Arsenal Musings

Alrightey, then...it's early in the wee hours, the caffeine is beginning to work its way through the bloodstream. Let's look at the tea leaves...

Arsenal avoided the shock 8-0 upset at Slavia Prague and advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Manchester United also advanced with a 4-0 drubbing of Dynamo Kiev. Midfielder Owen Hargreaves was pleased with the victory, though he did describe it as a cricket match, and the opposing players as striped dromedaries with large purple noses.  Team physicians are still trying to determine what drugs he is using...

Gilberto continues to deny being rift-wise with Wenger and continues to toe the consummate professional line.

The Professor will not be a future England man.

"If I'm England manager and I play France, what national anthem do I sing?"

Very good point. Did this situation every come up with SGE?

Wenger
again defended his use of foreign players and criticised FIFA proposals
which would restrict the number of foreign players a team would be able
to field, an idea that drew support from Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I find them utter rubbish," Wenger continued. "I think that sport is just because it rewards the best.

"You could be my son but if you're not good enough then you don't play at Arsenal.

Hear hear! And another point is that the EPL is not a domestic league. Sorry, chaps. It's an International brand. When you've got Yanks like me watching EPL matches, it's not because you've got the best British players. It's because you've got the best players in the world.

Owen, Please Come Down

Arsenal tilts against Slavia Prague in Pragueland tomorrow. Can they avoid giving up 7 goals? Probably.
Arsene Wenger referred to the home side of the match-up as a complete display of football. I'll have to agree with the Professor. I don't know what else you could call it - an ass-kicking for enormous proportions? Doesn't sound quite as Wengeresque.

This just in, Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has refused to reveal what hallucinegenics he used to inspire his post-match analysis of the weekend game with Arsenal. Nor, did the Canucklehead reveal what his defensive strategy was in slacking off William Gallas to allow room for the Gunnerman to score the equalizer. Perhaps he was too busy dominating to play defense?

Meanwhile, Arsene issued his weekly shout-out to young Gunner Theo Walcott, who is continuing to improve, will one day cause defenders to commit suicide, and other positive things. I'm all for boosting up the young buck, but Arsene, every week with this? Can't you kick his ass one week, just for fun? Is his temperament that fragile?

And the bossman is going to keep riding the Almunia Train, despite a creaky performance against the demons of Manchester. Of course, I only saw highlights, so Almunia's mistakes were perhaps, emphasized out of proportion to his entire game. But...his action on the last goal was pretty bad...Almost made me forget how irritating the whining of Der Lemon can be...

While the Manchester United-Arsenal tilt did not produce a KO, it did perhaps give use the referee "decision of the season" in  AR Darren Cann's spot of the last Arsenal goal.

"It is nice to talk about positives in such a match that is so high profile.

"It's all right seeing it in slow motion, but seeing it at normal speed it's a phenomenal spot.

"He has got in the perfect position and made the right judgement, it's tremendous."

I'll have to agree, and not just because it was a goal to my side. That's not an easy spot to make and the Cann was in the right place - just where he should be - and did not hesitate in signaling the goal. Afterwards, Manchester United midfielder described the AR as a four-legged "giraffe-like creature with pink polka dots." Team trainers are still trying to bring him down...

What's He Smoking?

Hargreaves opines on the quality of Manchester's offense and defense. Last time I looked, Arsenal scored 3 goals (it is a bit churlish to call an own goal a beautiful piece of play) and MU 1. The box line showed that Arsenal outshot the Red Devils as well. It's a draw, Owen. You'll have a chance to talk more around Christmas time...

clipped from msn.foxsports.com Owen Hargreaves felt Manchester United controlled Arsenal's "so-called beautiful football" with ease in Saturday's 2-2 draw at the Emirates. "Arsenal kept the ball and had a lot of possession, but they were never really threatening. Football is about scoring goals and winning games," said Hargreaves, now fit again following a niggling knee problem. Hargreaves added: "They keep the ball and try to play that way, but when a team is as good defensively as ours, you can keep them at bay because we played very tight together. "Both of our goals were from really beautiful pieces of play and theirs were a bit more scrappy."

Gilberto, Consummate Professional

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto responding to reports that he had a bust-up with The Professor over playing time. The man is a true professional.

clipped from msn.foxsports.com Arsenal midfielder Gilberto has denied falling out with manager Arsene Wenger over his recent exclusion from the Gunners' side. Gilberto said in the Observer: "It was strange, this thing that I had a fight with Arsene. "I never did that. We have a mutual respect for each other and although I'm not happy to be on the bench, and he and everyone knows that, I always respect his decision about what he thinks is best for the team. "I'm being very professional, so I don't understand how these things come out when we don't have any problem. I'm not the kind of person who would refuse to play."

Arsenal Win

Great efforts by Arsenal to come from behind and grab a point in a match-up of top EPL teams Saturday.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk William Gallas equalised in injury-time to salvage a draw and keep Arsenal on top of the Premier League after an absorbing clash with Manchester United.

What a Game!!

A last minute equalizer from Captain Bill for a dramatic 2-2 tie between the teams! Who was the idiot who didn't ensure this game was televised? Rupert, fire the man.

Oh, and Gallass also scored for MU. Busy man, he is....Cesc, another goal!!

The Big One: Arsenal and Manchester United

Let me just start off by repeating how frustrating it is not to have this game televised. Both teams are in top form and everything says this will be one of the best games of the year...and yet, no telly. RRRRgggh.
I just got up. I'm sucking down some caffeine and its near the end of the first half. 0-0.

Gamecast suggests that Arsenal have the advantage in the game with more posession, more purpose going forward and more shots. However, it's still 0-0....and there you go. Red Devils score before half. 1-0. There goes the appearance of advantage. Alright, Gunners get it together in the half time.

Prior to the game, there's all sorts of yakking about the match and whose team is more favored to win the trophy, yada yada yada. Fergie says Arsenal's kids are nice kids but don't have any silverware.

Arsene says that he was interested in Tevez...until he saw Fergie chasing him. ? Almunia says that he'll keep Lehmann on the bench (that is, if Der Lemon's mouth doesn't do it for him!). He may want to keep out a few more Manchester shots today in order to do that...Almunia shows that he knows how to play the newspaper game with this it-ain't-a-swipe swipe at Der Lemon:

"The coach decides who is the keeper. I always accept the choice and never made comments when I was on the bench.

And Der Fergermeister (No idea why I'm germanizing the Scot; not enough caffeine, yet) says that Henry's time with the London club was done and Wenger was right to sell him. He then added that Fabregas is looking a bit long in the tooth and should probably go, too...