For those who travel to Arsenal games by canal there is great news, the Department of the Environment have banned water fern, parrot’s feather, floating pennywort, water primrose and Australian swamp stonecrop from these shores. Don’t put your machetes away yet though, these plants are pretty prolific. Only last Sunday Camden looked like a scene from ‘The War of the Worlds’. And several dogs, children and small adults have gone missing whilst walking beside the Serpentine and the lake in St James Park….though the latter might be down to pelicans.
Liverpool next, which is always special and full of memories, like the time I almost got divorced over that bottle opener that came as a ‘gift’ in the season ticket pack a few years back. I am told that a woman can only take so much of, ‘…Thomas its up for grabs nowwww..Thomas..’, every time her worst half opens a bottle of beer, which happens quite often. Either way even now, after my bottle opener was found broken into four pieces in a fish pond four houses away, she goes into an uncontrollable rage at the mere mention of the name Michael Thomas and it has wrecked our relationship with close friends John and Tina Thomas and their son Patrick……..oh and their youngest son, Michael..
Anyway that was an away game and the last time we played Liverpool, at Anfield (on September 2nd 2012) I remember wishing that I could watch the game in Saint-Denis in Paris, or Aubervilliers to be precise. Not far from the Stade De France. The game would have been screened in any number of bars in the area. There they love their football, particularly games featuring Parisian players and this game starred one of their own, for Aubervilliers is where Vassiriki Abou Diaby was taught to play football.
What a player. The last of the old French guard, Abou has restored my faith in football players. Although I have to say there were many new heroes on display that Sunday and I thought they were all superb. Abou though, has a special place in my heart. I was as enthralled by his display that day as I was in the games preceding the May Day match against Sunderland in 2006. I think it was David Pleat, but I might be wrong, who was waxing lyrical about Arsene’s ability to find ‘another Patrick Vieira’ just minutes before that horrendous Dan Smith tackle. ‘Dan went for the ball, unfortunately Diaby was quicker than him’, was the pathetic response of Kevin Ball. Unfortunately several other Arsenal players proved to be ‘quicker than’ their opponents in the seasons following including Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey, the career of both of whom was adversely affected by horrific leg breaks. The effect on Abou’s career has been palpable and is well documented and painfully followed by me and thousands of other Arsenal supporters.
Abou was imperious at Anfield. The whole team were superb and every one of them deserved a mention, including Olivier Giroud, whose movement was very impressive even then, of course we now know that he is a superb finisher and maker of goals and his ability to head the ball on is second to none. Vito Mannone, Carl Jenkinson, Thomas Vermaelen, Per Mertesacker, Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Mikel Arteta, Santo Cazorla, Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny, Aaron Ramsey, Andre Santos all stepped up that day. But for me, that Sunday, Abou was back, though not for long as it turned out. The imbalance caused by the leg break leaves him susceptible to muscle injuries, a condition which, I am advised, need not be permanent but requires a huge amount of hard work and patience.
In the event I watched that game in Pimlico, without my passport. Sorry about the passport bit but Pimlico always conjures up images of that film. Never fails. On TV in an apartment near to Tate Britain, that is where I watched the game. After and much later I came upon a fellow from Liverpool sitting on the kerb outside of a Peabody Trust building. He was singing ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’. I could tell he was lost and looking for Victoria Coach Station, they always are around those parts. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me the way to Victoria Coach Station. They come from all corners of the world, even Liverpool.
‘Where are you heading’ I asked, with a wry smile on my face and feeling generous, as I always do when we win.
‘Home’ he said
‘Where’s that’ I asked, knowingly, fiddling with my long johns which I always wear to watch games even on TV and noting that I had put them on back to front again.
‘Camden…..now fuck off, Gooner’ he replied
I could just hear the strains of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ fading into the distance as he wandered off into the night weaving his way down the middle of the street to the tube……alone.
I seem to have told this story without mentioning a single Liverpool player, not even S….or G….and I am not going to because this game is about my team. I hope Abou will be playing he is improving by the game and is part of a fabulous group of players who to me look set to achieve greatness. Don’t care where Liverpool are in the table or where we are in the table partly because it is still January but also because playing Liverpool is always one of those special occasions particularly as they have performed very well in recent fixtures only conceding three goals to Oldham Athletic who are in…errrr…League 1. I think that Liverpool will know they are in a game.
I love going to the football to watch Arsenal.
Frank
Positively Arsenal 
What’s up Pauly N…..
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Im good bro. Its really good to see you again!
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any links?
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Frustrating goal to concede but we almost strike right back.
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Crap, they scored already!!!
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http://debilizator.tv/tv.cgi?kanal=7
…in Russian
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It was one of those “everyone makes a mistake moments”. Sagna slips, which is why they get the chance in the first place, Vermaelen misses his clearance, world class save from Szczesny from close range, Ramsey gets to the rebound but it bounces just a bit too far and Suarez gets on the ball, strikes it weakly and Szcz has it covered but, of course, it has to take a deflection. I hate to concede goals like that…
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Unfortunate – the chance came from an unlucky slip but Suarez was the one who kept his head and made the finish look easy. Good poachers goal for them, unlucky for us, early days.
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Thanks, Evil.
It happens, the team looks up for it though. We are winning this.
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Aah – was it a deflection? Didn’t realise, I never watch replays of goals against us. Even more unfortunate than I thought then.
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The passing and movement of this Arsenal team is a thing of beauty!
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Oh my. It looks like Reina is going to have one of THOSE nights….
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Reina keeping them in this.
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Only a matter of time Evil.
I like how we got back just now.
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We are playing so well, the scoreline is a travesty.
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What a perfect move that was. That’s the kind of move that should be rewarded with a goal, not that scrappy mistake fest earlier in the match…
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That pass by Santi was world class right there.
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Atrocious decision after another world class pass by Santi. To me it looked like the clash between Poldi and Wisdom was never a foul.
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Liverpool creeping back into it.
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ok boys, lets settle again.
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Evil, how was that a foul? I did not get that one.
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Well, well … if it ain’t …. positively arsenal has positively just made my day.
Nice post Frank.
Evening all … mind if I take a seat … right here.
… come on Arsenal!
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Thankfully Gibbs is back on. Had my heart in my mouth for a moment. He has been so good this season.
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He’s off!
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Shame to lose Gibbs. One of our very best. Thank God Arsene gave Santos a run out against Brighton. The only problem we have is that they are a goal up. It allows their tactics of deep defence and counter attack to work perfectly.
Patience required I think.
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Yes, Patience. I thought we would have had a goal by now but we will get there.
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Oh well better second half like WHU and we should be ok
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Kinda lost our way towards the end of the half. Seems we were getting caught out rather easily. We will bounce back in the 2nd.
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Tough going out there. Trying to pass through massed defence whilst keeping an eye out for long ball counter attacks. We’ve been unlucky and a little profligate not to score but I remain quietly confident.
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We were on fire at the start of the match. Some excellent play.
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Moderation! Moi? I’ll be a token doomer if you like, how’s that. Spark some debate.
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Annoying to be down to such a stupid goal. I think we were the slightly better team but Reina has been good in goal for them. However, still confident that we will win, as we still seem to have the handbrake on.
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I have to be honest this is not what I was hoping for.
I would replace Santi with Abou,But what do I know?
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Decent first half – Poldi sharp and Jack sweeping forward, Ramsey good, Giroud working well
From open play our defence is fine but my god we know how to make an mistake that matters
Goals goals and more goals
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three mistakes in less than 30 secs and still it took a deflection..cant blame bac for the slip can happen to nayone, but i can blame tommy v for his clearance and also per for turning his back when suarez is ready to shot instead of using all his presence to block it.
the ref gave nothing when suarez shoved bac while in posession but he gave it against ramsey/agger.
podolski never fouled wisdom but thats the price for playing in a league where the refs dont even know the basics and insist on their own version of football “rules”
theo should have finished immediately after suarez goal. 90k or whetever..you place it ..not whack it ..
liverpool cant come out their area unless we make a mistake, they are gurding their box with 6 to 8 players at all times..one twos in such congested space wont work so we could do without that and be more direct?
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Just watched the goal. Slips have a way of throwing you off, no matter what.
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442 anyone ?
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Walcott needed to bury that header. A goal is coming soon!
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I am wary of this ref, still.
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What a start to the 2nd half. Carragher using his experience to buy them some breathing space.
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Oh crap!
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Ramsey actually got the tackle in and Santos got in the way. I cannot believe it!
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Have to say that, against the run of play, as it was, is a fucker.
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We were absolutely battering them. I just can’t believe it.
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424 ?
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I know, Steww. This is strange as hell. The boys will have to dig deep. I believe we are going to come back.
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HANDSOME MAN!
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Here we go!
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Feck in in in.
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Come on you Gunners. We can’t lose this, we have been the better team. COME ON!
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