Three For Theo...

...Four in a Row for Gunners

Can we make it four? mad redo1 asked after Arsenal win at Wigan just before the holidays. Tonight, the question was answered with a big YES.

What a match it was, Theo Walcott's hat-trick lifted the spirit of many Gooners and many would wish him to sign a new contract with Arsenal ASAP. Especially after the first goal that reminded every Arsenal fan of the Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry who was watching from the stands.

Further goals from The Ox and Lukas Podolski plus a brace by Olivier Giroud gave Gooners a good ending to 2012, though a clean sheet from Wos Szczesny would certainly make it better.

The three goals conceded reminded us that there are still work to be done in regards of our defending, not just the back four but as a team in whole.

mad redo1 hopes these wins will be the launching pad for a good 2013.

COYG!


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Spot On Arteta...

...Part Two

Third league win in a row in to go third in the Premier League.

This was a match between two sides whose managers shared the same philosophy about how football should be played. On paper it should have been a classic but rarely football go the way it is written to be.

Instead we saw a side that matched each other blow for blow and for the visiting fans, their beloved Gunners were a shade luckier than the host with a number of decisions.

It was a penalty that separated the two sides in the end. While it was quite clear Theo Walcott was fouled in the incident that led to the spot kick, decisions at the other end could have brought a different outcome to the the match.

In the end Wos Szczesny's clean sheet was very much welcomed as Mikel Arteta's cool penalty as both ensured the three points went back to North London tonight.

Not a bad way to end 2012 now, is it? With the West Ham match postponed, the match against Newcastle on 29 December will be our final match of the year.

Can we make it fourth in a row? I certainly hope we can.


COYG!


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Early Present...

...for kT Gooner

It was an early birthday present for mad redo1.

Though he arrived just in time to witness Manu Adebayor tapping in to put Sp*rs a goal up. Then he watched in delight as the former Gunner was flashed the red card for an open stud tackle on Santo Cazorla eight minutes after the goal.

Then came the moment he had been waiting for ever since the BFG joined Arsenal last season. Per Mertesacker's looping header levelled things up from a Theo Walcott cross.

Two minutes to the interval Lukas Podolski put the home side ahead, courtesy of another former Gunner William Gallas as the German's shot was deflected past Hugo Lloris.

Then persistent play in injury time at the end of the first half by Cazorla gave him the space for him to deliver the ball for Olivier Giroud to attack. The French international connected well to divert the ball past his team-mate in the French squad.

Then on the hour mark, Cazorla capped a fine performance with a simple finish after The Gunners had built from the back. With nineteen minutes to go, Gareth Bale pulled one back.

At 4-2 not many Gooners could seat easy as it had happened before, only for the points to be shared in the end. However, Walcott's strike as the match went into stoppage time certainly gave many Gooners the relief they were looking for.

At the same time repeated the same scoreline last season.


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Sado-Machostic Gooners

Two goals up after twenty minutes, then everything was square at the interval. Arsenal fans have been left with a sado-machocism feeling watching the Gunners in action in recent time.

Two goals up against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen and they left Germany with just a point after the home side fought back to level things up. It is best not to mention Reading, where the fans were subjected to a four goal deficit before Arsene Wenger's boys staged a brilliant comeback to win by 7-5, the highest goal-scoring match I have seen (though partly only).

Then you saw the team went behind to put yourself further in pain but the joy of seeing Olivier Giroud's header nestling at the back of the net for the equaliser made it all worthwhile.

We looked good for a winner though a draw was a more fitting result given the team performance. But a harsh penalty against the visitors in the last minute of added time put us in the vulnerable position of getting our hopes up that it will be three points on the board for us.

But the mistress of pain spared her best shot for the last. The pain of two points lost as Mark Schwarzer push Mikel Arteta's low drive past the post went searing through the heart.

Fortunately, not for me.

Based on performance alone, we were simply not good enough for the three points and the point gained was simply what we deserved from the match where we were weak defensively again.

The North London derby next Saturday will see us going through the same pain and joy again but hopefully it will end on a positive note for us.

COYG!!!


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Three Points from The Boleyn

kT Gooner missed another Arsenal Premier League match as the hotel he stayed in Kuantan while covering a sports event did not have the channel showing the Gunners' match away to West Ham United.

But waking up the next morning to the news of a three-one win was certainly a great way to start the day. With the report stating Olivier Giroud has finally broken his Premier League duck the day should have been a good one.

Well, it did turn out to be a good one.

I managed to catch the highlights later and found out that I was spared the anxiety of watching Arsenal dominating the first half but found themselves trailing to The Hammers' first real attack of the match when Mohamad Diame managed to turn Aaron Ramsey before curling the ball past Vito Mannone.

But at the same time I also missed the excitement when Giroud latched onto a cross by Lukas Podolski to divert the ball home past Jussi Jaaskelainen for his maiden Premier League goal, bringing the score level four minutes before the interval.

The main thing I missed however was the masterful performance by Santi Carzola who pulled the strings in almost all Arsenal attacking moves. He found Giroud with a ball out of defence and the Frenchman released Theo Walcott with a simple pass which the England forward controlled well before putting it past Jaaskelainen.

To cap a good night performance, the pocket size Spanish forward then unleashed an unstoppable left foot shot that completely wrong-footed Jaaskelainen from outside the box after Walcott had brought the ball inside from the flank.

The performance of the returning Per Mertesacker also showed that he provides something extra to The Gunners defence this season.

With the league taking a break due to the international break, I am hoping the winning momentum will continue when we travel to Norwich City on 20 October and two subsequent home fixtures against Schalke 04 and QPR.


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Greek Test Passed

Aaron Ramsey scored for the first time this season and the first question that popped up to my mind was "who's going to die?". Though it was just purely coincidence death occurred when The Welshman scored.

The finish he applied to the headed pass by Olivier Giroud was something special and it gave a gloss to the scoreline in a match that could have gone either way in the first half.

Another cool finish by Gervinho from outside the box gave the home fans something to cheer after Olympiacos had created more chances than The Gunners.

But Kostas Mitroglou stole between Laurent Koscielny and skipper Thomas Vermaelen to head home to even things up as Norwegian referee, Sven Oddvar Moen was about to blow the half time whistle.

However the home side came out blazing in the second half and eleven minutes after the restart Lukas Podolski restored Arsenal's lead with a smart finish that went in between the goalkeeper's legs after Gervinho had done all the hard work from the left flank.

Both Podolski and Gervinho went off with ten minutes to go and were replaced by Giroud and Ramsey. The Frenchman could have had his first Champions' League goal but his goal-bound shot hit Dimitris Siovas who happened to be in the way.

Despite not scoring, the Frenchman provided another crucial assist as his header found Ramsey who calmly lobbed the Greek goalkeeper.

Arsenal now lead the Group B table with a perfect record before their double header against German side Schalke 04 later in October and early November.


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Money Speaks As The Gunners Lost

kT Gooner was away from Kuala Terengganu when Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, the 2-1 reverse against the cash injected team from West London. He was away in Tanjung Leman covering the Malaysian Match Racing Circuit 2012.

Defeat was not pleasant, especially in a derby. Without the opportunity to watch the match I would refrain from commenting on the performance of the home team.

It was just the decision taken by Arsene Wenger to rest the in form Per Mertersacker for the match was a bit baffling given the BFG's good performance in all the matches he has played this season.

Perhaps, he was influenced by the absence of a certain Ivorian who is now plying his trade in the Chinese Super League. However the partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen did not perform up to expectation. Both of them had a hand in all the two goals conceded.

The skipper conceded the two set-pieces that led to the goals while Kos failed to deal with the high ball delivered into the box, allowing Ferdy Torres to hook the ball past Vito Mannone.

Gervinho equalised with a sharp finish a few minutes before the interval. The Ivorian certainly proved his worth in front of goal this season, swiveling to turn Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pass from he flank past Petr Cech.

However, The Gunners were undone again less than ten minutes into the second half with Koscielny once again failed to deal with another delivery into the box by Juan Mata who was credited with the goal.

I believe that Mannone should have taken charge of the situation by coming out as the ball was delivered at his goal. But it was a difficult free-kick to defend and the defence has get their call right. Unfortunately for Arsenal, everybody got it wrong.

Lukasz Podolski forced a really good save from Cech. His looping header was destined for the top corner until the goalkeeper managed to claw it away. Cech again came into the picture when he pushed away a deflected Olivier Giroud's deflected shot.

The Frenchman then missed another opportunity to level the score when he was put through by The Ox but he could not find the target with his shot. It was a costly miss as the ones with the monies walked away with all three points.

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