Arsenal vs. Aston Villa Highlights: Gunners win 2-1 as I start to miss Lehmann
Posted by Arsenalist on December 1st, 2007
I had to catch the game on a crappy TVU feed and the highlights I recorded don’t deserve to be broadcast (thanks Mrs. Arsenalist). Here’s some highlights I found at Verden’s Vevet. I vimeo’d them so they’re embedded.
First Half Good. Second Half Bad. Needed to gut this one out as Villa poured it on reminding me a little of Sevilla less than a week ago. This time however we didn’t make any defensive mistakes in the second half and despite a banged up midfield missing Hleb and Fabregas, Diarra and Flamini managed to hold off Villa for just long enough. The pouring rain didn’t help matters and made for sloppy passes that were very un-Arsenal-like, Villa was dangerous crossing the ball into the middle but credit goes to Kolo and Co. for heading away tempting cross after tempting cross throughout the second half. Gritty Arsenal performance led in the midfield by Flamini who deserves a new contract right now.
The first half had that 4-1 feel to it and even after Gardner snuck one in on us it wasn’t panic time. Flamini responded after an Eboue run and cross and sprayed the ball right at his feet. Adebayor soon headed home the second after some nice Sagna/Eboue/Hleb passing. At the time the goal was scored I thought Arsenal were destined to score at least three more but the rain and Aston Villa changed that.
It’s time to bring back Jens Lehmann, Almunia’s been good for us but let’s face it, Lehmann is the better goalie. I’m not saying Lehmann would’ve stopped the first goal, I’m saying if we’re going to win any trophies we’re going to need a better goalie than Almunia. His positioning has been questionable and he’s slower to react than Lehmann – nobody can deny that. Yes, Jens is crazy but I think he’s learned his lesson. We’re going to lose some players to the ACN and one can’t expect Almunia to hold the fort down, I say bring back Lehmann or get a new goalie (Green still available?). I don’t want to go to the knockout stages of the Champions League with Almunia as Arsenal’s #1 goalie, that does not bode well.
Check out the match report and if you haven’t already, get the feed. Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill’s post-match interview is part of the BBC’s match report.
Here are the individual goals followed by the MOTD highlights:
14′ Gardner: Download
[vimeo 411499]
23′ Flamini: Download
[vimeo 411527]
36′ Adebayor: Download
[vimeo 411513]
You need to get VLC to watch the videos.
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December 1st, 2007 at 4:05 pm
good man, excellent
December 1st, 2007 at 5:05 pm
safe man
December 1st, 2007 at 5:24 pm
I watched the game on Sop, really determined performance
Job well done Gunners!
December 1st, 2007 at 7:34 pm
mmmmmmmmmm, You may have a point on Almunia, but do you think taking him out of the fist IX will be that cheap? I dont think so..
May we send him some flu to get him out for 3 weeks!!!
Gunning Higher
December 1st, 2007 at 8:17 pm
yup2… 1st half was very nice to watch.. 2nd half was very bad
yeah.. bring jens in!!
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:20 am
no lens is shittt at times we does really stupid mistakes that costs us points
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:34 am
well if u analyze the overall situation of d match it was a remarkable perfomance by our young gunnerz for following reasonz:-
1) Fabregas was missing
2) It waz an away game
3) One shud not forget tht Villa just defeated the high-flying Blackburn Roverz just in the previous match before this.
So, all in all great night for entertaining us , thnk u keep it up gunnerz , and yes CONGRATS to all gunner fanz….peace
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:22 am
I disagree with your comments regarding the keepers. Jens was sloppy, slow to react, careless etc and we dropped goals and points because of it. Since Alumnia has been in we are top of the league, unbeaten until Sevilla and he has not made any major errors or mistakes. Ok his positioning sometimes may be questionable and the Ronaldo UTD goal was partly to do with his error. But besides that he is solid. He is quick to release the ball with throws resulting in counter attacks. He is a great shot stopper and the defence is more relaxed with him as keeper. Besides Jens has pissed off too many people. Why was Almunia still keeper in the Sevilla game?. Jens will not play unless Almunia is injured or if Almunia catches the ball, rolls and throws it into his own net after running the length of the picth to try and get on the end of a corner.
He is part of the team that has Arsenal sitting at the top of the table and he is part of the team through to the knockout of the champions league. if you replace him now you upset the feel of the team not to mention the player himself. As Wenger says you cannot change a team when those players are performing, results are good etc. Thats why Gilberto cannot get a game. Would you of been shouting for Flamini to replace Gilberto last year – no I think not. But Flamini was and is the better player. All those comments he is nothing more than an average squad player were naive. Same with the Almunia comments.
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:44 am
no we don’t need Alumnia
December 2nd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Almunia is not half the keeper Lehmann is. He has made plenty of mistakes, has shown a lot of weaknesses but he has been bailed out most of the time by our defense of which the key players will be gone to the ANC soon. Almunia is not a goalkeeper who wins you the important highpressure games or who makes the impossible saved Lehmann makes. He is not a good shotstopper. In fact his reactions for everything close to his near post or near his body are terribly slow and he always concedes those while he makes a meal out of longrange shots. His positioning is bad, is organisation of the defense questionable (walls), he does not come out enough for corners, dropped quite a few, usually punches them even thougfh he could catch them (watch Lehmann’s handling of crosses and in 1:1 situations for Germany. Perfection.) and he is not a bit better with the shit he talked about Jens in the past and now. I bet Wenger is secretly hoping for him to make a mistake just in time for the CL knock-out stages so he can put Jens back in goal. Unfortunately I think Lehmann will leave in January. He has been great for Germany which surely didn’t go unnoticed and he won’t have a problem finding a new club who shows him more loyality and respect (note that his jibes against Wenger and Almunia came after Wenger had left im out in the cold and told him humiliation was part of his job when he was injured. That is no way to treat a player who has done a lot for the club. Wenger fed him to the jeers of the press and didn’t help a bit to keep them or the rumors down at least a bit).
And I have a feeling that Wenger will be insane enough to stick with Almunia and ruine our season that way.
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:23 pm
What are u on about? Leave Almunia alone. Jen’s shite….he makes the whole team (and the fans) nervous everytime there’s a freekick or corner. Are u on drugs mate?
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Ya, I think we should’ve brought back Jens a while back..he has had some howlers but I feel more reasurred with Jens in the goal than Almunia..he makes more big saves. Anyone remember Champions League Semi-Fianls two years back?
December 4th, 2007 at 10:03 am
I personally can’t see lehmann staying now and i think thats a good thing because we have a great team spirt now and nothing should be allowed to disturb that. Robert Green is never going to be good enough for arsenal. he has made just as many mistakes as almunia just look at the west ham vs spurs match. I agree that lehmann is better than almunia but hes only a lesser of 2 evils.
if you’ve seen him in action you’ll all know fabianski is the best keeper at arsenal and deserves his chance in the league. his cool under pressure, comands his area, catches crosses (unlike almunia), good decision maker and is brave and can handle the rough and tumble and the pressure of attackers of the premier league (unlike lehmann). fabianski for no.1!
December 5th, 2007 at 4:07 am
i think lehmann would have done better than almunia in our champions league final against barca if he was not given that red card,he should be given another chance now in order to keep the team spirit high, lehmann and almunia are not in talking terms!!!! a situation which as reported by the press almunia prefers, what does almunia think he is???? i like him but he should respect lehmann and the almunia should know that it will take him along time to get to where lehmann is in the world of football.
wish the gunners many trophies this season..
December 5th, 2007 at 10:26 am
I still blaim Almunia for the second barca goal in the champions league final. He should have had that ball, so i’m for lehman
December 5th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Hi guys! Sorry to interfere one of your lines… even though right now you all still arguing about the players for me all of them are best among the best but you all forgotten something whereby all of this magic results is came from one of the best magician… Wenger! he knows better than we for what we should do… savvy? JUST IMAGINE IF Wenger left the Emirates… what will going to happen to all our gunners??? just thinking on this word Arsene is Arsenal & Arsenal is Arsene… savvy???
December 26th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
ARSENALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 28th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Super-Duper web page! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking your feed even, Thank you.
April 24th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
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