Well, it’s Monday, I’m off work and very hungover so I thought to myself how hard can it be, I will write a brief match report.
Everton had a chance to get up the league and head into what looked like 2 winnable games (whatever they are) against West Brom and Sunderland in a good position.
Everton started ok, with the highlight of the opening 15 minutes or so a Seamus Coleman foray down the right flank which saw him fly past Fabregas at full pelt and pick out the one person you would have wanted it to fall to - Tim Cahill - unmarked in the box. Tim unusually headed over when unmarked in the area, but it was great direct play from Coleman, and i hoped it was a sign of things to come.
Sadly after that, it just didn’t happen. Arsenal turned the screw, and John Heitinga charged around a lot and gave away a few free kicks for petulant fouls, Mikel Arteta continued his poor form by seemingly not wanting the ball, and when he did have it, doing his best Lucas Leiva impression of moving it on sideways, and Louis Saha, who somehow kept his place in the side, not really offering anything up top.
Arsenal took the lead in the 36th minute, Samir Nasri cut inside Pienaar, and got a shot off from the edge of the box which was saved by Howard, the rebound somehow ended up being worked to Bacary Sagna inside the box, Mikel Arteta just watched and threw in a token jog back and stick your leg out gesture as the right back slapped it past Howard at his near post. Good finish, but surely Arteta should have been breaking himself to stop the effort, and Howard will be disappointed at his part in it, beaten at the near post is never a win for a keeper.
We all hoped for an Everton response, but in all truth it never occurred. Howard Webb made a few bad decisions which incensed the home crowd, but that glosses over the fact we were never really looking good enough.
Everton started ok, with the highlight of the opening 15 minutes or so a Seamus Coleman foray down the right flank which saw him fly past Fabregas at full pelt and pick out the one person you would have wanted it to fall to - Tim Cahill - unmarked in the box. Tim unusually headed over when unmarked in the area, but it was great direct play from Coleman, and i hoped it was a sign of things to come.
Sadly after that, it just didn’t happen. Arsenal turned the screw, and John Heitinga charged around a lot and gave away a few free kicks for petulant fouls, Mikel Arteta continued his poor form by seemingly not wanting the ball, and when he did have it, doing his best Lucas Leiva impression of moving it on sideways, and Louis Saha, who somehow kept his place in the side, not really offering anything up top.
Arsenal took the lead in the 36th minute, Samir Nasri cut inside Pienaar, and got a shot off from the edge of the box which was saved by Howard, the rebound somehow ended up being worked to Bacary Sagna inside the box, Mikel Arteta just watched and threw in a token jog back and stick your leg out gesture as the right back slapped it past Howard at his near post. Good finish, but surely Arteta should have been breaking himself to stop the effort, and Howard will be disappointed at his part in it, beaten at the near post is never a win for a keeper.
We all hoped for an Everton response, but in all truth it never occurred. Howard Webb made a few bad decisions which incensed the home crowd, but that glosses over the fact we were never really looking good enough.
Rodwell replaced Heitinga at the start of the second half, with the Dutchman looking a cert for a red card, but it never made a difference. Arsenal at times strolled through the middle, and it wasn’t really a shock when after a neat passage of play and a few 1-2 passes ,the ball fell to Fabregas on the edge of the box who finished easily.
Moyes responded by bringing on Jermain Beckford and Yakubu for Phil Neville and Arteta. But all this really did was negate our most effective attacking force in Coleman as he moved to right back, and left all 3 of the strikers making the same runs and generally looking a bit blunt. Anyway, we still rallied a bit and Tim Cahill, who as always kept on going, got a late goal which kept up the hope of a grand stand man utd-esqe finish. But it never really looked like happening, Fabianski saved well, but comfortably, from a Beckford and Saha effort, and that was it.
At the end I was left with more questions than answers once more. What is going on with Arteta? He used to be taking the ball from the centre backs, always going forward, trying to create, but in recent weeks our talisman looks a shadow of the player we know he is. I’m sure it’s only a dip in form, everyone has them, but we really need him to start firing. Saha starting is another one. The Yak was starting to look like more of the player he used to be, bringing others into the game, barging defenders out the way aots, and generally beginning to look ace again in spells. Yet he now finds himself ousted for Saha, who looks like he doesn’t care, doesn’t link play anywhere near aswell as the robust Nigerian, and for my money shouldn’t be starting games.
Several of our big guns are not firing, and frankly we need them to. As in this tight league, it’s going to be important to go into Christmas in a decent position. If we harbour any hopes of top 7 and a return to the glamour of the Europa League, we need to start winning games. Not drawing, not losing, but winning.
Bluelordloverocket
Moyes responded by bringing on Jermain Beckford and Yakubu for Phil Neville and Arteta. But all this really did was negate our most effective attacking force in Coleman as he moved to right back, and left all 3 of the strikers making the same runs and generally looking a bit blunt. Anyway, we still rallied a bit and Tim Cahill, who as always kept on going, got a late goal which kept up the hope of a grand stand man utd-esqe finish. But it never really looked like happening, Fabianski saved well, but comfortably, from a Beckford and Saha effort, and that was it.
At the end I was left with more questions than answers once more. What is going on with Arteta? He used to be taking the ball from the centre backs, always going forward, trying to create, but in recent weeks our talisman looks a shadow of the player we know he is. I’m sure it’s only a dip in form, everyone has them, but we really need him to start firing. Saha starting is another one. The Yak was starting to look like more of the player he used to be, bringing others into the game, barging defenders out the way aots, and generally beginning to look ace again in spells. Yet he now finds himself ousted for Saha, who looks like he doesn’t care, doesn’t link play anywhere near aswell as the robust Nigerian, and for my money shouldn’t be starting games.
Several of our big guns are not firing, and frankly we need them to. As in this tight league, it’s going to be important to go into Christmas in a decent position. If we harbour any hopes of top 7 and a return to the glamour of the Europa League, we need to start winning games. Not drawing, not losing, but winning.
Bluelordloverocket
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