Arsenal (0) 1 - 0 (0) Aston VillaHighbury, Sunday 16th May 1999. kick-off 4pmFA Carling Premiershipsee below for reports by: RupePreview
Arsenal (0) 1 - 0 (0) Aston VillaHighbury, Sunday 16th May 1999. kick-off 4pmFA Carling Premiership
scorer: Kanu
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon Adams Keown Vivas (Ljungberg)
Parlour Vieira Petit Overmars
Anelka (Kanu) Bergkamp
Villa had a few good chances, but basically this was more of
the same: Arsenal creating loads more than their opponents.
The fact that it was one of those where few of those chances
go in was made irrelevant by the league table, and by the
fact that by the time the goal came Man Utd had already
come back to lead from being 1-0 down.
We got started in the 4th minute with a run through the middle by Overmars. With the defence opening up in front of him, he pulled a soft shot well wide from outside the box. A minute later Bergkamp had a chance but came out with a similar shot. Meanwhile Ian Walker saved from Dwight Yorke Overmars had another attempt from the corner of the box blocked by Ehiogu. And at Old Trafford, Ginola limped off for treatment. A Dixon pass for Parlour was intercepted, but Keown got across to make a great tackle, and we broke again with the ball going forward to Parlour and then wide to Anelka who did well to catch up with it on our right. He pulled it back to Vieira whose shot was well saved by Oakes (preferred to the possibly ManU-bound Bosnich). Domingues comes on for Ginola, and Ian Walker is let off when his clearance cannons off Yorke and spins across goal only to come back off the post. A delightful move from defence saw the ball passed long up to Anelka who laid it back to Bergkamp. He hit it first time to the left where Overmars was running into space. His shot though was close to Oakes and he got down to it well. Bergkamp combined with Dixon in defence, and then hit a great long pass forward to Petit. He had 2 defenders in attendance, they managed to get an uncontrolled touch on it and were lucky when the ricochet went safe. Vivas went off injured, and since he was the reserve left-back to start with, soem reorganisation was required. Petit went into the left-back slot, Parlour moved into the centre, and Fredrick Ljungberg came on to take Ray's place on the right of midfield. Just to be picky, I'm not sure that it wouldn't have been better to leave Parlour on the right and bring Kanu on. But moving Petit to left back proved not to be a problem, as he got forward plenty and was just as effective as usual. I wonder if we'll see him there again. A nice move ended with Anelka on the right of the box. Some nice footwork later he'd created a chance for himself, but he scuffed a sad shot that didn't trouble the 6-yard box. At Old Trafford United were being denied by some good saves by Ian Walker (I've always been very critical of him but to be fair he was right on form today). He denied Giggs, and was then lucky to see Yorke fire across the face of goal. On 20 minutes, Bergkamp took a free kick from the right wing, which was bound for Adams at the far post before Ehiogu got his head in just in front. Adams was seen explaining things to Vieira as Petit prepared to take the corner. Then as the kick was taken Adams made a run for the near post leaving space for Vieira behind him. Petit's corner made a bee-line for that space, Vieira jumped but his firm header was booted off the line (Scimeca?). It came back to Petit on the left and it came in again for Vieira whose header (diving and under challenge this time) went narrowly wide. Meanwhile Walker was saving again, this time an offside Teddy Sheringham attempt. Overmars won another corner and Adams, at the far post again, headed it wide. Iversen shot just over the bar On 25 minutes the news came through that Ferdinand had scored for Tottenham. The first and possibly only time I'll hear a Tottenham goal cheered liek that at Highbury. Everyone in the ground appeared to find out simultaneously, and erupt. Parlour and Petit exchanged passes before the former shot wide through a crowded box. Then Vieira won the ball coming over to the left of defence in support of Petit, who then picked it up and powered forward. It came through to Parlour on the edge of the box but he rashly tried to hook a shot in as a challenge came in, when Bergkamp was free and obvious on the overlap. On 34 minutes Overmars appeared to be tripped from behind as he closed in on the penalty area, and the defender (Watson?) looked lucky only to be booked as the question of cover was debatable. On telly later however it was far from clear that there was any contact (although why Overmars woudl go down in that situation if there wasn't is would be hard to fathom). Bergkamp took the free-kick and had Oakes well beaten with a shot over the wall, but Southgate had stayed on the line and headed it clear. Walker makes amends with a fine double save from Scholes. Petit was involved at both ends (as usual) plus the left wing. He pulled off a massive tackle on the edge of our box, and shortly after was chipping the ball into theirs where Bergkamp's headed flick on was just too strong for Anelka to beat the keeper to it. Ljungberg managed to get free down the right a few times, and Dixon was getting up in support at every opportunity. Freddie got past Wright to the by-line and cut it back to Dixon but his shot was blocked. Bergkamp took a Petit pass on his chest and went to cut across the defenders but one of them got a foot up to cut out the threat. Then Overmars hit a well-struck shot through a crowded area which fizzed past the near post. At the end of the half, some lucky bounces saw Villa break more dangerously, and Joachim hit a low shot from outside the area which Seaman allowed to trundle past the left post. But just before the whistle, the crucially bad news came through that United had pulled it back through Beckham. We'd still win the title if we could win this game, but it was looking less likely that Tottenham would stop Man Utd from winning. The second half started with a half-hearted penalty appeal from Paul Merson, possibly shoved fromn behind by Adams. You could tell he didn't really want the penalty. Vieira went on a good run but ran out of options in the box, doing well in the end ot get a corner for it. Petit gave that to Overmars, and he crossed for Vieira whose shot was parried out by Oakes. It came back across to Overmars and again the cross found Vieira, this time his shot was blocked for a corner. But this time Adams was penalised for pushing as the ball came over. 5 minutes into the half the news came through that half-time sub Andy Cole had lobbed Walker at Old Trafford. we now had to score, and hope that Tottenham could do the same. The word was, however, that they were looking less and lesss capable of pulling it back. Still, Schmeicehl was forced to save from Iversen, and then Walker again from Scholes. At Highbury, a goalmouth scramble ended with a fine reaction save by Oakes, as Vieira ducked out of the way of Anelka's short-range lifted drive. Minutes later, Anelka was brought off for the magician, Kanu. He got a half-chance almost immediately when a corner found it's way to him, but the awkward shot bounced through safely to the keeper. He was in action again moments later, creating space on the left in the box but seeing his pull-back to the penalty spot intercepted and cleared. Then 21 minutes into the half, a corner came in towards the goal-line where Kanu, just in front of Oakes, brought he ball under control and slipped it through the keeper into the net. It was all up to Tottenham now, and they were really trying, bless 'em. The Arsenal crowd seemed to be reacting to the stress of the emotional wrench of wanting Spurs to win by singing anti-Tottenham songs even more than usual. But there were occasional attempts at the relatively positive "Come on you scum" Dixon played a nice 1-2 with Vieira but it was hooked away from him as he went for the return. The Overmars tried to lob Oakes with a header but didn't get the clearance. 20 minutes left, and a couple of chances for Bergkamp. First he juggled the ball under control and shot high, and then a high ball coming across and down towards him at the right hand post (hard to control) was scuffed across the face of goal. Adams held Joachim back clearly in one desperate moment and was booked. The free-kick was deflected off the wall for a corner which Seaman rushed out to punch clear. Merson was put through but shot wide, prompting cries of "Merson is a gooner". As if to prove us wrong he immediately tried to "Nayim" Seaman from the half-way line (but you could tell he didn't mean it). Overmars was replaced by Diawara and the next thing you knew Merson was actually forcing a save from Seaman at the near post (but still you felt he wanted us to win). In the last 5 minutes Diawara headed over from a Parlour cross and Vieira shot narrowly wide and high from the edge of the box. More reports soon. And we'll be freshening the site up a bit over the summer ready for a great new season. On the second half of the season we were easily the best team in the country, and have to consider ourselves slightly unlucky to both fail to get through to the FA Cup final, and lose out like this in the Premiership. If we can hang on to this team we should be fighting well for every trophy next year. And really, why would any of them want to go elsewhere...? Other reports
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