Rosicky Elaborates as Gunners Get Lucky

Game on
By Boris Mellor
September 14 2006

It was ironic that Arsenal’s first game in the CL proper was a mirror image of the final. Except this time it was the opposition’s goalie that got sent off. Luck plays a large part in football, as Lehmann’s sending off was such bad fortune for Arsenal, so the sending off here was good luck.

 Would the result have been different without it? Who can tell, but in spite of Hamburg’s excellent start it was the Arsenal move that led to the penalty that was the most effective move of the match, and Hamburg still had eleven men at that stage.

 

It was a great move, the sort of move that Henry is usually involved in. Those who like to knock Adebayor should appreciate his role in it. Hleb got the ball in midfield, passed to Ade, who delivered a wonderfully accurate pass to van Persie. Van Persie made straight for goal, thought about evading the goalkeeper, but decided to bear down on him. It worked a treat, the sort of think Owen, or Gerrard get peans of praise over. RvP’s boot was a magnet to the keeper’s  flailing hand.

 

Gilberto despatched the penalty with more confidence than I felt as a spectator, he certainly leads from the front as Captain. There is nothing like being one nil up, and your opponents down to ten men, after only ten minutes,  for getting rid of the butterflies in your stomach.

 

However Kolo Toure sustained an injury, and Hamburg’s persistent attacking began to make me worry about the chances RvP, and others kept spurning. Without Kolo no one seemed to be organising the defence.  Hoyte started off shakily, but improved as the match developed.

 

Meanwhile the midfield of Gilberto and Fabregas purred like a Rolls Royce, they were a joy to watch. In the second half Rosicky scored a wonder goal, remember his goal in the World Cup? Similar, but even better. Arsenal were 2-0 up, and minds began to turn to Sunday’s match. It also seemed that Hamburg were the fitter team towards the end, perhaps the weekend’s rest had helped them. Having controlled the match for vast periods Arsenal now began to open up at the back.

 

The Hamburg goal, which seemed inevitable, came too late to be anything more than a consolation. Nonetheless there is some drilling and organising to be done by the Gunner’s defence coach.

 

But this was a good result, without Henry, and against a very strong German team. It also demonstrated that if teams attack the Gunners they will lose, which is why so few do. With Porto and CSKA drawing 0-0 Arsenal are top of the group. Not a bad start.