Arsenal vs Sheffield Wednesday 29th Nov 95

Arsenal (1) 2 - 1 (1) Sheffield Wednesday

Highbury, Wednesday 29th November 1995

Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bould, Winterburn, Jensen, Platt,
         Merson, Bergkamp, Hartson, Wright
         Subs: Helder (Bergkamp 69),Dickov, Hillier 

Sheff W: Pressman, Atherton, Walker, Watts, Nolan, Hyde, Degryse,
         Sinton, Waddle, Whittingham, Bright
         Subs: Hirst (Bright 69), Poric, Woods

Result  : Arsenal               (1) 2    Sheffield Wednesday   (1) 1
Scorers:  Wright 39p, Hartson 64         Degryse 16

Bookings: Dixon                          Nolan, Watts
                                     
Att     : 35561
Referee : K W Burge (Tonypandy)

Similar result, equally entertaining game to the one the previous week against the same opponents, but a big difference in the balance of play. Last week Arsenal were a bit flattered by a 2 goal winning margin. Last night Wednesday were flattered by a single goal defeat as Arsenal dominated the game, playing some superb passing football, particularly in the first half.

A bit of a surprise in the starting lineup, with Hartson keeping his place at Helder's expense, and Jensen returning in midfield in place of Hillier. Walker returned in defence for the Owls. And it was a very attacking formation that Arsenal adopted, with Bergkamp roving along the line behind and alongside the front two while Merson appeared to have been given license to go anywhere he wanted.

In the first 15 minutes particularly, Arsenal played some absolutely brilliant football, and quite how they failed to score in that period God only knows. There had already been lots of movement, and a couple of lovely moves that didn't quite come off, before the first serious attempt at goal arrived after 5 minutes or so. Winterburn intercepted a pass out of defence and took it on into the area before unleashing an angled shot from about 15 yards that Pressman did well to hang on to.

Soon afterwards a typical piece of Bergkamp brilliance should have made the first goal. He exchanged passes with Dixon and then played a beautiful first time ball into space behind the leftback to allow Dixon to run onto it and pull back into the 6 yard box from the goal line. At the near post Hartson had a bit of space but tried to sidefoot the ball home and mistimed it and the ball squirted to safety beyond the far post.

However, from the clearance Arsenal regained possession and the ball once again found it's way to Bergkamp in the middle of the half. He spotted Wright's run into the left side of the area and clipped in a lovely reverse chip. Challenged by a couple of defenders Wrighty still managed to nod back into the middle where Platt was steaming in unmarked. As the ball dropped about 12 yards out, he hit it first time on the half volley and the ball screamed into the net. Or so everybody thought, but Pressman somehow reacted to parry the ball away from above his right shoulder and Platt just failed to get on the end of the rebound. One of the saves of the season.

Minutes later it was Adams who popped up on the right wing, Bergkamp again released him, he nudged the ball past Nolan's lunge and kept his balance to carry on to the byline just inside the area. There, not only did he look up, but he also picked out the only red shirt in the area, that of Wright, with a lovely pull back. At full tilt, Wrighty whacked it just over the bar with his left foot as the ball ran across his body, from about 14 yards.

Then the unthinkable happened and Wednesday scored in their first real attack. Waddle picked up a clearance on the left and lofted in a cross to the near post where, unmarked, Whittingham headed it on. Challenged by Bright on the 6 yard line, Seaman's punch was a bit weak and fell perfectly for Degryse running into the area, and he lashed it into the virtually unguarded net from about 15 yards.

Coming completely against the run of play, it knocked the Gunners back for a bit, but it wasn't long before they resumed dominance of the match. Bergkamp showed great pace and strength getting past two defenders in a chase for a ball into the area down the right, but from a tight angle his attempted near post strike went into the side netting.

Eventually the inevitable equaliser did arrive, and once again it was a superb move that led to it. Merson very nearly found Wright in the area with a cross in from the left, but Watts just managed to hook it away from in front of him. However, Bergkamp chested down the clearance and played the ball back in to Wright on the 18 yard line, and he produced a lovely little dragged backheel to play it into the path of Merson who was running across the area behind him. As Merse took it towards the corner of the 6-yd box, Watts' desperate last ditch lunge took his feet away. Definite penalty, and Wrighty confidently despatched it to Pressman's left.

The second half couldn't quite live up to the first but nonetheless Arsenal still continued to pass the ball around well and dominated the game until the final 15 minutes. Merson had a great run from the halfway line which almost set up Wright for a shot at goal, before a defender cleared for a corner.

The Gunners should have gone in front fairly soon afterwards. Wright raced down the left and produced a beautiful far post cross which took out the keeper. It was just too high for Hartson and his marker, but dropped at the feet of Platt running in at the far post. Not quite sure what he was trying to do, but about 4 yards out, he seemed to get the ball caught under his feet and it bobbled harmlessly past the post. He should have scored, but I guess he was put off by Hartson and the defender leaping in front of him.

Bergkamp was off the field getting treatment for the injury that eventually caused his substition when the winning goal went in. Hartson made up for his absence by performing a very creditably impression of the great Dutchman. Dixon played a long ball forward to his feet, about 10 yards outside the area. He turned and eluded a half-hearted challenge from Nolan which left him in space to run at Watts. Hartson easily jinked past him to leave himself free just inside the area, and he unleashed a vicious shot which appeared to surprise Pressman somewhat at his near post and the keeper could only get an ineffectual hand to the ball as it streaked past him.

Bergkamp went off with a calf injury about 5 minutes later to be replaced by Helder, and Arsenal went a little bit off the boil. There were still some good moments though, the best being when Merson picked up the ball inside his own half. Juggling the ball on his head for the first 10 yards he then accelerated towards the area before curving in a ball with the outside of his foot in an attempt to pick up Dixon making a great run down the right into the area. A defender just beat him to the ball to concede a corner.

Another good move between Merson and Helder I think ended with the latter touching the ball along the 18 yard line to Wright who swivelled to produce a beautifully struck left foot shot which was still rising as Pressman caught it. A yard or two either side of him and he'd have had no chance.

For the last 10 or 15 minutes Arsenal seemed to be content with the lead and tended to sit back a bit and let Wednesday have more possession. They couldn't really do much with it though, and with Seaman making a couple of good catches from crosses the home defence were relatively untroubled before the final whistle blew.

Overall a satisfyingly fluent and entertaining performance from the Gunners. Their display in the first half particularly was outstanding, with Bergkamp at the centre of everything and sheer brilliance during that period. Merse deserved his man of the match award though, with a tirelessly creative performance in that free role which he seems to revel in. Wrighty had a superb game, especially considering his enforced layoff, and Hartson though still looking a bit ponderous at times did quite well and scored a great goal.

I also thought Jensen had a very good game while Platt was making a noticeable effort to make more forward runs, and they both got through a lot of work in the middle. And apart from the goal the defence looked hearteningly solid, in contrast to the game last week.

As was almost universally predicted we've got Newcastle in the next round, though the small mercy is that we're at home. Mind you, if you're looking for omens the game last night could have been a good one. Arsenal have previously played Wednesday on 8 occasions in the cups since the war (a total of 14 games, including those 4 replays in 79), and not lost any of them. And on 5 of those we've gone on to either win the cup or get to Wembley.

report by Derek Brownjohn

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