Southampton 0 Arsenal 1: Pires bags the points

Dennis beats Michael Svensson

The Southampton players’ huddle prior to kick off was no doubt to pose the question ‘Why aren’t we wearing brown shorts?’ Why indeed? It wasn’t until late in the second half that Southampton posed any sort of a threat and without some fine saves by Niemi they would have been buried long before that. Kolo and Gael retained the full back slots and Ray partnered Pat in midfield, while Dennis partnered the World’s best player up front.

The visiting Gooners were up for it from the kick off ‘Ee ai addio be won the Cup’ and the team joined us with a slick pass, move, baffle, sprint, take em on, pass and dazzle style of football from the off. ‘Arsenal FC, they’re by far the greatest team the world has ever seen’. Following fine runs by Pat and Kolo it was Ray who hit the first shot which was low and wide. ‘They’re going down, they’re going down, they’re going, Tottenham’s going down’. Flowing move followed flowing move, we were fast on the break, as you would expect, and were on top throughout the first half. Prutton chopped Pires in a rare Saints attempt to win the ball and was spoken to by referee Clive Dunn. Why Dunn bothered to speak to him I have no idea, but then why Dunn misses handballs, stampings, shirt pulling, backing-in and handball on the line in Cup Finals I also have no idea. Dunn by his standards had a good match, but that was easy because it wasn’t a tough game to referee by any stretch of the imagination.

Kevin Phillips had an angled shot that was no problem for Jens. A fine cross by Henry to the far post saw Dennis in space with a good chance, but his header only made it to the side netting. An interesting snippet that the F A might like to investigate relates to Southampton’s principal form of attack, namely the long throw. Whenever the home side had a throw a towel was offered to their player to dry his hands and, or the ball. I didn’t see it offered to any player in yellow. Ray had a decent run and a shot that was saved low by Niemi. Clichy was getting stuck in and beating men with ease, Rob was in full trickery mode, Ray was everywhere he needed to be and winning the ball well, Pat was a class above and breaking forward. At the back Jens, Sol and Pascal were very solid but largely untroubled, Kolo was awesome, Dennis was looking the part, Freddie did enough without setting the world on fire and Thierry scared them to death.

Pires had an angled shot saved following a decent run; this was probably his sighter. Sol blocked a rare Saints counter before Dunn blocked a pass by Ray. Everything that happened later in the match started with Phillips, who was in noxious shit mode all evening, deliberately stamping on Lehmann’s foot. It was on the blind side of the cameras but very clear to the majority of Arsenal fans. Dunn didn’t see it, had he done so it was a certain red card. Higginbottom, who put himself about but was largely ineffective, had a shot following a headed clearance from Sol. Henry then shot wide whilst being held quite clearly to anyone but Dunn. Our goal followed soon after this incident, in the 34^th minute give or take a second or two, when Dennis worked it forward for Henry, who in turn, found the perfect ball from a central position to Pires on the left who was free to run onto it and slot home with a tasty low shot. 0-1 Arsenal and no more than we deserved.

Clichy went on a chase in the box, theirs as it happens, and this summed up our superiority. Svensson tripped Pat, probably to show that he was actually on the pitch as much as the fact that Pat was far too good for him. Freddie and Dennis attacked down the right, then Kolo had a run followed by a great driven cross. Kolo is like a tank that has the acceleration of a Porsche, plus the ball skill of your average International playmaker. God help the opposition when he’s learnt his trade and gains his full strength.

Pires gets the winning goal

A fine ball in from the right saw Dennis have the ball nicked off his head whilst in excellent position. Henry’s shot in the same move was just off target. ‘We’ve got the best player in the world’ Pat was fouled and a free kick duly awarded, no problem there other than the fact that Pires was away and Dunn didn’t book anyone. I swear some refs stop play just to have a breather. Phillips had a header go wide after a poor clearance from Sol, but it was almost halftime and this was the first defensive error I can recall by Arsenal. There was a couple of breaks in the one minute added and I imagine Strachan would have been throwing a wobbly in the home dressing room at half time.

If we have a fault it is that we don’t kill teams off often enough. One goal, no matter how dominant, is never a comfortable lead. With Arsenal attacking the end containing the travelling Gooners the team were once more up for it from the kick off. Pat was able to indulge in a spot of showboating but Southampton were good enough to win the odd corner. The Saints looked ragged early doors, maybe more so than in the first half. The crowd was announced as 32,151 and a new stadium record ‘You’ve only come to see the Arsenal’ was inevitable, but no less fun for all that. Dennis won a free kick not far outside the area and Henry took it, quelle surprise! His shot was slick but just a tad high and wide with the keeper rooted. Clichy went on a run after winning the ball; he’s fast, very fast.

More ping-pong, knock it about, now you see it now you don’t, play followed from the boys in yellow and this particular move ended with a great save from Freddie’s effort. ‘ArseneWenger'sRedAndWhiteArmy’ Ormerod came on for Griffit in time to see Toure star in another great move, this one ended when Thierry put the ball just out of Dennis’ reach. Kenton replaced Baird. Kolo was chopped down, no mean feat in itself. Dennis with the kick from wide right found Thierry who was well off target with his shot. Dunn surpassed himself when he watched Ray being hauled over backwards and awarded the home team the free kick in a dangerous position.

Just after Pat was axed there was a big handball call by the Arsenal players on the pitch but the ref who can miss three penalties in a Cup Final was in his usual form. Freddie had a shot saved when Thierry was possibly on for a pass. Henry was tripped from behind but no yellow card appeared. Pires was then axed wide left. Phillips beat Cygan but put in a poor cross that Jens took with ease. Both Clichy and Pires had good breaks before Edu and Kanu came on to replace Freddie and Dennis. Ray was switched to the right which I thought was a strange call considering how well Ray was doing centrally. Delap took yet another party piece long throw, but this one went straight out for a goal kick. Kanu down the left found Henry who’s shot was bent wide. Pascal cleared a Beattie cross at the other end; this was where Southampton finally made a game of it. Beattie clattered Lehmann who doesn’t appreciate challenges off the ground and made a meal of it. McCann came on for Telfer in Strachan’s last throw of the dice.

Celebrations after the goal

Good stuff from Pat saw Henry win a corner. Delap’s nth foul on Vieira was followed by more fine play including a neat turn by Ray and a pass to Edu who fired over. Henry hit one that stung the keeper’s hands but Rob stumbled before he could make it to the rebound. Southampton’s next attack was cleared by Pascal to set up another long throw. Followed swiftly by another punt in from Saints, so much for Strachan’s neat tidy football, this was hoof and hope. The Saints pressed and we held firm. Pires was hacked down by McCann twice in what seemed like as many seconds, the first should have resulted in a booking the second was, the first of the match.

Pires was replaced by Lauren on 87 minutes, he went left side midfield, this made me nervous as players out of position often cause problems. Another joke free kick against Pat was surpassed by a bald lino waving a red and yellow flag who pulled up Ray for being attacked on both sides at once, an unbelievably crap decision. Southampton were left with two minutes added time during which Kolo raced back to clear before Jens was once more whacked whilst airborne. The Southampton fans thought that their team was perfectly entitled to foul Jens at will so gave him the bird, more so when Jens' time wasting bordered on a piss take. Not as good though as when earlier Henry had walked towards the ball, for all the world looking like he was going to pick it up and toss it back for our free kick, the whistle having blown earlier. Instead he wound up their fans by walking past it, great stuff. Jens stupidly tossed the ball at Phillips back after the final whistle. It was dumb thing to do but Phillips should have been sent off in the first half for his petulant stamp.

Three more points for Arsenal and we remain unbeaten at the halfway point in the League, that can’t be bad. Plus I make it that we are 27 points clear of Tottenham with nineteen games played. Tottenham are now 2500-1 to win the league, I can't believe that even they have fans  thick enough to place such a bet, do you?