was deja vu.
Groundhog Day.
Half-time score 1-0.
PIRES FOR FLAMINI at half-time.
Fabregas in the middle.
Arsenal suddenly improved, had more angles, more options, more fluid passing moves.
Reyes was on the left after Robin van Persie came on and looked good.
Arsenal don’t play in the box, so they don’t start Robin van Persie.
But sometimes football is about pushing the defender.
Sometimes it’s about argy-bargy.
Sometimes its about having the strength, balance and aggression to shove the defender and turn round and shoot.
Most Arsenal players are not good at that.
But Van Persie is.
ARSENAL’S equaliser was a gift goal in 77.
Robinson had made two great saves low to his left.
But then Bergkamp took a free-kick on the left and Robinson slapped the ball away with both hands and it went to Pires, who slotted sweetly as the ball hit the ground.
An exquisite first time finish that made a sharp chance look easy.
It was a difficult chance but he converted beautifully.
Pires was the only Arsenal player on the field who could have scored from that chance.
Defoe looked a gutsy poacher as he wriggled past Lauren and Toure to stab in a shot that Lehmann did well to stop with his foot.
Defoe is not as quick as Barcelona’s Samuel Exoceto’o, but I still think he is more gifted than Michael Owen.
Carrick’s range of passing would be useful to Arsenal.
A WEEKEND of bad goalkeeping.
Robinson made another mistake a week after his boob in the 1-1 at Old Trafford.
Edwin van der Sar missed a fairly tame 25-yarder from Mendieta in Man United’s 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.
United are a shambles.
New owner Malcolm Glazer must be ashamed to go out in Florida.
“Hey, Malcolm, I see your team bombed again. What’s goin’ on, man ?”
Man United face Chelsea next Sunday.
AT STAMFORD BRIDGE, Del Horno measured a half-volleyed backpass for Petr Cech to clear, but Cech muffed it by hoofing the ball up in the air against Blackburn.
The ball broke for Craig Bellamy to head in for 2-2 at half-time.
Cech makes mistakes but usually gets away with them.
Lampard had crossed for Drogba’s header for 1-0 and then converted a soft penalty when ref Mike Riley reckoned John Terry had been held by Andy Todd as they tangled at a corner.
Riley sent Mark Hughes off at 2-2, which was ridiculous.
Then Lampard and Joe Cole made it 4-2.
WE ARE SEEING the Man United syndrome with referees now.
When United were the best team, the top referees wanted their games.
The refs favoured United, week after week for years, perhaps unconsciously. Just as they had favoured Liverpool previously
Now the same thing is happening with Chelsea.
IT’S A 19-TEAM DIVISION, and, as such, quite an interesting one.
We have to find different ways of enjoying this season, as far as we can.
My motto for Arsenal 2005-2006 is : Expect less and you won’t be disappointed.
The 1-1 at White Hart Lane?
As Tony Blair would say, Let’s draw a line under it and move on.
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LAST NIGHT I switched on for AC Milan v Juventus.
With Vieira back, and Shevchenko injured, I fancied Juve, although they were fielding third choice keeper Antonio Chimenti.
Saw Seedorf score a deflected first goal and then Kaka made it 2-0 and then we went out to a party and when we came home Milan had won 3-1. Trezeguet scored a late goal from Vieira’s pass.
Juventus play Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Reserve Christian Abbiati must come back in goal.
Buffon should return in November after a shoulder injury.
Ballack, Lucio, Dimichelis and Makaay are all good in the air.
October 30th 2005