After beating Inter Milan 2-0, Liverpool’s form improved and Torres scored hat-tricks in consecutive home games.
After beating AC Milan by the same score, Arsenal are flying again and will definitely beat Wigan at the JJB on Sunday to go four points ahead of Manchester United, who are busy with the FA Cup. They play Portsmouth on Saturday.
Arsenal had to come back from four games without a win and did it with a superb performance to eliminate the European Champions.
Understandably, there has been over-reaction to the Milan result. Cesc was being sensible when he said : it was a great night but it doesn’t mean anything. There speaks a wise old head on young shoulders.
And it does mean something. It means Arsenal are in the quarter-finals. The club thinks it’s a top eight club and the team thinks it’s a top eight team, so Arsenal are where they want to be. Their next CL opponents may be capable of scoring a goal.
The Champions League draw is next Friday, a week today.
A friend abroad asked who I want Arsenal to draw. I said I don’t think like that, I don’t wish for certain teams and hope to avoid others. Whoever you get, you want. You have to want who you get. That’s how cups work.
Uefa’s draw will come round very quickly and the first leg will come round quickly as well. Of course, fans would like to know today and so would I. But that’s not possible because Uefa did not want Arsenal fans and Liverpool fans overlapping in Milan in the same week. They will not relish a final of Liverpool v Manchester United in Moscow.
Wigan is Steve Bruce and a bad pitch on which rugby league is also played. On a bad pitch, a longer ball is important, so Adebayor will be working hard.
In winning six of their 13 home games, Wigan have only scored 17 goals. Heskey is a dumpling and Marlon King has average skills. Paul Scharner, the big Austrian centreback, is good in the air. Jason Koumas is a creative passer who can finish. But I can’t see Koumas, or Wigan, giving Arsenal too many problems if they pick up where they left off in the San Siro.
Diaby was injured in Milan, Walcott took a thigh knock in a game against Colorado Rapids. Both will miss Wigan. Van Persie is unlikely to start although he played an hour against Colorado.
Chelsea had a walkover against Olympiacos, who didn’t turn up, although their bodies were on the pitch. Barnsley boss Simon Davey watched their 3-0 victory and said he left the ground “unnerved.”
Barnsley v Chelsea is on BBC at 5.15pm Saturday. Man Utd v Portsmouth is the lunchtime game on Sky at 12.45 and Wigan v Arsenal is 4pm on Sky on Sunday.
Roma went to Real Madrid beat them 2-1 again. Great goals by the two subs. You need a strong bench in this game. You need impact players, strikers who can come on and win it for you. Madrid have now lost in the first knock-out round for the last four years. Such a shame for president Ramon Calderon. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
In the Uefa Cup, Spurs made PSV Eindhoven looked very intelligent, organised and sophisticated.
Left back Gilberto, a fine player, blundered when he lost the ball and Farfan scored. Malbranque, Zokora and Lennon don’t look good enough to me. Never have. They say Ramos has £40 million to spend in the summer.
Fiorentina outclassed Everton, beating them 2-0. Keeper Tim Howard was Everton’s best player. It seems that Serie A’s fourth best team is pretty good, even without 19-goal Mutu. Anybody could see why they are above Milan.
I think Spurs are out and doubt if Everton can beat Fiorentina at Goodison from 2-0 down.