Match Report: Arsenal Win With Henry Magic


The Thierry Henry Show!

Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 thrashing of Fulham, with inspirational play from Captain Fantastic. Watch out Real Madrid!

Arsenal started with Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Flamini, Freddie, Diaby, Gilberto, Hleb, Adebayor & captain Thierry Henry.

Arsenal started lively, and in the first half created the better chances.

The short-passing moves were excellent, except for a few stray balls from Adebayor and Hleb. Hleb does seem to be improving a little game by game, but his passing really does have to step up if he wants a more regular place in the team.

Arsenal were again playing their narrow football, and Fulham were playing deep like Blackburn, Bolton and most of the home teams this season in the league, and letting the gunners play all their football in front of them.

But the warning signs were there, and Eboue sent a great curling ball over the top for Henry on 13 minutes, but the Arsenal captain was unable to control the ball and it went straight into Warner’s hands.

Diaby and Adebayor had a couple of efforts from outside the area, but on 31’ Henry got his chance and smashed a brilliant effort at the near post.

With Fulham camped outside their own penalty area, Diaby managed to play Henry through with a precise ball and the striker ran down the left side and cracked a sweet shot into Warner’s near post and into the roof of the net.

An emphatic finish!

After that, Fulham were rattle and Arsenal only had to wait 4 minutes until their next goal.

The influential Ljungberg played a through ball from almost the same position as Diaby for Henry, but this time to Adebayor. From almost exactly the same position, the Togo International coolly slipped the ball past Warner with his left foot.

At last, Arsenal’s intricate passing moves have paid off in the league and they went into the break 2-0 up.

Arsenal started well in the second half, and on 57’ Arsenal counter attacked and Henry played a great reverse ball that fooled the Fulham defence and played in Hleb, but the winger shot straight at Warner.

About a minute later, Adebayor almost played in Freddie from the by-line but Warner came out quick and blocked the pass.

Arsenal were really turning up the heat in the second half and on 64’ Hleb pushed the ball wide to Eboue, who made a run from the back. He cut the ball back to Diaby, who had so much space but from only 6 yards out he hit the ball into Warner’s legs.

Then just 30 seconds later, the mercurial Thierry Henry received a pass from Hleb just outside the D, swivelled and chipped the ball into the air. In one smooth movement, he turned and volleyed but over the bar.

Dennis Bergkamp made is welcome return on 70 minutes, coming on for Adebayor. Hopefully he’s getting a run out to get ready for the Real Madrid game on Wednesday.

Henry had been on awesome form all afternoon, and just after Bergkamp was introduced he played in Freddie, who waltzed through but Warner made another good smothering save with his feet.

But Henry again showed why we was on another level to everyone else on the pitch, and Freddie played him in on 75’ for Titi to calmly slot the ball into the far corner – a typical Henry finish.

Arsenal had been playing some brilliant stuff all game and it looks like Wenger has instilled some real belief into a team who can’t seem to win away from home.

The Galactikid Cesc Fabregas replaced Hleb with 10 minutes to go, to sure up the game and get a run out before the midweek Champions League game.

With 7 minutes remaining Jose Antonio Reyes came on for Henry, who came off to a standing ovation from the Gunners faithful.

But the goals didn’t dry up with Henry leaving the feel, as on 86’, Flamini found himself at the by-line and played in Cesc Fabregas in and he stroked the ball into the bottom left corner for 4-0.

Great game, great team spirit and great performance. Was there any doubt?

 

Cole Sues, Milan Inter Henry & Fulham Styles…


Less Complicated Times…

The main Arsenal news today is that Ashley Cole is suing The News of the World for their gay footballer rumours, which I haven’t heard much about to be honest. The story gets more complicated however, since Cole is suing because he wasn’t named. Work that one out! There’s a good piece by The Times Online explaining exactly what’s going on.

Although the News of the World didn’t name the Premiership footballers, the Internet has been rife with haphazard speculation and I won’t bother support the sites by posting the links on here.

I could care less about the whether a player is gay or not, but we all know that the press are hell bent in uncovering these stories since they sell newspapers. I thought he was marrying that girl from Girl Zone anyway. Or is it Girls Are Very Loud. Whatever.

Cesc Fabregas is making the news again, after his impressive performance against the Ivory Coast for Spain midweek. He made one of the goals and had a very solid performance. Apparently Real Madrid want him now, and bringing it up now sure isn’t a co-incidence with the 2nd leg next week.

Jose Antonio also played for Spain, coming on as a second half subsitute and scoring a great right-footed goal. Why can’t he do this for Arsenal more consistently?

There are more rumours about Henry’s future, and apparently Inter Milan have joined the race with Real and Barca. Henry is good friends with Becks and he’s come out and said Henry will be staying in London so I think I’d believe that more than any speculation.

Arsenal’s official website informs us that Freddie and Dennis are back for the Fulham game tomorrow, which is good news. I’d like Bergkamp to start tomorrow but I have a feeling that Henry will be partnered with Emmanuel Adebayor again.

Bergkamp hasn’t had a decent run in the team this season which is a real shame. He obviously isn’t the same player he was a few years ago but he can still find that killer pass which is something we’re really struggling for this season.

I hope he gets to start against Madrid next week. When watching the game at the Bernabeu the space Real left at the back was perfect for Dennis – he would have ripped that defense to shreads, and that would have given Henry more licence to concentrate on scoring goals, instead of trying to create chances for everyone else.

Rob Styles is the official for tomorrows game, and looking at this article it seems he has a problem with Fulham, awarding penalities against them and showing cards like David Blaine. Let’s hope if he has a bad game it’s in our favour! We need all the help we can get in the league…