By Myles Palmer
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ARSENAL are in great shape for Goodison on Sunday.
The handsome 3-1 thrashing of Man United was close to what I had expected, although I reckoned Pires would play and Henry would not.
It’s always nice to win the Community Shield – and Gilberto seems to love this fixture.
He scored the first goal and made the second.
JENS LEHMANN looks sharp and had no chance with Alan Smith’s swerving half-volley which made it 2-1 in 55.
LAUREN looks fresh and strong and ultra-motivated. A superb performance for the first week in August.
TOURE did not have his best game, but he is awesome.
CYGAN will be important till Sol comes back, and he did well.
Chesting a ball at an awkward height was risky, as was Toure’s clearance, which hit Smith and broke neatly for the peroxide pitbull to slam in.
That’s football. These things happen every week.
ASHLEY COLE is as agile and forceful as ever.His cross deflected in off Silvestre for 3-1. Top man!
PENNANT had his best game for Arsenal and if he can sustain this he will give the team a new dimension.
Shame he panicked and scuffed his shot wide from 12 yards, after Tim Howard parried Henry’s shot straight to him.
FABREGAS reads the game brilliantly, sees things so early, and is unbelievably mature for a 17-year old.
Haven’t seen anybody that age look so comfortable in midfield since Alan Hudson in 1969.
GILBERTO is fresh after missing the Copa America and made two killer runs, breaking to get between Reyes’s low right wing cross and Van Persie, who would have scored if the Brazilian had not got there first.
Then he spurted forward on the left and did well to collect Bergkamp’s pass and hold off Gary Neville and poke the ball across the goal for Reyes to make it 2-1.
BERGKAMP was captain and his big grin glittered almost as brightly as the big silver shield he lifted up.
Vision, power, craftsmanship, good habits – he has been special and he can still play special games.
Early on DB10 went down the right and nutmegged Silvestre and held off Fortune, with a shoulder charge that sent the South African flat on his face, and then slid a lovely pass into the stride of Pennant.
The kid finds it easy to play with Bergkamp, as all players do.
He makes you look good. Ask Overmars, ask Kluivert.
On the goal for 2-1, Fabregas found Bergkamp near the halfway line and he released Reyes on the right.
Gary Neville had his hand in the air, but the pass was so early that Reyes was three yards ONSIDE.
HENRY was pushed down by Silvestre near the touchline in a position where you almost never get a penalty.
He beat Silvestre in a nanosecond and hit a thunderous left foot shot. Howard parried, Pennant should have netted the rebound.
VAN PERSIE replaced Henry at half-time.
He almost scored after zigzagging through and shooting into the side-netting, almost scored again with a near-post run and a header that glanced four feet wide.
The header would have been a stunning goal.
Arsenal need that type of goal to progress in Europe.
Who crossed that ball? Bergkamp.
GAEL CLICHY came on and was fantastic, as usual.
JOSE REYES played on the left wing in the first half and when Van Persie replaced Henry, Reyes moved forward with instant and devastating effect.
In 48, Gilberto prodded the ball forward to Reyes near the centre circle and he scooted away from Keane and cruised round Silvestre and waltzed round the advancing Howard – and then hit the side-netting.
Reyes missed scoring the goal of the season by 18 inches.
Never mind, Arsenal scored in their next attack and he supplied the pass for Gilberto.
Reyes looks as if he can score the goal of the season every six weeks.
I’m getting used to his electric slaloms !
His dribbles are so fast, so direct !
WHAT A PLAYER !
But I said that on day one after his 20-minute debut as a sub.
My pal Nigel Bidmead of the BBC read that piece and thought it was a bit over the top.
Nigel said I’d gone out on a limb.
Well, that’s the story of my life.
ANYBODY ELSE I should mention?
Not really.
As Jock Stein said, a football match is about the players who are playing, it’s not about the players who are not playing.
ANDY GRAY (after 31 minutes) said, “They’re in good working order.”
That was broadly what I reckoned last week when I watched the 0-0s v River Plate and Ajax.
Was not too worried about the lack of goals because I saw bags of energy and appetite, tons of pace, loads of bright ideas, good chances created.
This game could have been 6-2 to Arsenal, so Sir Alex got off lightly.
Darren Fletcher will be an important player for him in Bucharest this week.
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TEAMS WERE :
ARSENAL (4-4-1-1): Lehmann; Lauren, Touré, Cygan, Cole; Pennant, Gilberto, Fabregas (Svard, 86), Reyes (Hoyte, 79); Bergkamp (Aliadiére, 61; Clichy, 69);Henry (Van Persie,h-t).
Subs not used: Almunia (gk), Senderos.
MAN UTD (4-4-1-1): Howard; G Neville, O’Shea (Spector, 81), Silvestre, Fortune (P Neville, 50); Bellion, Djemba-Djemba, Keane (Fletcher, 50), Giggs (Forlan, 50); Scholes (Richardson, 73); Smith (Eagles, 73).
Subs not used: Carroll (gk).
Booked : Ashley Cole, Phil Neville, Djemba-Djemba.
Referee: Mike Dean.
My Man of the match: Jose !
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Monday 9th August 2004