Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[Windmill abu]

Mark Clattenburg's "great" decision to play advantage while the linesman was waving his flag may have been justified by Arsenals goal. It nevertheless can not cover up the fact that he ignored both of Bentley's (hand ball & clumsy tackle) and the very aggresive tackle on Eduardo. The challenge on Eduardo should still have received a booking after the goal.

[ONeill]

Van Persie makes a mockery of Spurs' class pretensions

It was 70 minutes before the "Olés" started echoing round the stadium, but when they did there was an extra glee greeting every Arsenal touch, an audible rebuke to neighbours who had been unwise enough to suggest they might be approaching the standards set by Arsène Wenger these past 13 years. Five minutes earlier Tottenham's captain, Robbie Keane, had been hauled off, presumably regretting his words earlier in the week about the respective strength of the squads; the performance of Arsenal's understudies in seeing off Liverpool in the Carling Cup had already provided sufficient evidence to the contrary.

The boy wonders have played their part when required in Arsenal's run of nine successive home wins in all competitions, in which 29 goals have now hit the opposition net. Had their elders and supposed betters not taken so long to find the right gear yesterday, the average would have soared above three per game and we would have been checking for Tottenham's biggest derby defeat in recent times.

For 42 minutes, as Harry Redknapp pointed out with considerable frustration, there seemed no possibility of any such outcome. In that period the visiting bench were more concerned by the spectators behind them – Sir Alex Ferguson has complained about the same thing in the past – than anything happening on the pitch.

When Keane latched on to a downward header from Peter Crouch in almost the first threatening attack by either side, there had been promise of better things. That tactic, limited as it was, worked successfully enough, for Crouch was still winning headers right at the finish and William Gallas would have required a lift from Thomas Vermaelen in the manner of a rugby line-out to stop him. But without the attacking talents of Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe, there was little else to offer.

Further back, the hustlers supposed to be shaking up Arsenal's dainty midfield passing failed to make an impression, physical or otherwise, and a ponderous defence always looked likely to be exposed by pace and craft; notably that of Robin van Persie, who is becoming a mobile modern centre-forward of rare ability. His two goals were his seventh and eighth in the past nine games.

Concerned by five matches without a clean sheet, and especially the late collapse at West Ham last weekend that cost two points, Wenger instructed Alex Song and Abou Diaby to sit tight, freeing Cesc Fabregas to weave his magic wherever he wished. Scoring the second goal 11 seconds after the kick-off following Van Persie's first, in this of all games, added another little tale to the Arsenal story.

"In the first half-hour we couldn't find our usual fluency and played a little with the handbrake on," Wenger admitted. After that, it was top gear. "We scored the first goal and straight away took advantage of their shock for the second," he added. "It was important not to concede a goal, as that could have caused a panic, but we had a good defensive performance and the back five were very efficient."

That included Manuel Almunia, back in goal for the first time since 12 September, who got away with a couple of slight fumbles and made one excellent save from David Bentley's free-kick in the second half.

So the two Manchester clubs are still the only ones to have lowered the Arsenal flag this season. Whether or not the Londoners find City's full team too strong when the young Gunners return to Eastlands in the Carling Cup quarter-final, Wenger has always believed more strongly than most – including Redknapp – that they can win the League for the first time in six years. "I have said so since the first day of the season and I'm not going to change after today," he said. "We have the attitude and spirit in the squad and that's what we want to show."

The handbrake, as he said, was on for a while in an opening 40 minutes of only a couple of chances. Heurelho Gomes pulled off a good save from Fabregas from the first of them and Van Persie wasted the second before contriving an opportunistic opening goal.

Bacary Sagna's low cross following a throw-in on the right ought to have been a defender's ball but Van Persie stole in ahead of Ledley King to squeeze it past Gomes. Straight from the kick-off Eduardo, who was on early for the injured Nicklas Bendtner, dispossessed Wilson Palacios. With Spurs in shock Fabregas veered through three challenges and ran on to score.

The whole mood of the afternoon changed and could only have been altered by Tottenham claiming the next goal. Bentley's free-kick was their one opportunity to do so but within 60 seconds of Almunia turning it over the bar the referee, Mark Clattenburg, played a good advantage, allowing Sagna – once he had stopped and then started again – to supply Van Persie again, this time for a tap-in.

Thereafter it was all mocking and gloating at Spurs' expense, of which there would have been more if Eduardo, clean through, and the substitute Emmanuel Eboué, with a free header, had done what they should.

Wenger, having reached 1,000 points in the Premier League with yesterday's three, summed up: "I think it's been a fantastic week for the club. We beat Liverpool and Tottenham with the style that is now our style and I am very proud of that."

[ONeill]

Van Persie eager to face Adebayor in Carling Cup tie

Robin van Persie has risked reigniting his feud with former Arsenal team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor after it was announced that the two will face each other in the Carling Cup quarter-finals early next month.

Arsenal will travel to Manchester City at the beginning of December in a rematch of the fiery encounter at Eastlands in September, which saw Adebayor receive a three-match ban for stamping on Van Persie's face, a challenge the Arsenal star described as "mindless and malicious".

When asked about the Carling Cup tie, Van Persie expressed excitement about the possibility of going head-to-head with the City striker again, and hinted that there was unfinished business between the pair.

He admitted he will ask Arsène Wenger to pick him for the match at Eastlands. "Nice. I want to play in that. I'd love to play. If the boss decides to let me play, I'm happy," Van Persie said. Wenger, the Arsenal manager, traditonally selects a side full of youngsters for Carling Cup matches.

Meanwhile, Adebayor has spoken out again about the incident during his side's 4-2 victory on 12 September, in which he also controversially celebrated scoring City's third goal by sliding on his knees in front of the Arsenal supporters. In contrast to Van Persie's comments, the Togo striker said there was no bad blood between the two and apologised for his actions that day.

When asked if he regretted the clash with Van Persie, Adebayor said: "Of course, yes. I saw Robin in the tunnel [after the game] and I told him: 'I'm very sorry for what happened.' He's like: 'Why, why you do that?' and I told him: 'Robin, I don't know, that does happen, I'm sorry.' And at the time he told me 'OK it's fine'."

On his goal celebration, which outraged Arsenal fans and led to ground security officials having to stop supporters charging onto the pitch to confront him, Adebayor said he was repentant but it was insults from the away support that led him to act that way. He said: "When I come to the stadium, for me it was a special game because you're playing against your former team and was coming up against people who were like brothers.

"When I get to the tunnel and see my friends, I try to shake their hands... but they don't want to shake my hand and it was a shock. I felt very hurt. After that I thought – OK, that's part of life and I just have to deal with it. After that, when I get on the pitch and when I hear some singing insulting my dad, insulting my mum, I think, we can't take everything. We are only human beings. We have all got our limit. You can insult me, you can judge me on the pitch, that's normal. But don't touch my family, I love them more than everything on this earth. So when I heard fans singing, insulting my family, yes, then my mind was like, I had to respond. I don't have a choice.

"I cannot go into the fans and start shouting, I cannot do anything, better way to respond is to score a goal against them. And that is what I managed to do. At that time, emotions took over me and I have done it. And you can see that I'm not insulting anyone, I just calm down, sliding on my knee, showing them that yes, you insult me, you sack me from your team, I go, and now this means I'm not the bad player you think I was when I was playing for you."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/van-persie-eager-to-face-adebayor-in-carling-cup-tie-1813216.html

[RedBolts]

Good win on Saturday. Looked dodgy for most of the first half (in that i thought we might struggle to open Spurs up), but two goals in literally 11 seconds took care of the game. Would be a little worried at how were subdued for large parts of the game, with Arshavin particularly quiet, but to come out with a 3-0 against Spurs despite that is very satisfying.

I'm not too sure about spurs assertions that they could take over from Arsenal in the prem. I don't expect them to compete significantly for a top 4 finish. They barely have enough to finish top 6. Players like Jenas, Bentley, Lennon, Assou Ekoto (awful player) etc. leave them basically spineless. Fabregas' goal showed this spectacularly. Great finish btw.

[ONeill]

Strong team out tonight. 2-0  - Fabregas and a lovely Nasri goal.

[ONeill]

Nasri goal - http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=3270346

Fabregas goal - http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=3270318

[ONeill]

3-0, Fabregas again. He's in some form.

[ONeill]

4-0 Diaby.

[Dinny Breen]

Ole

[Dinny Breen]

Not having even an average goalie will probably cost the goons eventually

[ONeill]

4-1. Wenger out.

[muppet]

Rafa should be available soon.

[Hoof Hearted]

did you hear Alan Smith commentating tonight. arsenal had an in-direct free kick on the corner of the SIX yard box. smith said he couldnt believe the ref let them take it when the wall werent 10 yards back ! WTF. Where were they  going to go ? The Stand ?

Love watching Arsenal though. As a neutal, they are who i would pay to see.

[Carmen Stateside]

did you hear Alan Smith commentating tonight. arsenal had an in-direct free kick on the corner of the SIX yard box. smith said he couldnt believe the ref let them take it when the wall werent 10 yards back ! WTF. Where were they  going to go ? The Stand ?

Love watching Arsenal though. As a neutal, they are who i would pay to see.

Agree totally plus Fabregas is the best player around at the moment.

[gerry]

just in from the pub, great game and great stout