It’s over at half time when the fat man sings.

Henry
By Boris Mellor
February 19 2005

Palace knew it was over when the fat man serenaded Jose Antonio Reyes at half time. Arsenal fans didn’t know whether to laugh or join in (some managed both) when a male Opera singer serenaded Reyes at half time with the Jose Antonio song, including a few lines in Spanish.

Perhaps it was unfair that only Reyes got the Valentine as Henry and Bergkamp were just as good, if not better.

What marvellous days these are for Bergkamp as he scores the most important of goals, goals that open up packed defences,  his play, his passing, his movement is immaculate. I have heard one or two mumbling that they don’t know why he is such a favourite of Arsenal fans and pundits. Well now you know, form is temporary, class is permanent. Henry too was on fire; and unlucky not to get a hat trick when a perfectly good gaol was disallowed in the second half.

For 20 minutes Palace gave Arsenal a hard time, they had two good shots to Arsenal’s none. Every time the Gunners got into the box they were surrounded by the whole Palace team who were back in numbers. Arsenal’s defence looked suspect at times, and the midfield was outnumbered by the 4-5-1 formation. Dowie was hoping for a soft centre, and  one was found, unfortunately it was the Eagle’s. For on 32 minutes Reyes split the Palace defence with a tight angled pass into the box, Bergkamp's movement was sublime, without hardly any back lift, or attempt to control the ball, he swept it coolly into the net.

Three minutes later Reyes latched onto the ball, and from just outside the box rocketed the ball in. The whole team including Henry surrounded Reyes to celebrate. But the best was yet to come, Henry charged into the box from the left wing to pick up a pass that he rifled in from a tight angle. In a devastating seven minutes Arsenal had shredded the Palace. Thus when the fat man sang at half time it was definitely over.

Often at three nil Arsenal slow the game down, but Palace fans were daft enough to rile Henry with the heresy that AJ was a better striker, so Henry went looking for a hat trick, not any old hat trick mind, only the best and greatest goals would do. So he left it for Vieira to tap in the simple fourth goal. On the 77 th minute Henry got a chance, finding himself with the ball, on the edge of the box, he hit a thunderbolt from 20 yards past Kiraly. A poorly waved assistant referee's flag had denied him three; but Arsenal’s strikers, all three of them, had given Palace a masterclass. Not just because of their exquisite strikes, but their running, passing, and tackling back. Seven nil would have been a more accurate final score, but no need to be greedy 5-1 did just as well. 

 ARSENAL 5

Bergkamp 32
Reyes 35
Henry 39, 77
Vieira 54

CRYSTAL PALACE 1

Johnson 63 (pen)