Arsenal 1 McShane OG
Hull City 2 Geovanni CousinMany were expecting a cricket score when Hull City came a visiting but I did share that view. Not after a good start made by Phil Brown's men that saw them in the top half of the Premier League table rather than the bottom.
But then again, I did not expect us to lose either.
On the 12th anniversary of a certain Arsene Wenger officially joined Arsenal it should be a week of celebration. Results from previous matches against Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United indicated the Gunners would be too much for the Tigers to handle.
However, Brown did not spend years under Sam Allardyce at the Reebok Stadium without picking up a thing or two from the big man when it comes to playing Arsenal.
There was a quote from Brown that to come away with anything from the Emirates is to catch Arsenal on an off day. It was certainly that day.
The first half was largely a forgetable affair with neither goalkeeper has to make any serious save at all. Then suddenly everything clicked into one fluid movement with Theo Walcott finally found his groove and a lucky deflection later Arsenal finally broke the deadlock.
A collective sigh of relief by many at the Emirates.
But it was not for long. A moment of magic by Geovanni brought things level again. The Brazillian was allowed too much time and space by the Arsenal players and there was nothing Manuel Almunia could do but grasping thin air as the ball whizzed past him.
A goal of the season candidate for sure.
Things got worse a bit later. Arsenal had conceded two goals from set-pieces this season and tonight they conceded another. The way Daniel Cousin scored his first goal for Hull indicated that we still need a big tall centre-half who could take charge from this kind of situation.
Neither William Gallas nor Kolo Toure could rectify the situation. Clearly, we are still looking for the next Tony Adams.
One thing about the match last night was that many Arsenal players looked like they were fasting. They were lacking the urgency required to match the pressing game that Brown instructed his men to carry out.
I am getting tired of seeing the two Manus, Eboue and Adebayor.
We played quite a number of high balls into the box but with Robin Van Persie being not the best player with the head, it would make more sense if Nicklas Bendtner was given the slot to partner Adebayor up-front.
I would play Walcott on the left and Van Persie on the opposite flank so they could cut inside and the more damage with their right and left feet respectively. A bit predictable but there would be variety and physical presence up-front especially against a team which has this never say die attitude that we were sadly lacking during the match.
Carlos Vela should have been given the nod sooner, especially after we fell behind in order for him to make a meaningful contribution. He was quite unlucky when the ball fell too near to him from the Gallas header.
As always, the question of luck would always come in after a defeat and it is no different this time around.
We simply did not have much of it tonight.
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However, for Gooners who manage to do that, then they receive half dozen of delights from the Emirates as the home side put six past Sporting Braga goalkeeper Felipe. In a match that could be dubbed as 'The Cesc Fabregas Show" the skipper found the net twice, starting the scoring in each half.
Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh also manage put their names on the score-sheet in the first half to give The Gunners a healthy 3-0 lead going into the break. Substitute Carlos Vela came on in the 63rd minute and duly found the net twice to put the gloss on the night when the Portuguese Arsenal learn what Champions League football is all about.
The naivety of the Braga side mean the central defensive pairing of Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci are not really troubled throughout the match. Despite the big win Arsenal fans must realise that sterner tests await when their team face FK Partizan in Belgrade later this month and the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk in October.
