Everton 1 – 1 Arsenal
Good or bad? Bad performance or unlucky? It’s an interesting thing you know. I watched the game last night on Action Replay on Arsenal TV and to be honest, we controlled the whole game. We were good in midfield and good in possession. But the two players than came back into the side, Adebayor and Gallas, were probably the two most under performing players in the game. Gallas looked a bit shaky throughout – personally, I’d rather have Mr Arsenal aka Kolo Toure, and Adebayor looked very lethargic.
With both United and Villa winning, yesterday’s game became even more important – if that makes sense – the fact we started the evening 9 points behind Man United should have been enough inspiration to go out and win the game.
We started with the following formation:
Almunia
Sagna – Toure – Gallas – Clichy
Denilson – Song – Diaby – Nasri
Van Persie – Adebayor
And it was a hybrid of the defensive / offensive approach I discussed yesterday.
Everton have been at their best this year from set pieces – in fact can you remember the last time they scored in open play and we were sucker punched with half an hour to go, from a routine Evertonian cross and header from the man of the moment* Tim Cahill. (* if you are an Everton fan).
Annoying, yes. Deserved, no. Whatever people say, we were the most likely to score, we did control the game, we did have more posession, we did look more dangerous. We were the away side, and the home side played defensive counter attacking.
The point we got was earned. Earn through Van Persie’s brilliant left-foot strike in the last minute of stopping time, when Diaby finally managed to pass a ball in the right direction and with the right weight.
VP’s up to 13 for the season (must update the right hand side) and he’s earned us so many points by himself. No doubt, he’ll be the next one to get crocked.
On the transfer news front…. things are looked better, as Arsene has been commenting on how we’re 90% there.
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Osman, Arteta, Neville, Pienaar, Fellaini, Cahill (Anichebe 86).
Subs Not Used: Nash, Yobo, Castillo, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Gosling.
Booked: Arteta, Hibbert.
Goals: Cahill 61.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna (Eboue 72), Djourou, Gallas, Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Song Billong (Bendtner 72), Diaby, Adebayor, Van Persie.
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Toure, Vela, Ramsey, Gibbs.
Booked: Diaby, Nasri.
Goals: Van Persie 90.
Att: 37,097
Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).
Episode 29: A game of percentages.
As I sit here in my hotel room in Dubai, wondering whether I will start the season with Zenit or Arsenal, I look around and realise that I am only 87% awake. Only 82% thinking and only 67% hungry.
Secret Agent Dennis Latcher is 69% coming to my room to review the contract I have been presented. I like numbers. My food has been 94% fish this week and I like it. SADL says that he is “very optimistic”. I am also 26% less not pessimistic.
He arrives at my door. “knock, knock”.
I am presented with a fax of the cover story from an English tabloid. It is Sir Arsene – he speaks.
“There is nothing new on Arshavin, I have been concentrating on the game and not taking calls. But the deal is maybe 90 per cent completed. However, the final 10 per cent of any deal can be the most difficult.”
I smile. I smile again. 10% it is not done, 90% it is done.
Maybe after all I will be on my way.
My dream lives on.]]>
