Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle all lost this weekend; it’s not going to happen every week. Normally when it does happen, we fail to win… and for large parts of yesterday it felt like that. Everton 2-0 against Chelsea, United having beaten Liverpool earlier in the day and Newcastle away at Sp*rs later in the day – and we couldn’t capitalise… until of course, the last minute of the game. Oh yeah, who’s the daddy? Thierry Henry. And what an impact the player has had – the winner against Leeds in the FA cup and now the winner against Sunderland to turn 1 point into 3.
The starting XI saw the return of Sagna, but outside of that, it was status quo – Oxlade ahead of Arshavin from the start.
Szcznesy
Sagna – Mertersacker – Koscielny – Vermaelen
Arteta – Song
Walcott – Rosicky – Oxlade
Van Persie
Sunderland under Martin O’Neill have been good, in fact, they’ve been in a crazy run of form. So, the fears were there that we could be turned over. On the 70th minute, we went behind to a McClean goal after Per Mertersacker inadvertently broke his ankle. Arsene announced after the game that Mertersacker will out for a while…
It was unfortunate. Mertesacker told me that he got a shot in his ankle and couldn’t move at all anymore. We are a bit worried about his ankle I must say because he goes home on crutches. He has done some ligament damage, but how big that is we will have to check tomorrow. For sure he is out for Wednesday.
And at 1-0 down, it was doom and gloom. Ramsey on for Mertersacker and a reshuffle of players – Henry having already come on for Oxlade, and it was 20 minutes get an equaliser. But we didn’t have to wait that long… as with 5 minutes, the Welsh wizard got us back into the game with a striker from distance. The ball hitting both posts before crossing the line. 1-1. Suddenly there was a thought that we could actually go on to win it… but time was running out…. 10 mins to go…. 5 minutes to go… into stoppage time… But then…
2-1 to the Arsenal.
What can be said? Henry with the winner. Wow. Awesome. Fairytale stuff.
He finished the story of the legend today in the championship; I hope he will add some in the Champions League on Wednesday now. It might haunt me again because then people will say ‘why did he not stay?’ It just shows you as well that these players never lose it. Exceptional talent survives. You have that with Giggs and Scholes at Manchester United and Thierry here. It is just a luxury to have a player like him on the bench.
Enjoy the victory…. no more words from me today. I’ll be back tomorrow for some more reflection.
But for now, we’re 4th… suddenly things look a little better.
