Arsenal
Positivity Pays Premium- more good news
Badger Whine
By Boris Mellor
August 31 2008
It was positive vibes all round at the Emirates this weekend. The crowd was behind the team from the start. It proved that laying off the boos is clearly good for you. For with clear heads the team and crowd were on form from the very start. The numbers booing Adebayor could be counted on one hand, and Eboue got a standing ovation when he was substituted.
Arsenal played some of the finest football I have seen them play for at least two years. The passing and the speed of getting the ball from end to end was amazing. They spent the whole of the first half in the Newcastle end, and the fact they didn't score until the 19th minute from a penalty had more to do with Shay Given, and some poor finishing.
Keegan whined about the penalty award, but the handball was just as bad, or as innocuous, as the Gallas infringement at Manchester United; and I don't remember much sympathy over that decision. Up to that moment van Persie's finishing was as profligate as the rest of this season. I couldn't imagine him hitting a barn door with a banjo.
It was a strangely taken kick, his left foot crossed awkwardly over his right, it nearly sent Given the wrong way, but he then shifted in the right direction. I feared he would save it, but Robin had hit it hard enough to put it beyond him. What a difference a goal makes, suddenly RvP's confidence rose and he was now involved in everything. On 40 minutes he poked home a clever, but difficult, back heel from Eboue. It was an excellent goal, and I feel it would have beyond him without the boost scoring the penalty gave him.
Denilson's first league goal
In the second half Newcastle began to fight for their pride and put Arsenal under pressure, but that rebounded against them when the Gunners responded with a great build up to the final goal, a one two between Nasri and Adebayor allowed Denilson to pass the ball home from inside the area.
It was all over, apart from a stupid decision of Keegan's to bring on Barton with two minutes to go. Barton made a beeline for Nasri, getting both ball and man, when Sami complained Barton gave him the hard man stare and verbal's, demonstrating how he has learnt his lesson. Nasri responded by tripping Barton up and receiving a yellow. Barton got booed to the echo by the Arsenal crowd. Keegan whined on about the Nasri tackle after the match, but Nasri got a yellow so what was the problem? The problem was his teams own spineless performance, it was all a cover for the Toon's failure to get anything at Arsenal yet again, four times since last season alone.
Now the good news
If that performance wasn't enough, there is more good news. Liverpool and Chelsea both dropped points this weekened, and Arsenal are now in third place. Yes it early days, but some pundits had written the Gunners off after only two games, and that is also too early.
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