Arsenal home page.
Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Bould, Adams, Winterburn, Jensen, Schwarz,
Parlour, Campbell, Smith, Wright
Subs: Selley (Jensen 79), Keown (Adams 90), Bartram
Chelsea: Kharine, Clarke, Kjeldbjerg, Johnsen, Sinclair, Rocastle,
Spackman, Peacock, Wise, Furlong, Newton
Subs: Shipperley (Rocastle 61), Lee, Hitchcock
Result : Arsenal (1) 3 Chelsea (1) 1
Scorers : Wright 39 63, Campbell 54 Wise 34
Bookings: Schwarz, Winterburn Sinclair
Att : 38234
Referee : D Gallacher (Banbury)
A pretty good and comprehensive victory for Arsenal, though after
Chelsea took the lead it seemed the match might be going the same way
as recent home league games. Happily the Gunners got back into it
fairly quickly and thereafter there was only going to be one winner in
a fairly entertaining match.
Arsenal seemed to be playing a formation closer to 4-3-3, with Campbell in place of the injured Merson, further forward then he is sometimes asked to play when Smith and Wright are both also playing. Chelsea, on the other hand with Spencer out through injury, were playing with only Furlong up front. Arsenal had the greater share of possession early in the match, with chances occasionally cropping up. Wright hit a typically well-struck shot from the edge of the box, but straight at Kharine. Schwarz had a goal bound shot which was deflected for a corner, while Chelsea occasionally threatened on the break. Furlong blasted their best chance wide from a break down the left, and also blocked a Seaman clearance which luckily bounced straight back into the keeper's hands. The best Arsenal move of the half was thwarted by a great Kharine save. Schwarz and Winterburn combined well down the left, with Nutty getting to the byline and chipping back a short cross which Smith flung himself at. He connected with a diving header which Kharine pushed round the post at full stretch. Chelsea's goal came when Arsenal were caught short in defence. Dixon had chased a ball over the top and in fact did very well to pull back a cross from almost the corner flag at full tilt. However, Kharine caught it and threw out quickly, Wise released Peacock down the left, and his cross to the far post was nodded back by Furlong to Wise. Unmarked five yards out he couldn't miss.
Fortunately it took only five minutes for the equaliser. Bould flicked on a Schwarz near post corner, the ball bounced up off the heads of a ruck of players at the far post and then Kharine's weak punch dropped to the feet of Wright, and he whacked a rising left foot shot into the roof of the net from about 8 yards. Just before half time there was time for the customary Campbell miss. The ball broke to him in space about 12 yards out, and he carefully steered it just wide of the far post. That left foot again.
However, he redeemed himself early in the second half. From another corner Bould appeared to get a nudge at the near post, but the perpetrator did his job for him and flicked the ball on to the far post. Adams, Wright and a couple of defenders all went up for the ball and it dropped to Campbell on the six yard line, but facing away from goal so he did well to hook it on the bounce over his shoulder and into the roof of the net, with his right foot needless to say. From then on it was nearly all Arsenal, and the third goal arrived ten minutes later. Another Wright cracker this one, coming after Winterburn had done superbly to jink past Newton on the left and pull back a cross. Wright volleyed it first time into the far corner of the net with his left foot from about 12 yards. Soon afterwards Hoddle attempted to beef up his attack, bringing on Shipperly in place of Rocastle, but with little telling effect. The only scare in the Arsenal goal I can recall in the second half was when Furlong again blocked a Seaman clearance, but again without any luck with the rebound. Though I have to admit my recollection of the match is a little hazier than usual due to a rather more excessive than usual consumption of beer before and after the match. Anyway, Arsenal could have added to their tally. JJ was charging through for his customary effort before being hacked down on the edge of the area, Wright blazed a couple wide after breaks down the left when he might have been better off squaring for Smith and Campbell, and I have a vague memory of another good Kharine save from Smith, I think.
Pretty good performances all round from Arsenal, with Wright and Winterburn being the pick in my book. I suppose Chelsea didn't threaten much after they scored, but the defence always looks sounder with Bould alongside Adams, and he adds that bit extra at corners. Schwarz and Jensen both had good games, and Parlour always looked busy, finding some good positions, and I thought Campbell and Smith both did reasonably well. Let's hope the good form continues on Thursday.
Report by Derek Brownjohn
... to the Arsenal home page.