By Myles Palmer
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Arsenal 2 Chelsea 2
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Terry 3, Jeffers 36, Henry 45, Lampard 84
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This FA Cup quarter-final turned on the double substitution of Pires and Wiltord for Jeffers and Ljungberg in 64 minutes.
After that, Arsenal lost shape and fluency.
The substitutions were too early, too radical, too risky.
Then Arsene brought on Toure for Henry,who had cramp, in 78, and there was no goal threat any more.
Toure raced around like a bull in a china shop.
Chelsea, 2-1 down and chasing the game, were further galvanised. The changes invited them to attack even more and they equalised within 10 minutes.
The game threw up far too many issues to cover here, so I will stick to one : diving.
Diving is a cancer which MUST be eradicated from English football. And managers should own up and do something about it.
Franny Jeffers cheated to get a penalty in a game where three other penalties might have been given : two for Arsenal, one for Chelsea.
Whatever Franny says, whatever Arsene says, whatever anybody says, Jeffers cheated, as pros do.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS :
4 minutes : Petit took a short corner on the right and Gronkjaer was given 10 yards of space to line up a cross to the far post.
Gio and Freddie were covering the posts. Gio took off like a greyhound as the defence ran out, but Freddie lagged behind.
So John Terry was onside as he powered his header past Seaman.
20 Cudicini cleared the ball, Lauren won it, Vieira cruised round Lampard in the centre circle and played a sublimely angled left-footed pass for Jeffers,who was sprinting through the middle, like Wrighty and Anelka used to do.
A fantastic, world class pass.
Jeffers did a cute Anders Limpar dive: delay your move, wait till the keeper goes down, touch it past him, dip your left foot into his arm, tumble over, crowd screams.
He could have shot as Cudicini advanced (you could see him thinking about it) but he waited and played for the penalty.
I thought referee Paul Durkin might give him a yellow card for diving.
But Durkin gave a penalty and Henry took it and Cudicini made a sensational save.
Thus proving, yet again, one of my Golden Rules: “soft” penalties are rarely scored.
At that stage it was not looking too promising. Freddie seemed half-fit, Franny was getting no service, Thierry’s passing was erratic, and Romford Ray’s crosses were hitting the first defender. Who could score the equaliser.?
36 Arsenal produced an excellent 9-pass move, Freddie nipped in, shot, the ball hit the heel of Cudicini, broke for Babayaro to clear.
But Baba panicked and Jeffers knocked it in for 1-1.
If a ball rebounds, the sniffer has to be ready, anticipating it.
That’s what Arsenal have been missing for the last five years.
Jeffers is a specialist.
Gerd Muller called them “little goals.”
Then Sol hit the best pass of his Arsenal career, a 40-yarder which released Henry. Cudicini came out quickly and bravely and Henry placed his trademark shot sweetly across the keeper – but it hit the post.
47 Just before half-time Gallas produced his second moment of kamikaze defending. He chased out with his hand in the air, allowing Henry a free run for another lofted pass by Vieira.
So Cudicini had to advance into the D, where he could not touch Henry, who improvised a fluent spin past the keeper and rolled his shot into an unguarded net.
It was 2-1 at half-time and I reckoned Arsenal would win 4-1.
Ranieri’s starting eleven was annoying. Zola did not work last time against Arsenal because he is too small and too old, so I was sure CR now knew that and would start Gudjohnsen.
But, incredibly, he picked Zola – and Jody Morris wide on the left !
Then, for the second half, he restarted with Zenden for Zola, which made no sense either
Hasselbaink wanted to join Barcelona in the summer and when he still wanted to go in January, Chelsea were ready to accept £4 million. But Barca do not have £4 million.
54 When Petit won the ball off Edu it broke into the box but Jimmy smacked his shot against Seaman’s thigh.
64 : After that, Arsene brought on Pires and Wiltord, and then he brought on Toure.
Without Jeffers,Ljungberg and Henry, who had cramp in his calf, Arsenal could not keep the ball.
Pires was peripheral. Nothing Wiltord tried came off.
So Arsenal were pushed back and were just defending the box.
75 Gallas missed an easy header from eight yards.
78 Petit had a phenomenal game. Why did Ranieri bring Gudjohnsen on for him ?
84 Zenden’s corner was flicked into the danger area by Melchiot, Edu could not clear in the ruck, Sol kicked the ball against Lampard’s shin. The ball rebounded and dribbled into the net.
94 Gio almost won it with a thunderous free-kick which Cudicini parried
VERDICT: an exciting first half, but the substitutions by both managers were beyond belief.
Edu,Vieira and Sol were superb, but Chelsea survived to replay onTuesday March 25th.
No predictions on that one.
Only that Gallas will not play as badly as this again.
9th March 2003.