Everton Vs Arsenal | Premiership 29/12/07

[SE13]

There's a LOT of whinging and moaning on 606 about Fabregas alledgedly play acting to get Arteta sent off.

That's not how it sounded on FiveLive, but did anyone see the incident? What happened?

Well, I think Cesc made the most of it, but there was a definite arm/elbow to the face.

Cesc played it down in the post match interviews.

Whether it was a straight red or not, I don't know, but if the intent was there, then it is red.

[arseman]

It seemed intentional from Arteta, I have to say, and he followed it up with a ridiculous dive. Deserved red card IMO

[Reverend Gooner]

Well fabregas had blood dripping down his chin, that clears up any ambiguity over the challenge. He looked in pain that is for sure. I don't think the ref was going to give it but he saw the blood and showed the red.

He may have made a meal of it overall but there is no denying it connected well and it probably hurt too.

[rachel83]

LOL, understandable, they got bitchslapped in the dark. Still i am no fan of Everton so i don't feel so bad.

It's a rather interesting situation over here amongst MLS supporters groups. One day you're hanging out with fans of your team, but the next day you hate the same people because they support your rival on the other side of the pond. Most everybody has a European (sorry ab_fab, but I'm not going to list every league) -based team that they support along with their MLS team. Keeps you busy during the off-season (Dec-March). I think we have at least one supporter of every BPL team in the Midnight Riders (the Revolution supporter's group I'm a part of), so it gets interesting on our boards on match day

[Younggooner08]

i think fab made a meal of it but after seeing a replay it could have been worse than it lookd

[CLS]

CESC MADE HE MOST OFF IT BUT HE DID HIT HIS FACE
we were crap in the 1st half again but done well in the second half even though it was there mistake that let us in

TOP OF THE TABLE FOR XMAS
AND
TOP OF THE TABLE FOR NEW YEAR

LOVE IT

[She_Gunner_Wales]

As said i think Cesc did make a bit of a meal out of it, suprising really, not usually his style. I dont think he was intentionally trying to get Arteta sent off, whether there was intent from the latter or not.
Personally I think it was a harsh red, when you take into comparison that Nicklass got a 2nd yellow rather than a straight sending off....imho Nik had a very lucky escape. 1 match rather than 3.

Still back top...no complaints. should shut up the mancs for a few days at least.
2 excellent goals from Eduardo, nice cheeky goal from Ade....(id have loved to see him stop the ball on the line & knock it in as someone came for him just for hilarity factor!) and a sublime finish from Tomo!

Obviously over the moon with our win, and utd's loss...but tinged with sadness after hearing the news of Phil O'Donnell.

[left right left]

now that was a massise win!!!

0-1 down away from home and to win 4-1!!!! thats hard shit man


cesc was a nob!!!

[rodney]

Absolute f***ing legends. Who said we can't battle? Who said we can't tough it out away from home? Who said we don't score shit goals? We are top of the league the best f***ing team in England, back to the top where he deservedly belong. Our flowing football was not there today and in the first half we were f***ing woeful, but we battled so well. Flamini is just utter class he didn't lose a tackle all day. He won his headers, he won his tackles and you saw moments where he was encouraging everyone led like a real captain today. I watched the game with my mate who is an evertonian and after we've done so shite against them recently I am delighted with the win.

The first half we started off and just looked like we didn't want to even be there. Everton weren't great either in the first half just did the usual kick it long to Yakubu and win the knock downs which too be fair they do superbly. Everton looked dangerous from corners all game and their goal came from a great ball in from Arteta and what the hell Bendtner was doing f**k knows and Cahill healed it in. We were on the down and Everton were firmly on the way up and we needed to show a lot of mental strength to hold on in there. Everto played some lovely stuff a great bit of skill from Yobo and Neville sent one over at the end of another well worked move. Eduardo couldn't near the ball and Bendtner was playing worse than Ade did against Pompey. The partnership that had performed so well in the Carling Cup was just not working and there was a clear lack of communication. Cesc and Hleb just couldn't get into the game either and Arteta was pulling the strings as expected.

Second half we came out and to be honest I was hoping we could sneak a goal and hold out for a point, but we did a lot better than that. A punt up field from Clichy and Eduardo was there to put it past Howard for 1-1. To get the goal so early in the second half was exactly what we needed and gave the team such a lift and put a dent in the Everton confidence. We started to really up our game and started to actually look like a threat and Hleb actually even took a shot at goal. Then another punt from Clichy again I think it was and some shocking defending from Jagielka who was brushed aside so easily by Eduardo and then he put it away absolutely superbly. He done f**k all for the whole game, but you cannot doubt his finishing if you give him a chance he puts it away. We've been crying out for someone like that and maybe Eduardo can be that man. He certainly needs to toughen up and add a lot more in his passing if he is to get ahead of our 3 other strikers, but finishing like that is more than welcome and could be crucial in all competitions.

At 2-1 up I really thought we would push on and again only Flamini was battling and Everton to their credit came back superbly. They were again giving everything and we really needed that third goal. I thought Sagna really struggled up against Pienaar today and just couldn't get hold of him, but he didn't give up and stuck to his task well. Kolo's passing was shit again and his marking for the goal was poor, but after that he was amazing. Won his headers and battled so well and alongside Captain fantastic who must be so glad he left the shit at the Bridge. Clichy was amazing today. He was up against a player who should be playing for a top 4 side at least and he did magnificent. His attacking wasn't at his best, but he showed what he can do defensively. He also had two assits with those superb hoofs up field.

Then the contreversy a poor tackle from Bendtner which deservedly resulted in a red card. I have no complaints about it deserved a straight red and we're lucky he instead only has a one match ban rather than a three. The sending off of Arteta was very harsh and Cesc made himself look a right prick by making a meal of it. There was contact and was definitely a free kick, but no more than that. As awful as it was I don't give a shit Cesc I f***ing love you

With us down to 10 men and Everton with 11 I just thought here we go, we're going to f***ing lose this lead. That fat lump up front who caused us trouble all game the likely scorer. But instead Almunia with a superb kick up field and Yobo and Howard f***ked it right up and who is there KING ADEBAYOR. The guy is bloody brilliant and that sealed the win. Arteta then went and with Ade and Diaby playing some superb stuff in the corner Rosicky fired it home.

4-1 I cannot believe it to be honest. After those dirty northerners lost at West Ham we now sit top of the league. Who is top and where they deservedly belong? A great win and now we must push on and really go for it against the Hammers and are difficult run of fixtures will be over. So proud of the lads it is unreal.

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE
SAY WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE



Apologies for the swearing again. I really will try to cut it out soon, but just so happy

[Cheese]

Well i wasn't expecting that result

Before the game i was hoping for a good performance and maybe nicking the game 1-0 or 2-1, instead i saw Arsenal play like our North London rivals do week in week out and go 1-0 down in the first half. Arsene Wengers idea of resting Adebayor, and Rosicky, looked like it was going to go tits up, Their replacements Bendtner, who has been in great form and Eduardo, who all Arsenal fans were calling for him to be given a chance were non-exsistant in the first half and the only time we really saw Bendtner was when he failed to clear the ball from an Everton corner which resulted in Everton opening the scoring.

In resent years Arsenal have failed to win at Everton in the league but did manage to win in the early rounds of the carling cup last season with a late Adebayor goal. This place has proved a hard place to visit and sitting there at half time i was begining to think maybe settling for a draw would be slightly acceptable.

In the second half we were a diffrent side (slightly better anyway) but still not our usual self however we managed to get a goal within 90 seconds of the restart which set us up for an exciting 45 minutes. without playing well Eduardo got his second and looked as calm as you can be in front of goal, thats typical though Eduardo waits 9 premiership games for a goal and two come along at once

Eduardo went from being the invisible man to Evertons worst nightmare in the space of minutes, Bendtner, not having a particularly good game made it worse with a rash challenge which saw him receive his second yellow of the night.

Arsene Wenger was forced into taking off man-of-the-match Eduardo for Adebayor as Arsenal looked like they were going to have to hold on for the remaining 15 minutes with 10 men. Everton had there chances but couldn't get going like they did in the first half, amazingly we got a third when Almunia booted the ball up field and no player touched it, the Everton player and goalkeeper left the ball and Adebayor said thank you very much and scored what will most likeily be the easiest goal he'll ever score.

Late on Arteta got himself sent off for elbowing Fabregas and Rosicky got a forth goal in the last minutes to round of a great win for us, despite playing sub standard football for the most part of the match we managed to win 4-1 away from home.

A very strange game to say the least but im happy were top and march on into the new year

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE AND BRING ON WEST HAM (Man Uts'd conquers )

[Gunflash]

I had no expectation of victory because we haven't had a great record at Goodison lately and I'd have taken a point at the start of the day. With Man Utd losing, the pressure was off and a point would have been fine so a 4-1 win was totally unexpected and brilliant as we go back on top. An away game in the North usually causes nightmares for us and at 1-0 down I was fearing the worst because Everton were comfortabke.

We didn't reach our usual heights today, which is a strange thing to say after a 4-1 victory but what do they say is the mark of champions? Winning without playing well. We had to go route one and why not? The reason why we're flying high is because we've discovered other ways, more rough and ready ways, to win matches. Chelsea and Spurs have been dispatched with headers from corners and now the long ball did for Everton. Who needs English players to produce traditional English goals? Eduardo's two finishes were sublime. He showed a great striker's instincts to get those two goals and as we get into the second half of the season, it's important that we have someone other than Adebayor and Van Persie to score league goals.

So we've had 4 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in our seven games in December, which is pretty good for a team that is going through a "blip" and we're top of the table. We've passed all "the tests" that the media have been keen to give us but I'm sure they'll come up with more for us in the New Year but I'm quietly confident. We haven't done too badly so far this season, have we?

[Inchpräctice]

No we haven't.
I must admit that I was gutted after the Portsmouth game and thought that if we continued to play like that we might as well hand the title to Manure now.
In the first half I thought 'here we go again' more flat performances and sloppy passing we're no better and we've learnt nothing from our mistakes.
Like the Spurs game though, the second half was a totally different story and restored my faith in the squad and Le boss.
As you say 2 very English goals to add to our increasing collection this season (Chelsea, Spurs etc.) and although it's been said many many times this season we would definitely NOT have scored those goals last season.

In the Boro game (I think it was Boro) it was infuriating to watch Toure continuously pump long balls up to Adebayor and simply hope for the best.
Most of the time they went nowhere and we lost posession.
For some reason it worked today even though Eduardo is significantly shorter than Ade, go figure as they say in the US of A.
Surely now Eduardo has proved that he's ready for a Prem start? If he was any calmer in front of goal he'd have worn pyjamas and smoked a pipe.

I feel sorry for Bendtner though, his first Prem start and it couldn't have gone much worse for him.
Getting booked for dissent was needless and the clumsy tackle was even more needless.
At least he got an assist though...
I still say he's done enough to earn another Prem start. For a 19 year old he shows a hell of a lot of promise.
Perhaps starting Bendtner and bringing on Ade as a supersub could work again...?

[Fabrestuta]

^ Eduardo playing in Croatia may have helped him with the whole getting on the end of a long ball thing.

I still say we are in for a hammering if we play like that against a team on fire, of course Everton have been playing well and only lost because of a brain camp from Pienaar, so maybe I'm talking shite.

[Goonerfromnevis]

Am glad we got the three points but we played terrible.

[Younggooner08]

Everton didnt let us play 'good' football but we got the win id say thays very good