Arsenal (1) 2 - 0 (0) Leeds_UnitedHigbury, Tuesday 28th December 1999. kick-off 3pmFA Carling PremiershipPreview
Arsenal (1) 2 - 0 (0) Leeds_UnitedHigbury, Tuesday 28th December 1999. kick-off 3pmFA Carling Premiership
scorers: Ljungberg 32
Henry 58
Arsenal:
Seaman
Luzhny Adams Grimandi Silvinho
Ljungberg Petit (Winterburn) Vieira Overmars
Kanu Henry (Suker)
Even after a poor defensive performance in
the last match at Coventry, it was a brave move by
the boss to leave 3 defensive stalwarts out for such
a big game. It is a measure of Grimandi's progress so far
that no-one batted an eye at his inclusion alongside Tony Adams
in central defence, but the full-backs Silvinho and Luzhny are
another matter. Although they've shown great promise so far
when going forward, and Luzhny has impressed when deputaising recently
in central defence, neither of them has inspired enormous
confidence with regard to the defensive aspect of the role of
full-back. And Leeds are a team full of tricky attacking players.
But both of them put in a good showing both going forward and defensively. Silvinho in particular was one of the best players on the pitch. But it's perhaps unfair to single people out. Arsenal were better all over the pitch, and when Leeds turned to hard-ball tactics our players were equal to it (although there were times when petulant reactions from Arsenal players might have turned things against us). On a day when Marc Overmars could have been sent off for getting over-involved, you really know that the Arsenal are up for it! We had a good attack in the first few minutes, Henry played the ball forward into space from a few yards ahead and to the right of the centre circle. Ljungberg made a diagonal run from the centre to get to it and carried the ball forward down the right hand side of the box before cutting back, fending off a challenge or two, to the edge of th box. He then slipped it forward for Overmars who made a similar run from the centre, picking the ball up on the right of the box he also took it forward before cutting back to the edge of the box. He didn't quite make the space he wanted for the shot and it was blocked, ballooning up over the box and coming down beyond the far post. Petit brought it down and blasted it at the near post, too close to Martyn but with enough power to make the save awkward. Petit then wasted a free-kick wide on the left, hitting it soft and low and easy for the defender to clear. Then Henry was bundled over in the box rather suspiciously. On 9 mintes Ljungberg ran to get to a ball down the right. A defender came across to intercept and did well to save the corner, stretching to lob the ball back over Ljungberg. But Freddie turned and retrieved it. He made for the goal, skippimg past a tackle before (I thought) being obstructed in the box by Radebe(?) who just stood in front of him making no effort either to play the ball or get out of the way. Again nothing was given. Shortly after, Adams headed the ball out of defence, dirceting it to Petit in the centre circle. He passed for Overmars who raced goalwards and hit a well-struck shot which Martyn could only parry, but it fell close enough for the keeper to recover easily.
On 15 minutes Kanu did a nice flick in the centre-circle to wrong-foot
a coupel fo Leeds players and put Petit clear, but his through-ball
fro Henry to run onto was far too strong.
Overmars played a good ball forward into the box down the left which a defender got across to put our for a corner before Ljungberg could get to it. Henry took the kick from the left and Petit flicked it on Bouldy-style at the near post, the ball floating high into the centre of the box. Vieira jumped well but still it was too high for him to get good purchase and the header flew well over the bar. Leeds started to come into it a bit more at this stage. Vieira looked a bit short of match pace at times, in particular he was trying to be over-elaborate outside our own penalty area. But as the game wen on he settled back into things well and for most of the match we had midfield pretty well sewn up. Kewell had their first real chance. Receiving the ball on the edge of our box on their right, he moved infield to create space but fired the shot high and wide of the far post. Ljungberg did well to retrieve a ball on the right wing and it came inside to Kanu who drilled a pass to the opposute side of the pitch. Silvinho brought it forward, teasing a defender outside the box to the left before slipping a pass back to Kanu, now on the edge of the box slightly to left of centre. The Nigerian knocked it back and to the right where Vieira was on hand to drive a shot wide of the left hand post. A fantastic break followed, starting with an overhead kick from Henry deep in our half on the left which took several Leeds players out of the game and put Kanu clear to run through the centre of the pitch. He passed it wide left to Overmars who took it forward to the goal-line and knocked it square across goal. It flashed across just behind Kanu, who had made it to the goal mouth by this time, so he tried to drag it in with his trailing foot but just failed to make contact. The Leeds had a good chance, Bridges appeared to fell Grimandi off the ball and then set off towards goal to the left of centre. Eventually he tried a shot from close range which Seaman did well to parry, but it lloked like it was still heading goalwards when Silvinho got across to hook it off the line. There was some remonstrating afterwards with Adams appearing to be making a point to Bridges. Just before the half-hour mark Henry went on a good run down the left. Near the goal-line outside the penalty arae he twisted and turned Woodgate, but the defender did well to stay on his feet and keep his body in the way of a shot, so Henry passed it back to Ljungberg who, in a position just outside the box a few yards to the right of centre, identical to that Vieira has missed from before, produced a similar shot flying hiugh and wide of the right-hand upright. And moments later from the same place again, Vieira had another chance. But this time he managed to drag it so far wide of the far post that it wasn't so clear if it was a shot at all. Then a minute later we were ahead thanks to some typical trickiness from Kanu, and some sloppy keeping from Nigel Martyn. Kanu turned just inside the box on the left, gaining a yard on Lucas Radebe and then beating his despiaring attempt at a sliding block to get a diagonal shot heading towards the far corner. It wasn;t that well struck though, so when Martyn dropped to his left to save it didn't look like anything was going to come of it. But Seaman's England understudy failed to hang onto it and the ball popped up in front of him. Full credit to Ljungberg for following in and not missing the unmissable. Credit, in fact, to Ljungberg generally, for one of his best games yet. The Swede was all over the place making telling contributions both in attack and defence, and on this kind of form is a more than worthy replacement for Ray Parlour. Cue ironic chants from the Arsenal fans, of course, of "England's number one". Silvinho showed some great skill on the left wing. Overmars was available but the Brasilian "used him by not using him" and cut inside instaed before feeding Henry whose shot from 25 yards was deflected safely through to Martyn. Another great move on the break started with a BIG Adams tackle, and 4 or 5 passes later Henry was in the box down the right. He was pushed to the goal-line on the right and with no-one int he box to pass to tried a hopeful near-post shot which was struck well enough to force a good save. From the same position yet again, outside the box to the right, Ljungberg produced the same shot again, high and wide of the right hand post. At half time we were treated to the sight of Michael Duberry warming up in front of the Leeds fans. They've obviously got a particular loathing of Chelsea after their recent match, and Duberry was happy to join in by leading them in their anti-Chelsea songs. He didn't seem to mind the abuse from the Arsenal fans either. I guess he's got plenty to be happy about, I guess that sitting on the Leeds bench is preferable. The second half was all Arsenal again, starting with a low Henry shot from wide on the left which was easy for Martyn. Then we had a good spell of possession and near-chances being created around the box, before Bridges was booked for hacking Luzhny down from behind on the right. Petit swung the free-kick beautifully to the far post where Adams made a trademark late run. With Vieira's movement taking a defender out of the way Tone got a free header on it and would have been disappointed not to get it on target. The Luzhny had a pop, his well hit goal-bound drive being blocked on the edge of the penalty area. Kewelll committed an outrageous handball on their left wing. As the long high ball come over him he batted it forward to run onto, and was lucky not to see a card produced. Just under the hour and Kanu created another chance. This time it was a great turn in the centre circle followed by a ball foward for Henry who collected on the edge of the box to the right of centre. It looked like he should have fired first time as their was space, but instead he took his time and looked to have lost the chance. He brought it inside as Radebe came to challenge, and just inside the box strecthed to get to the ball before the defender, steering it past Martyn for our second. The Leeds fans had been singing "England", noting I guess the extreme cosmopolitan make-up of the Arsenal side (only 2 Englishmem!). So we starting singing (to the "Tom Hark" tune which Henry's name is sung to) "he isn't English, we don't give a s**t" (censored for family reading). More brilliant play from Kanu in the centre-circle, this time fending off several hard challenges while the ball was stuck to his foot. Then he passed it foward, helped on by Ljungberg to Henry. He took it to the goal-lien but the dangerous cut-back was intercepted for a corner. This was flicked on at the near post by Petit again, lower this time, but came right across goal without anyone getting a telling touch on it. Ljungberg got himself booked stupidly, shoving Harte right under the lino's nose after the ball had gone out for a Leeds throw. After the Tottenham fiasco you'd have thought he'd learn. or maybe he was just trying to maek sure that if he was to be sent off at least this time it'd be for something he actually did! But Freddie was playing really well, and shortly after he was instrumental in another nice move. He carried the ball across the pitch from right to left, passed forward to Overmars who slipped it wide left to Henry who tried to place it iside the far post with a side-footer which went just wide. It was shortly after this that Overmars got his booking for a slightly petulant foul. But in the aftermatch a Leeds player swung at him with an arm. Not a hard blow but the kind which usually draws a card if the ref sees it. Not long after this Kewell kicked out at Adams in front of the Clock End after Tone had shepherded him out of our box. A nasty but clever little kick, which neither official was ever going to see but which looked calculated to wind our captain up. On some of our other players it might have been a worry what they'd do in response, but trying something like that on Tony Adams: you just had to laugh! After the Overmars booking there was some troublke bewtween Henry and Radebe, and our player appeared to get a yellow card shown. But it didn't appear on the Jumbotron so I can't be sure. 20 minutes to go and Adams had to save his own blushes. He stepped out to play offside and found himself the only one doing so (I guess this kind of thing is inevitable when you've got 1 just of the famous back 4 in there). But he recovered well and got back to make a great tackle on the goal-line when the cross came in, and Seaman got up superbly to pluck the resulting corner out of the air. Henry controlled the clearance on the volley on the left wing, and did some splendid exhibition stuff juggling the ball down the wing. Nice to see Arsenal taking the p*ss out of the league leaders! 15 minutes to go, and Henry came off to great acclaim, with Davor Suker coming on in a straight swap. Overmars was hacked down by Kelly and reacted. Fair play to the ref, he booked kelly and only gave (the already-booked) Overmars a talking-to. Then Leeds made a couple of substitution with Bowyer and Smith, both of whom looked in danger of earnign a red card themselves, coming off for the new signing Jason Wilcox and someone I didn't recognise (called Jones?). Leeds had a dangerous break which finished with a poor shot from Bridges, flashing harmlessly wide of the far left-hand post. Overmars and Suker combined well to create a chance for Kanu whose shot from the left was clawed out for a corner by Martyn. From the corner Overmars tried a difficult first-time shot as the ball fell to him just inside the box, and nearly found the top tier of the North Stand. 2 minutes to go and Winterburn came on for Petit, Silvinho moving up to take his place alongside Vieira. We had another nice break at the death, with more fantastic control from Kanu and then Silvinho, who dribbled through tackles down the left wing before floating a cross to Suker inside the box on the far side. He tried to hit it first time as it fell, on his weaker right-hand side, and the shot went well high and wide. A great result, which really makes up for Boxing Day and sends a message to Man Utd as well as Leeds. Arsenal go 3rd, pending the result from tonight's match between Sunderland and Man Utd. report by Rupe.
ps It's been pointed out (by Andrew Burlison) that both in this
match and the Coventry match, Arsenal too kick-offs which appeared
to go straight out for opposing goal-kicks. Is this some sort of
tactic? Does anyone have a theory?
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