Arsenal demolish Derby County 5-0
This game was on Canadian TV so no need to watch it on Sopcast so no highlights. Arsenal Clips however uploaded all you need. Another great blog that has Arsenal highlights is Arsenal Goals Clips, check them out.
10′ [1 - 0] A. Diaby View
25′ [2 - 0] E.S. Adebayor View
50′ [3 - 0] E.S. Adebayor (pen.) View
70′ [4 - 0] C. Fabregas View
79′ [5 - 0] E.S. Adebayor View
Also check out the 4+ minute highlight pack.
Last year this match might’ve had a chance of ending up in a 1-1 draw but this year we’ve shown we can put away teams that deserve putting away. A 5-0 manslaughter of Derby County where the class of Fabregas was front and center and Abou Diaby showed why he’s on his way to replace Vieira and Adebayor, well Adebayor deserve a new sentence. He can score goals, nobody’s doubted that, it’s just the goals that he misses really stick with you. After today’s hatrick where he scored from the penalty spot, on a breakaway and made something out of a completely harmless Denilson pass, even the staunchest of Adebayor critics must concede that he looked very close to replacing Thierry Henry. Then again, this is Derby County. But that takes little away from Adebayor’s dazzling performance where it wasn’t just that he scored goals, his dribbling was pristine and his control perfect.
The lineup wasn’t our strongest with RVP, Gallas, Hleb, Rosicky and Eboue all resting or injured:
Diaby Flamini Fabregas Walcott
Clichy Senderos Toure Sagna
Almunia
You saw all that is good and bad about Walcott today, his pace is unstoppable and the defender is always at his mercy when he’s streaming down the right side but once he’s in the box either his shot is either lacking quality or the final pass lets the original run down. In his two chances to score today, he was first overpowered by a defender after outpacing two others and then his shot was blocked. He does create half-chances when he’s in the game, by the end of this year he should create real ones.
Watching Fabregas operate in the midfield is like watching John Stockton play the point guard. Now everybody who reads this blog will completely miss that reference but for those who get it they know it speaks of high praise for Arsenal’s general. When he laced in the fourth goal – another blistering long-range strike – I was just thinking, “Man, is this guy in the zone”. His sense of when to pick off Eduardo and Adebayor and when to lay it off on the right for Sagna or Walcott never seems to be wrong. Billy Davies, the Derby County boss alluded to him being the best midfielder in Europe, he might not be wrong.
Looking at Eduardo’s play you get the sense that he’s still finding his place on the team. The glimpses of skill that he displays are right now being offset by him getting tangled in the box and not finding the space he needs (and was used to in Zagreb) but he’s already looking more comfortable than he did earlier in the season and as things progress, so will he. Like Walcott, he has no problem beating the defender on the wing, it’s just when you get past that he’s still figuring out what his options are. Perfectly natural. Time will fix that.
Liverpool was frustrated into a scoreless draw by Birmingham and Chelsea/Man Utd play tomorrow at Old Trafford. On a completely different note, I thought it was somewhat classless of Benitez to not even say a word or two about Mourinho. I’m pretty sure I hate Benitez more than I ever did Mourinho.
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All our bitching about Adebayor seems kinda silly now, doesn’t it? I’m not complaining…
WWWOOOOWWW 5 – 0, ARSENAL RULEZZ THE PREMIER LEAGUE, ARSENAL IS BACKK,
I’ve been criticizing Adebayor and I’m glad he’s made me shut up.
Johnny Stockton for all those Brits who might not be familiar with the NBA was a top-notch point guard for the Utah Jazz who despite being dimunitive by NBA standards could dominate games based on his passing ability and outside shooting touch – something Fabregas is doing right now.
Nice blog BTW, too bad the Raps can’t handle the Nets in the post-season
It sure was fun to watch, but that game didn’t tell us much about anyone, except maybe that we are now a team that takes care of business (no small thing). I’ve not been an Ade critic, but he’s no Henry just yet. Lots of people (eg Liverpool) look good against slow pub league teams.
I think the more obvious and appropriate (given that he’s Canadian and a great footballer) comparison is Steve Nash, whose distribution makes everyone around him look better, and can dominate himself when the need arises. Would that Nash had a Flamini or a Gilberto to back him up defensively…he needs a holding midfielder behind him.
yap arsenal are back in top and they are not caming down woooooooooow i luv u arsenal keep the good work
5-0.. ade shud have scored more
anyway.. keep on winning.. yeah
Spot on about comparing Cesc to Stockton. Not the absolute flashiest player, but has a vision and understanding of his sport that is unparalelled. Cesc is a genius in the academics of football.
first of all i should say…whoever posted this must be really really…how do you hate benitez..i dont know two people on earth that would say that..am a die hard,blood connected gunner fan..so i really dont care if you hate him or not..but what i really want to comment on is mourino’s departure..i dont think rafa benitez did anything wrong by not talking about mourinho..benitez is a kool guy,hardly pocknoses into others business and yet mourinho kept getting in his business..isnt that enough for him to decide not to have anything to say or do with mourinho..after all he’s as good a manager as mourinho..if not better..am sure if you give me 240 million to spend on players in three seasons i would do as well as mourinho did..maybe not..but i would achieve some succes..i think mourinho is a very good coach..but hyped…best way to know is if he decides to take on a club like hotspur,athletico,lazio..if he can bring clubs like that to glory..then i think he would be appreciated much better
i was one of the very first to think of arsenal without henry,my namesake..his last two seasons were characterised by non challancy,laziness and his leadership was somewhat unconvincing..i also hoped wenger would do away with vieira at the time he did..and am so glad it worked out..i prayed he will get rosicky and he did..one player i have always hoped for wenger to get is aimar but am sure it would never happen..and the latest transfer i would love is trading van persie..i love the guy but i just dont think he is the ideal player to partner the arsenal attack..i know its a dumb idea but i am damn sure it would work..i have wengers ideas in my hand..and i know he wont do away with v.persie…but who cares…after all wenger might transform vp even more.
doesnt have the skills of ronaldo,doesnt have the physic and strenght of vieira,doesnt have the agility of nedved and essien..doesnt have the speed of ronaldo and overmars..doesnt have the power of seedorf and gravesen.doent have the mesmerizing ability of ronaldinho and okocha..but i know what he has…the calmness of Zinedine Zidane,the sight of a young Beckham,the grace of Nedved,the size of scholes…and the love of the game..i remember the game against everton in 2k5 or so where he was substituted..and he was crying…..just in his 20′s..already a legend in his own right…Fransesc Fabregas,a young Arsenal Legend.
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed
I appreciate your piece of work, thanks for all the great content .