Arsenal FC

Walcott(12 39 58), Arshavin(32 pen), Diaby(49), Chamakh(83)

6 - 0

3-0
Ref:Jones

Blackpool

Blackpool learnt how difficult life can be in the premier league. After an impossibly great start against Wigan, they were soundly beaten by Arsenal as normal service resumes. It was a good result for Arsenal and especially Walcott whose confidence duly raised after the disappointment of the summer.

Theo puts the disappointment of the summer behind him with a fine hat-trick

We should by no means get carried away with the result, the good thing is that we did what we had to do and it augurs well for the rest of the season. Away from the scoreline and the hat-trick, there are a number of positives to be taken away from the game. Even considering the opposition it was no doubt that we played the game in the right way.

The passing was crisper than we’ve seen recently, Rosický must be mentioned here. The Czech , when is fully fit, increases the tempo of our game. You could see the difference in the Liverpool game. Rosický moves the ball along much quicker than either Nasri or Fábregas, which makes a difference especially on counter attacks. There have been numerous occasions where we’ve lost the impetus on a counter because the ball moves too slow.

Having a speedster like Walcott means the need to have someone feed him quicker and again of the three, Tomáš is the best in that respect. What impressed me most about Theo was not his hat-trick but the intelligent runs he makes off the ball. And those intelligent runs would be for nought if it is not used, be it getting the ball or using the position. Theo showed an intelligence in his overall play, making intelligent decision with and without the ball.

Yes, I’ve overused the word “intelligence” in the last paragraph. At this point I want to point out the absurdity of current punditry. A very funny Hansen tried to press home the point that Theo has no footballing brain. His premise was based on the fact that when Walcott does things instinctively he’s good, but when given the time to think he makes poor decisions. Alas Hansen chose the wrong game to illustrate his point, yesterday Theo had more time and space to think about his decisions, and highlighting two wrong choices out of twenty situations does not fool us Mr. Hansen.

My daughter has this thing where she does and says the opposite, just for fun, I think Hansen was trying to be funny but it went over our simple heads.

Finally I know I’m not supposed to but I need to express some sympathy for Harry and Spurs. No it’s not for having signed that miserable Billy G. Rather the disgusting, dirty, tactic employed by Stoke City on corners of crowding and pushing the goalkeeper.

Whilst all the focus was on whether or not that ball crossed the line, the real issue is why the referees in the premier league allow the attacking team to foul the goalkeeper with impunity? This is not just unlawfully impeding the keeper, It has escalated to actually pushing the goalkeeper back into his goal.

We’ve been on the receiving end of this tactic and yesterday goes to show that it is not just targeting Fabiański or any particular goalkeeper deemed to be a weakling. It is a deliberate tactic allowed to be perpetrated by weak referees and an outdated media attitude that praises brutality over elegance.

Let me spell out the rule concerning this.

Law 12 —Fouls and misconduct

Offences committed against goalkeepers

It is an offence to restrict the movement of the goalkeeper by unfairly
impeding him, e.g. at the taking of a corner kick

Passing it off as the goalkeeper not taking command of his area is bullshit, MOTD surmised it as Gomez having one of those days. I can’t begin to imagine what they and some of us (gooners) would have to say if it was Fabiański.

You would get away with that in any other country. This attitude has cost England crucial games in international competition. Instead of getting rid of it in the English game, keepers get the blame for not being able to stand their ground. When goals are taken away from England for that same offence instead of teaching our players that it is unacceptable, we threaten the lives of the referee for following the law.

As much as I despise Harry and his lot, I have to support him in this case. Enjoy the week, and let’s look forward to a great season.