A Good Start For the Notebook.

ARSENAL 3 Nasri, van Persie, Walcott

EVERTON 1 Osman

As the referee blew for the interval, the thought that the first match that I am goinng to talk about is a defeat crossed my mind. The direct football deployed during the first half certainly did not pose much problem for Everton at all.

Thinking a change of ritual would bring some good luck, I decided to hang out the laundry which earlier had been put into the machine.

Somehow, it worked.

I came back just in time to witness Cesc Fabregas’s corner which eventually ended up in the back of the visitors’ goal after a cool finish by Samir Nasri for the equaliser. We pressed forward and the enforced change that saw Theo Walcott coming on for the injured Kolo Toure saw a more menacing attacks on the Toffees goal.

Manu Adebayor who had been the target of my long distance abuse for not properly getting himself into the match during the first half finally did good in my book tonight. He managed to create the opening for Fabregas’s shot which was intially saved by Tim Howard.

But Robin van Persie was on hand to head home the rebound which put us into the lead for the first time during the match. After seeing the Dutchman failed to make much headway during the first forty five minutes, it was good to see him finally putting one over the line for his 6^th goal of the season.

Then a sight that all Arsenal fans did not want to see. Nasri hobbled off the pitch and my preference was to see Mexican forward, Carlos Vela for a like for like substitution. But I was no Arsene Wenger, who brought on Abou Diaby for the lanky player first match back from injury (again!)

It turned out to be another shrewd move by the Frenchman when Diaby found himself free on the right after Walcott found him with a short pass. It was a delayed ‘one-two’ and the young Englishman’s first time effort gave Howard no chance at all with a low effort which went through his legs.

The three points collected was really valuable as Chelsea had earlier thrashed Middlesbrough 5-0 at the Riverside. Liverpool posted another remarkable comeback against Wigan at Anfield, coming back from 2-1 down with ten minutes to go to win by the odd goal in five.

But most importantly was that the first Arsenal match review that I typed using my brand new HP Notebook was a character building comeback win.

So, another laundry on Wednesday?

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