Arsenal (0) 2 - 1 Stoke City
Highbury, Sunday January 9th 2005
FA Cup 3rd round
Arsenal:
Lehmann
Eboue (Hoyte 71) Toure Senderos Clichy
Pennant Vieira Cesc Pires
Reyes van Persie
A little lucky to come through this one, despite
having most of the play. Lehmann was in goal as
expected, and showed signs of having lost confidence
during his spell on the sidelines. In particular his hesitation
when deciding whether to come for crosses caused a
few scary moments.
Stoke took the lead on the stroke of half time. Lehmann
started to come for a cross then changed his mind, and
the defence left Adi Akinbayi to come to the ball unchallenged
and head goalwards. Lehmann did managed to get down to
make the save on the goalline, but palmed it softly
and straight out rather than holding it getting a stronger touch
on it or pushing it wide, any of which would have prevented the
goal. Two Stoke players were quickest to react, with Toure
standing and watching, and it was Wayne Thomas who poked it home.
They should have had another earlier in the first half as well.
shrugged off a challenge from Senderos to get to a ball forward to
just inside our box, and chipped the ball into the net only to
see the ref rule it out, presumably for the contact with the
Arsenal defender. It looked very harsh indeed from the North Bank.
Arsenal drew level early in the second half. First van Persie's
fine turn and shot forced a great save from Simonsen in the
Potters' goal. Then Toure's cross was hald-cleared to Reyes on the
edge of the box and he hit a fine low shot just inside the left
post.
So, thankfully, we didn't have to endure a long spell of Stoke
just defending their lead. But we did have to endure another
dodgy moment up the other end when Lehmann again came for a
corner and then changed his mind. This left him stranded
when Taggart (has there ever been a less athletic-looking
player?) headed it on for Greenacre to shoot beyond the
stranded keeper. Fortunately Clichy was doing his job on
the far post and headed off the line just as we've seen Cole do
so many times. They got unlucky again when Akinbayi's shot hit the cross bar.
We were pressing them though. Cesc had a go from miles out
which didn't go too close, but Reyes and van Persie both forced
saves, and then with 20 minutes to go the latter scored a
worthy winner. Reyes got to the goalline and played the
ball back to Pennant, and when he crossed into the middle
of the box it found van Persie with back to goal and a
defender in close attention. Somehow he managed to stick his
left leg out towards the goal and deflect it behind him into
the goal.
Stoke had to go for it from then on but the space they left
just made it easier for Arsenal to keep the ball and push them
back.
Eboue made his debut and although he had a few dodgy moments
he warmed up to it. At first he was hanging back too
much rather than getting forward to join in the attacks but
that soon stopped, and he managed a few decent crosses as
well as a great run down the middle that was only stopped by
what looked like a foul (not given, and the Stoke players
seemed to think it was a dive judging by their angry reaction:
one of them went over to try to rouhgly pick him up off the
ground which fortunately didn't spark off anything too nasty). In
defence he was beaten a bit easy a few times but also made some
good tackles. So, jury's out. Seen better debuts but many worse as
well.
I didn't think Senderos had a brilliant game. He was out-muscled by
Akinbayi a bit too often. But to be fair, that did seem to be
the striker's forte. Sol would have kept him quieter though.
Pennant was excellent, both on the wing and coming infield. And
van Persie had a good game too. Perhaps the responsibility of
being one of the "senior" players in the team helped.
Overall, a good performance given the weakness of the Arsenal squad caused by many injuries plus the resting of Henry and Almunia. But Stoke will rughtly consider themselves a bit unlucky.
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