Five goals, four on a spin as Villa lose draws

4 in a row
By Boris Mellor
April 2 2006

The Highbury faithful gave a great reception to the Rocastle family at the start of the match, and sang his name throughout the game.Rocky would have appreciated the stylish football that followed.

Adebayor 18, Henry 25, 46, Van Persie 72, Diaby 81

Villa have drawn more times away than any team in the Premiership – but a draw never looked on for them at Highbury. In spite of Arsenal not being tough enough to do well in the Premiership ( according to O’Leary mind games before the match) Villa proved to be the weakest of oppositions. They were so disorientated that after the match finished several of their players were found outside the stadium still looking for the Arsenal attack.

So Arsenal have got their four wins in a row for this season, and it’s Wenger’s aim to extend that. However before that happens Arsenal have to visit the Old Lady of Turin. That will be a tough task, fortunately this was not a tough match, indeed Gooner’s gleefully chanted it was just like a practice match. With 64% of the possession that was no exaggeration. But Arsenal did suffer serious injuries to Eboue and Fabregas. Wenger puts their chance of recovery at 60/40 against for Wednesday.

In the preview I wrote "If the Gunners are only 50% as good as they were midweek then one would assume that Villa are about to be blown away." That just about sums up what happened. Arsenal never really had to step up into top gear, indeed they started off rather slowly and Villa had one or two chances before the Gunners were out of the blocks, and even a few after, but never looked likely to beat Lehmann. But Arsenal soon, and Adebayor in particular, gave the Villa defence problems.

The first goal was easy enough Sorenson could not control a Henry shot and it was headed off the line. In the past that would have been seen as unlucky, but that’s just the situation Adebayor thrives in. He rose above the Villa defence and calmly nodded the ball in. Seven minutes later Henry cheekily lobbed Jose Antonio Reyes' chipped pass over the Villa goalkeeper.

Two-nil at half-time, I must say I didn’t expect too much from the second half, after all when did Arsenal last score more goals in the second - half than in the first? I was wrong, captain Henry's rollicking after the Charlton game had had effect. Eboue was playing excellently spraying long balls into dangerous positions, or overlapping, and perhaps should have had a goal.

Henry got his second in the first minute of the second half, curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards. The goal followed a brilliant back flick from Adebayor, who had obviously learnt from his error, of not passing, in the Charlton game Henry was then taken off to be rested for the big one on Wednesday. His replacement Van Persie scored a brilliant goal, defenders and goalie pushed him wide, yet he kept control of the ball in the tightest of spaces, dumping several of his opponents on their arses as he emerged to score from the narrowest of angles. Arsenal were four up 20 minutes from time. With 10 minutes left Diaby scored his first goal for the Club. He needed to give the ball little more than a tap in from Adebayor’s excellent pass after the Togan’s long run through the Villa defence.

He is probably the best Togan in the Premiership, there again he is the only Togan in the Premiership. However suggestions he was a panic buy are clearly tripe.

With Spurs and Bolton both beaten that fourth spot is now in Arsenal’s hands. Just win 7 out of 8 and it should be theirs.