Arsenal (2) 3 - 1 (0) SouthamptonHighbury, Saturday 26th February 2000FA Carling PremiershipPreview
Arsenal (2) 3 - 1 (0) SouthamptonHighbury, Saturday 26th February 2000FA Carling Premiership
Scorers: Ljungberg Richards 61
Bergkamp 36
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon Adams Keown Silvinho
Parlour Vieira Petit Ljungberg
Kanu Bergkamp (Overmars)
subs not used: Manninger Winterburn Suker Grimandi
A relatively easy win, with umpteen goal chances to an
unimpressive opposition's not-very-many. Thankfully this
time, we didn't gift them anything and we converted enough
of those chances to make the domination count.
In the first minutes, a free-kick from the left wing came to Kanu on the edge of the box. He tried to dribble through 3 defenders but was crowded off the ball. Arsenal kept the pressure on and seconds later, a dodgy back-pass nearly put Petit in. On 3 minutes I think an Arsenal player took a foul-throw on the left wing. They won a free-kick a few yards in from the touchline and when it was hoisted into the box Davies (I think) got a free header which fortunately was directed at the ground in front of Seaman, and far enough from him for it to bounce up nicely. Shortly after they had another header, from wide of goal on their right, which we had covered but it went into the side-netting anyway. Vieira dwelt on the ball bringing it out and was dispossessed. It looked dangerous with many of the red shirts having started to move forward for the break, but Dixon raced across to make a crucial sliding interception. So the break did happen, and Parlour pushed the ball wide left for Ljungberg to run onto. He thought he'd won a corner as his cross was blocked but the ref ruled that it came off Freddie last. We had a great break on 10 minutes, with a nicely patient spell of possession play around the half-way line. It came to Parlour on the right wing and Dixon made a good run inside him. Ray slippe dit into the box and although he was challenged as the ball arrived and lost it at first, he persisted and managed to get the ball back to Kanu on the edge of the box. His shot was low and easy for the keeper Jones. Then Petit blasted over after a Bergkamp shot from the D was charged down and came out to him. Arsenal attacked while a Southampton player was down hurt in our half, and a Ljungberg shot was deflected wide for a corner. It came over from the left and Adams managed to get a good head on it at the far post. He aimed it perfectly, down just inside the foot of that post, but the defence managed to scramble it off the line. To the delight of the Highbury crowd (more songs to sing) Hughes came on for the injured player . We won another corner after Kanu tried to dribble through the defence on the edge of the box again and again, it came back out for a shot. This time it was Bergkamp whose long range effort was deflected for a corner This one was curled in from the right and everyone missed it, but it swung only just enough to clip the outside of the far post. A lovely first-time lay-off by Bergkamp for Petit in the centre circle kept the momentum of a break up, and Petit slipped it forward for Bergkamp to run onto but the keeper got out in time to nick it away from him just outside the box. Adams made a good run forward, bringing the ball from half-way but eventually let it run away from him as it went over the goal-line. Then another break was stopped on the edge of th area but as they tried to get it away Kanu won the ball back a few yards outside the box. He poked it square to Bergkamp who turned and rolled it forward for Ljungberg who was making a run from the left. He got to it on the right of the D and knocked a low shot across goal and wide of the keepers's right hand. Southampton won a free-kick half-way into our half and it found a Southampton player's with back to goal in the box. He flicked it on but it ran wide a yard wide of the far post. Vieira let another promising break break down (I think he had a good enough game, it's just that these are the things that stick in the mind). He tried to thread the ball through the centre circle for Dennis to run onto but it was almost straight at a defender. Again they broke dangerously but Adams saved it with a great block on the edge of the box. Ljungberg went on a nice run up the middle, with Kanu and Silvinho supporting to his left. From the D he slid it forward into the box for Kanu who dragged it square to the penalty box from where his shot was well saved. It rebounded to Ljungberg still in the D and he tried to place it but only side-footed it over the bar. It wasn't easy - the keeper had jumped back up really well to make the target smaller. On 35 minutes some beautiful play by Vieira on the left touchline near the centre line saw him skip past 3 defenders and then pass it up the line for the hovering Ljungberg, who had managed to stay just onside. He brought it down the wing and whipped a nice cross to Kanu on the far side of the box. Kanu was then guitly of over-playing things a bit. He showed great control to hang onto the ball despite close attention of a defender, but meanwhile he seemed to have at least a couple of chances to shoot. He seemed to want it too easy, or too spectacular, and eventually the defender got it away from him. It was starting to feel reminiscent of some recent frustrating games, when total Arsenal dominance hadn't been converted into goals and it cost us points at the end. But within moments of Kanu's wastefulnesss we were 2 up thanks to goal of unusual simplicity (these days). Adams brought the ball out of defence and knocked it to the left wing nicely into the path of Silvinho's run. The Brasilian pulled a perfect cross back from the goal line and Bergkamp rose to thump his header home. Then Bergkamp put Ljungberg in with another delightful first-time lay-off. From the left of the box Freddie tried to lift the ball over the keeper but didn't get the height needed. Kanu robbed a Saint of the ball and turned goalwards before trying a curler from a central position outside the D. It looekd good but just failed to swing in enough. Then, with the half almost over, Kanu was involved again (he had a great game, apart from his finishing!) when he appeard to be brought down as he came into the box by Benali's foot, which was clearly stuck out into Kanu's path. But the ref ruled no penalty. Kanu then seemed to get very cross with Benali, I can only assume it was something that the defender said or did after the penalty claim because there didn't seem to be much in the "foul" to get cross about. They ended up doing that head-to-head thing before Dean Richards got across to calm things down. I think Kanu got booked for it which, from what I saw, was probably fair enough. I find it very hard to believe that the card was for a dive, as another report has claimed. We'll see. Things suddenly got heated, with some dodgy tackles flying in one after the other from both sides, a bundle of players got tangled up and Vieira and another seemed to get "involved". But the fact that the rest of the players all ran over and got involved made it look worse than it was. Vieira and Marsden ended up with yellow cards but I can't say I saw much that warranted it on either side. Boam Morte came on for the second half, giving us the chance to paraphrase the Vieira song "he comes form Portugal, he can't control the ball". I wish him well, but sadly for Luis he did seem to be involved in some embarassingly crap moments. Dean Richards was pushed up into attack. Southapton started the half much brighter and they had some good moments. Hughes's soft overhead kick wasn't one of them, as it just trundled through for Seaman. Then a cross form their left was headed back across goal by Davies but Ljungberg got in to head it clear. An Arsenal mix-up put Southampton clear down the left and he crossed it into the box where this time Petit popped up to head it over the bar. The corner came over from their right, as flicked on at the near post and headed home by Richards at the far one. Kanu hit a nice cross-field pass for Parlour who got it on the right donw by the goal line. He beat his man to bring it towards goal but the keeper got a hand to the shot. It came out for Dixon just inside the box whose blast went just wide of the far (left) top corner. Adams tried a scissor-kick when the ball came to him on the left of the box following a corner, but it was cleared and a poor Dixon header straight to Richards gave them the chanec to break dangerously. But the offside trap foiled them rather easily. Petit then tried an acrobatic goal-bound scissor-kick but it surprised Kanu when it came straight through to him and it just bounced off him for a goal kick. We all breathed a sigh of relief a few minutes later when the 2 goal lead was restored. Ljungberg chipped the ball into the box for Vieira but he just missed it with his header and it bounced past Jones into the goal. The screens credited Vieira and the annoiuncer said it was either his or Ljungbergs, but Vieira had indicated it was Ljungberg's goal and admitted so later. 20 minutes to go and Overmars came on for Bergkamp. He was involved almost immediately (and pretty regularly afterwards). He sped goalwards on the break, passed wide right for Parlour, but was crowded off it when he took the return ball. Kanu had a few more chances. He blasted one shot from 25 yards which curled away from goal, and then had a better effort tipped round the post. Then he played a nice one-two with Parlour on the right, before cutting across the edge of the box and shooting just high of the left corner. Southampton had one more dangerous moment when a cross from their right strangely eluded Seaman and Keown. It came to Richards wide of the right hand post. He somehow got it goalwards despite Seaman's getting across to block. Not sure what happened really, but it ended up with Keown clearing from the goalmouth. Adams nearly started a repeat of the second goal when he went on another run and passed wide for Silvinho. This time he cut it back for Overmars whose shot was well saved at the near post. Overmars had another shot saved at the second attempt. Meanwhile both Uniteds above us were getting draws. It's too soon to suggest we're back in the hunt, even the third place we regained with this victory is technically out of our control. But a few more weekends like this and who knows... atleast the champions league doesn't look a completeky impossible hope on this kind of form. Still need to get the ratios of chances converted to those made upped somewhat though!
Result : Arsenal (2) 3 Southampton (0) 1
Scorers: Ljungberg 22,68, Richards 61
Bergkamp 36
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Silvinho, Keown, Adams; Petit,
Vieira, Ljungberg, Parlour; Bergkamp, Kanu
Subs: Overmars (Bergkamp 70), Grimandi, Suker,
Winterburn, Manninger
Booked: Bergkamp, Vieira
Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Richards, Benali, Tessem, Oakley, Marsden,
Colleter, Kachloul, Davies, Beattie
Subs: Hughes (Beattie 17), Lundekvam (Tessem 46),
Boa Morte (Colleter 46), Moss, Soltvedt.
Booked: Marsden, Davies, Kachloul, Dodd
Att: 38044
Ref: Jeff Winter (Stockton-on-Tees)
With the return of virtually a full strength team (in particular, the
first time Bergkamp & Adams have started a game together since
November), this was more like the Arsenal we've come to expect over the
last 3 years, though Southampton's bright start had the Gunners looking
somewhat apprehensive for the first 15 minutes or so.
Southampton played with a sort of 3-4-2-1 formation with Kachloul and Davies either side of and behind Beattie, and it was the strength of Beattie and Davies in the air which unsettled the home defence in the opening minutes. Early on Beattie drifted beyond the far post and easily beat Silvinho in the air to get his head to a deep cross from the left, but he could only direct it straight at Seaman. Soon afterwards Marsden lobbed a free kick from the left to the far post again, and this time Richards arrived late to get his head to the ball, fortunately putting it into the side netting. It was when Beattie went down injured, apparently twisting his ankle as he tried a shot (blocked by Adams) that the match began to turn. Arsenal broke down the left and Bergkamp's pass (I think) set up Ljungberg for a shot from the edge of the box which looked goalbound but was deflected just over the bar. Beattie meanwhile had to be replaced by Hughes, and after play restarted Bergkamp's corner to the far post picked out Adams climbing above a couple of defenders to direct a header downwards and just inside the post. Jones may have partially saved but I think the ball was finally kicked off the line by a defender. A few minutes later the pressure Arsenal were gradually beginning to apply told. Dixon got a foot in to intercept well just inside the Saints half and knocked the ball forward to Bergkamp. The Dutch master turned and slipped a superb little pass forward to pick out Ljungberg's run down the middle. The Swede hooked an early shot goalwards which beat Jones' dive and rolled just inside the left hand post. Thereafter Arsenal dominated and played some lovely football which might have brought more than the one further goal before half time. Another lovely Bergkamp flicked pass into Ljungberg's path sent him charging forward down the middle again, and he in turn played a nice pass forward for Kanu to take as he broke on his left into the area. The Nigerian turned back towards the middle of goal with his first touch which left him with only the keeper to beat, but Jones came out well and made a good block as Kanu tried to knock the ball past him. The rebound though fell to Ljungberg but with Jones scrambling to regain his feet, the Swedish midfielder sidefooted a left foot shot from the edge of the area just over the open goal. Then some brilliant play in midfield by Vieira took him past about 3 players to get away down the left touchline. He passed forward for the overlapping Ljungberg and the latter's early low cross reached Kanu charging into the area at the far post. He checked back past one defender's challenge, but passed up one opportunity to shoot with his left foot in favour of trying to turn another couple of defenders to get the ball back onto his right, which meant he was eventually dispossessed. The second goal, when it arrived, was quite stunning mainly because of the manner in which it was scored. Adams strode forward from the half way line and played a great ball inside the Southampton right back which invited Silvinho to run onto it. The Brasilian hit a superb first time cross which was met in the middle by Bergkamp, and his header from about 12 yards, back and inside the near post, gave Jones little chance. Arsenal's first headed goal from open play this season, and indeed I think the first since Berkgamp's goal against Dynamo Kyiv almost 18 months ago. Bergkamp made another chance for Ljungberg who was put clear in the left side of the area, and he did the right thing, trying to lift a volley over Jones but he didn't quite get enough height on it. Kanu then made a chance of his own, dispossessing Marsden about 20 yards outside the Saints area before carrying on to try a low shot from 20 yards which curled inches the wrong side of Jones' left hand post. Shortly afterwards Kanu was uncharacteristically involved in some argy-bargy after he'd fallen over Benali's leg just inside the area. The ref turned down appeals for a penalty but Benali must have said something because Kanu leapt to his feet and squared up to the defender. The incident seemed to raise tempers, along with another one when Bergkamp followed through on Tessem as the defender cleared a ball near the touchline. The ref didn't give a foul at the time but a short time later booked Bergkamp on the advice of the linesman on the far side. Soon afterwards a series of reckless challenges, started when Marsden lunged in on Vieira just before half time, escalated into a bit of a mass scuffle which ended with Marsden and Vieira getting booked. Fortunately things cooled down at half time, and in the second half Southampton changed to a more attacking formation, with Lundekvam coming on to take his place in a 4 man defence, and Boa Morte replacing the other wing back. They again started the half looking slightly the brighter team, but didn't seriously trouble the Arsenal defence until 15 minutes in when a corner from the right was flicked on by Lunkekvam to find Richards stealing in unmarked at the far post to head home. That might have caused Arsenal to wobble, but in fact the Gunners responded well and nearly restored the 2 goal lead almost straight away. Kanu broke and played a good pass out to Parlour charging down the right. He got past a defender to cut in towards goal, Jones half blocked his attempt to cut the ball back into the middle, but it ricocheted kindly towards Dixon in the middle. He seemed certain to score, but in fact it was Petit who got in the way of his shot and deflected it just wide of the far post. A few minutes later Arsenal did get the 3rd goal. Ljungberg cut in from the left hand touchline and chipped forward a diagonal ball to pick out Vieira's run into the area. I could have sworn Vieira got a faint touch with his head, but even though he apparently didn't his presence was enough to put Jones off, and the ball carried on and nestled just inside the far post before the keeper could react. Thereafter it was mainly a question of whether Kanu would get the goal his efforts deserved. He had a couple of terrific shots from outside the area, the second of which looked a goal all the way until Jones somehow flung himself to his left to fingertip it round the post. Overmars, on for Berkamp during the last 20 minutes, also had a couple of good efforts, one well saved by Jones at his near post, and another from an acute angle on the right which screamed just over the bar. Southampton were somewhat handicapped for the last 20-25 minutes, having used all their substitutes, when Richards pulled a leg muscle. He was forced to go up front with Hughes moving back into midfield. Richards almost pulled another goal back just before time when a long high ball in from the left reached him unmarked at the far post, but Seaman did well to get a partial block on his shot and Keown was able to get back and kick the ball off the line. Overall, after an unconvincing start it was a reasonably satisfactory performance from Arsenal. Most heartening was the form of Bergkamp and Kanu in attack, and the commanding return of Adams at the back. I'd consider Adams, Bergkamp and Vieira our 3 most influential players, and they've only played together in 8 league games this season, of which we've won 6 (though admittedly lost the other 2).
Seaman 7.5 Only really had the one difficult save to make but
otherwise looked solid enough.
Dixon 7.5 Had a reasonable game, though fairly quiet apart from
a couple of forays forward which ended in chances.
Silvinho 7.5 Looked somewhat uncomfortable early on, getting caught
out of position more than once, but settled and got
forward well as usual.
Adams 8.0 Didn't really look as though he'd been away, and
as commanding as ever.
Keown 7.0 Not one of his better games, I thought, one of those
where he was beaten a few times in the air early on
and then overcompensated by rashly leaping in for
headers he was never going to win.
Petit 7.5 Fairly quiet, but solid enough game, and looks
pretty much fully fit again.
Vieira 7.5 Another strangely mixed game, again with some poor
passing in the 1st half and allowing himself to be
drawn into a confrontation. A couple of typically
brilliant moments otherwise though.
Ljungberg 8.0 Here, there and everywhere at times, even if he was
probably supposed to be sticking to the left. His
knack of getting on the end of things in the box is
useful though.
Parlour 6.5 One of his poorer games, despite the usual effort.
Kanu 8.0 Looked pretty fit and up for it, only real blemish was
his tendency to overdo it when faced with goal.
Bergkamp 8.0 Right back in Dutch master mode, with some lovely
touches and passing, particularly in the 1st half.
Overmars Looked fairly lively. I think Wenger will pick him to
start next week if he's judged fit enough, which means
it will be interesting to see if it's Parlour or
Ljungberg who makes way.
Derek
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