(0) 0 - 1 (1) ArsenalCity Ground. Saturday 16th January 1999FA Carling Premiershipsee below for reportPreview
(0) 0 - 1 (1) ArsenalCity Ground. Saturday 16th January 1999FA Carling Premiership
scorers: Keown
Arsenal:
Manninger
Dixon Adams Keown Winterburn
Parlour Garde Petit Overmars (Vivas)
Bergkamp Anelka (Upson)
With several key players just returning from injury, and Vieira suspended,
on top of a terrible pitch and most significantly, the BFR effect,
any kind of win is a good result from this one.
The goal came in the middle of a first half which we dominated, with Parlour and Garde having their best games for ages. A Petit corner found Keown's head, and the ball bounced up and looped over Beasant. Both keepers had good games. If anything Manninger had more scary moments, particularly in the second half. He was kicked on the ground by Darceville after some brave keeping had smothered the ball, and Darceville was perhaps fortunate to only be booked. Adams started off looking like he was feeling the injury a bit still, but loosened up as the game went on. Winterburn was hurt in a tackle late on sparking worries about his injury. He finished the game ok, but perhaps it was doubts about his and Adams fitness that prompted the late move to a back five, with Upson coming on for Anelka. So the BFR goes away without a first-game win, although I suspect his late arrival for this one was intended to spread some of that curse to their next match. You could tell he hadn't been in the job more than a few minutes, he started off by going to the wrong dug-out when he came out at the beginning of the match! In an interview BFR said that when he sat down he turned to Nelson Vivas and asked "who are you?" to which our man replied "Bergkamp" ! Kanu was not available as he hasn't got a work permit yet. Maybe we'll see him at Molineux next week. Interestingly, Wenger has today been quoted as suggestign that Kanu's signature does not rule out the possibilitty of Arsenal bidding for Matt Jansen. (see NewsReel for more.
Result : Nottingham Forest (0) 0 Arsenal (1) 1
Scorers: Keown 34
Arsenal: Manninger, Dixon, Winterburn, Adams, Keown; Garde, Petit,
Parlour, Overmars; Bergkamp, Anelka
Subs: Vivas (Overmars 69), Upson (Anelka 86), Caballero,
Wreh, Lukic
Booked: Winterburn, Anelka, Garde
Forest: Beasant, Rogers, Hjelde, Lyttle, Armstrong, Gemmill, Johnson,
Bart-Williams, Bonalair, Darcheville, Van Hooijdonk.
Subs: Shipperley (Bonalair 75), Quashie (Darchville 85),
Crossley, Woan, Edwards
Booked:Johnson, Darcheville, Gemmill
Att: 26021
Ref: Paul Durkin (Portland)
The new manager jinx of the last couple of seasons was finally laid to
rest at the City Ground on Saturday, as Arsenal ground out a 1-0 win,
which was reasonably comfortable though rather laboured at times in the
second half. On a pitch which resembled a ploughed field onto which most
of Blackpool beach had been dumped, Arsenal were comfortably in control
of the first half, but rather less so in the second when Forest put the
famed defence under a lot of pressure by throwing plenty of high balls
into the box.
Arsenal could have taken the lead in the opening minute. Dixon chipped a ball forward from the halfway line, Bergkamp nodded it on to Anelka, who produced a lovely flick to free Parlour as he made a charging run down the middle. The midfielder's shot from just inside the box was firm and true, but Beasant produced a great save, flinging himself to his left to turn the ball round the post. Soon afterwards Bergkamp had a half chance, but scuffed a shot a couple of feet wide from 16 yards. The Dutch master then set up Overmars, playing his compatriot in as he overlapped on the left, but the winger dragged his shot from the edge of the area into the side netting. At the other end Forest rarely troubled the Arsenal defence, though Darchville's pace did threaten on a couple of occasions down the right, and Johnson forced Manninger into a rather showy leaping catch with a shot from 20 yards. A mishit cross from the left, I think by Bonalair also had Manninger in action, and the keeper was forced to push it over his crossbar. Possibly Forest's best chance of the half was given them by Manninger when Keown played a rather dodgy back pass to his left foot, and the young Austrian completely miskicked straight to Van Hooijdonk. Fortunately the renegade Dutchman was so surprised that he miscontrolled and Adams was across quickly enough to avert the immediate danger. Meanwhile Arsenal were continuing to threaten. Bergkamp seemed to be clearly held back as he checked back to try and retrieve a ball into the box from the right, though if he'd continued instead of stopping to complain he might have still got to the ball first. Then a Keown header from a corner was blocked and fell to Garde on the edge of the box, but he hurried his volley and blazed it over the bar. The pressure finally told about 10 minutes from half time. Petit swung in a corner from the right and Keown got in front of a couple of defenders and stooped to get his head to the ball, which bounced into the ground and over a couple of defenders guarding the line and post, and into the top corner. Arsenal should have got a second just before half time, when Bergkamp's lovely pass sent Anelka racing clear down the middle between two defenders to leave himself with only Beasant to beat. The keeper was off his line quickly though, and made another superb block. If Bergkamp had been following up instead of standing back admiring his work he might have got on the end of the rebound, but a defender hacked it clear. To be fair to Anelka, the pitch in that penalty area was in such a state that you couldn't really ask him to do any more than get it on target, which he did. Forest nearly grabbed an equaliser shortly after the break. Johnson was left with too much time and room just outside the area, and his shot from just over 20 yards beat Manninger but bounced back off his right hand post. Van Hooijdonk looked clear favourite to knock the rebound into the empty net but Keown got back quickly to challenge and everything almost seemed to go into slow motion as the striker's shot from 8 yds bobbled towards the empty net and Manninger scrambled back along his line to make a good save. Soon afterwards Manninger punched a cross clear from the far post while under pressure from Darchville and another Forest player. For some reason the French striker took exception to this and kicked out at Manninger. The keeper shoved him away and then Keown charged in to break things up and, err, firmly ushered Darchville away. The Frenchman was booked but I don't think Manninger was. The incident seemed to get Forest and the home crowd going, and they proceeded to put Arsenal under a fair amount of pressure for the rest of the half, mainly by hoisting long balls into the box, attempting to find the head of Van Hooijdonk. However, Adams and Keown coped reasonably comfortably with the tactic, and I can only recall Manninger being tested by a couple more long range shots and another cross which he pushed rather uncertainly over the bar. Wenger however was sufficiently concerned by the Forest revival to replace Overmars with Vivas about 20 minutes from time, and then brought on Upson for Anelka and switched to a back five for the last five minutes. At the other end Arsenal might have added to their lead more than once on the break. Anelka got away on one occasion down the middle, I think when a Petit pass sent he clear, but his second touch let the ball get away from him (I think because of another bobble) and Hjelde was able to clear. Shortly before time a superb break almost made the result safe. Dixon broke into the Forest half following a corner, and played the ball inside to pick out Parlour's run. The latter ran clear into the box and fired in shot from an angle, but Beasant again produced a great save and pushed it aside for a corner. A satisfactory result, and under the circumstances (lousy pitch, key players only just returned from injury, opposition under new manager, etc) I don't think we could have expected much more. The key game is going to be against Chelsea in two weeks, and hopefully Bergkamp, Overmars and Anelka will be firing on all cylinders by then.
Manninger 7.5 Had a reasonably good game, couple of good saves and
dealt with a couple of tricky crosses.
Dixon 7.5 Also reasonably solid again.
Winterburn 7.5 Typically solid and committed performance, though
seemed to be risking a 2nd yellow card more than once
with some sliding tackles which probably would have got
him in trouble had he missed the ball.
Keown 7.5 His usual performance, reliable and determined.
Upson Looked composed and did well, particularly in the air
during the few minutes he was on.
Adams 7.5 Barely looked like he'd been away. Won most of his aerial
contests with Van Hooijdonk.
Garde 7.0 Did a solid and competent job filling in for Vieira,
particularly defensively.
Petit 7.5 Once again the classiest midfielder on the pitch.
Vivas Did pretty well after coming on to play on the left
side of midfield.
Parlour 8.0 Playing close to his best again I thought, and easily
Arsenal's most dangerous attacker.
Overmars 6.5 A bit quiet again, though not helped by the pitch.
Anelka 6.5 His style is also not best suited to a bad pitch, and
he again looked not quite up to speed.
Bergkamp 7.0 Not his best game, and again not the sort of pitch or
game he enjoys, though there were still some nice
touches and passes.
Derek
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