Arsenal and Athletico Madrid met in what was their first matches in the Emirates tornament
and Arsenals first pre season game in front of their home fans.
Arsenal fielded a strong side which included perenial absentee Tomas Rosicky.
The Arsenal XI was: Mannone, Sagna, Gallas, Djourou, Traore, Rosicky, Eboue, Ramsey, Denilson, Bendnter and van persie.
Arsenal fans would have been immediately delighted with the start Rosicky got.
Early in the half he had a goal disallowed, despite it not counting, it was a sublime top corner finish.
He followed this up with yet more highlight reel football with a great back heel splitting the defence and setting up
the overlapping Traore who saw his good low cross well saved.
it was Athletico who created the first chance of the game, typically poor defending from a corner
saw the attacker given a free header at the far post, fortunately the striker could only head it into the woodwork.
That was to be Athletico's last real chance of the half, from there on it was all Arsenal for the first 45. They played some sublime football with quick, accurate passing interlinking
defence, midfield and attack.
Rosicky looked in great shape, looking calm and strong on the ball and always ready with a dangerous pass or great shot.
The home crowd will have been pleased seeing how composed their team looked. The passing and movement shown by the midfielders
as well as the overlapping runs of Traore and Sagna caused the Athletico defence constant problems.
Van Persie and Bendtner linked up well together as well as with their midfielders and the first real Arsenal chance came towards
the end of the half. A great cross field pass found Van Persie one v one against the last defender, the Dutchman squared the ball
to his right to Eboue who smashed his shot straight at the keeper.
At one point the supporter could have been excused for thinking they'd travelled back in time. With Rosicky playing his first competetive game for nearly 2 years
Reyes back at the Emirates, Vieira's name being sung out by the crowd and the commentator mistaking Djourou for Gilberto it was all reminiscent of the Arsenal
2005 cup winning team.
Arsenal looked to be controlling the pace throughout the entire half and could turn it on at the flick of a switch. Young Welshman Aaron Ramsey did well
controlling the midfield and with Rosicky he linked up well to the 2 strikers and other wide players.
arsenal started to show more intent within the last 10 minutes and a couple of late counterattacks almost prised open the Athletico defence but for last ditch tackles and blocks.
at the other end the Arsenal defence were rarely challenged and looked composed and well controlled by former captain
william gallas. The young left back who had returned from a season long loan Armand Traore was having a good game using his pace well to overlap in attack and was very strong in several tackles.
Eboue looked good on the ball running at defenders but like so often when used in the midfield he lacked an end product once nearing the opponents area he did however
put his summer school drama lessons to good use winning the home side several free kicks in dangerous areas.
However despite the possession and dominance Arsenal were unable to create more than one or two real goalscoring chances and went into the break goalless.
half time substitutes:
rosicky off for wilshere
traore for clichy
eboue for merida
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Arsenal started the 2nd half the way they ended the first.
in the 48th minute they almost scored from a superb counter attack. a great tackle by djourou won the ball, wilshere with a
good run and pass to merida who played a great cross field pass to ramsey, he crossed it to bendtner who saw his effort cleared off the line.
2 minutes later again wilshere was running the midfield, his chip pass over the defence found bendtner who shot over. A minute after that wilshere again controlling the attack,
a divine flick found ramsey who had his cross blocked, the ball fell back to wilshere who went round a defender before again playing a great pass through the defence
to merida who was offside. The tempo had been greatly lifted,and it was the young Englishman Jack Wilshere looking dangerous. The young lad looks
set for great things, let's hope the media and supporters can learn to spell his name!
On the hour mark, Athletico had their first real chance of the half, Rodriguez shot from 25 yards straight at mannone who looked unconvincing, parrying it wide.
In the 63rd min, superb play again from wilshere on the right hand side, inside the box he nipped past a defender with quick feet, brilliantly keeping the ball in play,
he pulled it back to ramsey inside the box who saw his shot saved.
3 more Arsenal substitutions were made in the 65th minute: fabregas, arshavin, eduardo came on for: ramsey, bendtner and van persie.
1 minute after the substitutions wilshere again almost created a goal, he cut inside, looked up and floated a great ball deep into the box to an outstretched merida
who couldnt divert it in. From then Arsenal continued to run the midfield with Wilshere linking up well with Fabregas and Arshavin.
The deadlock was nearly broken with 10 minutes to go, Wilshere with a great one-two with fabregas, the englishman received the return and cut past the defender only for his shot to be blocked.
The game suddenly began to open up with end to end football, Athletico although not creating much still managed to create the best chances of the game,
bojas had a shot parried by mannone and Denilson had given it away softly, Mannone dealt with the shot poorly and was relieved to see it dribble wide of the post.
Finally the goal came in the 86th minute, after Athletico had just carved out 3 of the best chances of the game, 2 of which they should have buried Arsenal
his them on a typical great counter attack. Athletico had a chance well saved by mannone and the Arsenal pressed out of defence, a good pass from cesc found eduardo,
he cut back inside and played it back to the captain who crossed it to the far post to arshavin who finished with a good sliding shot.
It took only a minute later for a comeback, the arsenal defence caught flat, the through ball split the defence and the Athletico striker was left
1 v 1 with mannone, he slotted home with ease to stun the still celebrating Arsenal crowd. It looked like the Spanish side had snatched a draw but Arsenal
were yet to lay down. In the 90th minute, arshavin won it with a fantastically taken goal. A terrible back header by the defender gave Arsenal a chance
arshavin intercepted, knocked it past the keeper brilliantly then did fantastically well to slide and keep the ball in whilst diverting it from a tight angle into the net.
It sent Arsenal back into the lead and proved to be the winning goal.
A very entertaining game of football with both sides creating good chances, however the possession - and a touch of class - paid dividends and Arsenal
go into Sunday's match with a win under their belt.
Arshavin steals the winner in the 90th minute