Arsenal 2 – 1 Lazio Match Report

As promised, here’s a quick update.

Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners over Lazio in the LG Amsterdam Tournament.  Goals from Niclas Bendtner and new boy, Eduardo Da Silva ensured victory for the not-red-and-whites-but-purpleish-and-blues.  Yes, this evenong saw the first showing of the third kit in action, and it looks…crap.  I really don’t like it.  As Lazio play in a really plae blue, I’m sure we could’ve worn the red and white, no problem.  But then Nike want to sell kits don’t they?

Aside from the aesthetics of the strip, the game was quite enjoyable.  Not quite up to the standard of the Inter game, but it made for good watching nonetheless.  A fairly even first half that you wouldn’t really describe as ‘open’, had some chances for both sides, most notable of which going Lazio’s way after Big Phil lost position in the back line and played on the Italian’s striker.  Fortunately, the run made onto the ball took Pandev wider than he would’ve liked and allowed Phil time to recover, and he actually showed some decent pace to get back and put in a great block tackle after Almunia had been rounded.  Phil is a good tackler and good in the air, but he needs to sharpen up his concentration because lapses like today’s need cutting out.  Manuel was also a bit shoddy in his ‘keeping and need not have come charging out the way he did.  Still no harm done except a quickening of pulses

Arsenal took the lead after 18 minutes through Niclas Bendtner.  The ball was played square to Cesc Fabregas, who was about 30 yards out.  He elected to shoot and unleashed a fierce strike that looked to be on target.  We shall never know if it really was, because it took a deflection off a Lazio defender and ricocheted to Bendtner.  At first glance he looked to be offside, but the linesman adjudged him to be level and allowed play to continue.  I thought Niclas could’ve taken a strike sooner, but he decided to round the ‘keeper and finished neatly from a tight angle.  Probably harder than it should’ve been, but a good finish in any case.

Pandev was obviously miffed at being denied a goal earlier in the half, equalised after 40 minutes.  The ball was only half cleared to the edge of the box, and in returning it back in, the Lazio player looked to have pulled Eduardo’s shirt sending him to the ground.  As Pandev neatly slotted the ball home, the Arsenal players were aggrieved that a freekick was not awarded to them instead of a Lazio goal.  1-1 at half time.

The second half saw The Gunners assert themselves more on the game and the free flowing attacking football was more prominent, but it was from a Tomas Rosicky corner that Eduardo rose to head home to make the score 2-1 and bag the Croatia striker a goal on competitive debut.  Hoyte hit the post late on, but the score remained the same and Arsenal claim 5 points from the game (3 for the win +2 bonus points for the goals).

I’ll leave it there or I’ll have nothing to write tomorrow!

Have a good rest of the evening

Fancy a Quickie?

Right, seeing as I’ve only just this minute got on the computer after sorting out bills and my barnet, I thought I’d do a quick post before tonight’s game, and then update after it.  Agreeable?  Well, that’s what’s going to happen, so if you don’t like getting two posts in a day, then you are very hard to please.

Ok, the news in briefs (it’s quite hot now and I’m home alone, so I’m enjoying minimal apparel se soir) is that;

Eduardo’s got his work permit.  Chin up Chelsea and yer man Alex.  Not only has the boy Da Silva actually managed to get into the country, but now he’s entitled to work here too.  And not just as a builder. plumber or car washer.  No, he’s actually going to play professional football.

 The squad has been announced for the LG Amsterdam Tournament and contains a surprise selection of no surprises.  There’s no Gibbs or Garry or any of the other kids pushing for a place in the first team.  Perhaps Arsene read the blog last night and decided to take on board my suggestion of fielding as strong a team as possible.  I like to think so anyway.  Seriously though, there are only 2 pre-season games to go, so against opposition in the class of Lazio and Ajax an opportunity to fine tune and balance the side for Fulham on the 11th should not go begging.  Happily, Theo, Ade, Rosicky and Djourou are all included.

Robin Van Persie has been bigging up his buddy, Wesley Sneijder saying, “He is like an Arsenal player”.  Cue Sneijder to Arsenal rumours on TribalFootball.  He’s also said he likes the pretty triangles and stylish play that come from playing at Arsenal.

“Only a few teams in Europe play the way Arsenal play. Personally, I will always go for a team where I would, for example, earn less money but the team plays fantastic, rather than go to a team where you can earn lots of money and win every week, 1-0, 2-0, and play a defensive style.”

A slight dig at the chavs there, I think you’ll agree.  And why not?  I’ve been a fan of Robin’s for quite some time, but since the spotlight was turned on him with the departure of Thierry, his stock with me has risen considerably.  He’s talking the talk and walking the walk.  And a very cool, defender flummoxing walk it is too.  He reckons he’s not Thierry’s replacement, and to be fair he aint, but he is the man we’re looking to to carry on where he left off last season and score the majority of our goals.  At 23 and with a few Premier League seasons under his belt, he’s no rookie so it’s time for him to come out from the shadows cast by our former gallic “talisman” and get his goal on.  Personally, I don’t think he’ll find it too hard.

Right, kick-off approaches.  I will aim to do a quick round-up post match, and do a more in depth one tomorrow.  I believe the game is on Sky Sports 1 and obviously ATVO, but I think there’s some audio streams kicking around too.

Enjoy the game

UPDATE: 03/08/07 TribalFootball have inndeed started running stories about Van Persie wanting Wesley Sneijder at Arsenal.  They’re so predictably stupid it’s not even funny.  If you see the stories listed, don’t give them the satisfaction of clicking through or we’ll end up with more of their crap sloshing about the net.