Note: This is an extract from my blog-www.arsenalnet.blogspot.com, and it is me because of the username and I can ask you for any info about me- him and me are the same
Convincing win over the boys down south
A header and a penalty from improving Bendtner and a strike from fresh back Vela were enough to sink Pompey down 3-0 at Fratton Park. What makes this win even more special is that the line up was full of young guns hoping to prove a point. It worked, 3-0, even, and looking forward to seeing them in a few years being superstars.
The line up was: Fabianski, Sagna, Song, Eboue, Walcott, Ramsey, Arshavin, Bendtner and Vela. And on the bench we had Mannone, Bischoff, Emmanuel- Thomas, Coquelin, Merida, Frimpong and Randall. Arshavin picked up a yellow, but over there the situation was more dire. A suspension for Pompey, Noe Pamarot had a red and Campbell had a yellow, and so did Davis and Kanu.
Recapping the goals, Bendy struck a header which slipped through David James' fingertips, and a penalty, who James went the right way, but couldn't keep it out. So it was 2-0 to us at the break, going on strong. 10 minutes after the break, Vela struck a shot with his left which smacked into the bottom right corner- 3-0, and cruising.
We had a great day in front of goal with 15 shots, but sadly, Pompey followed close behing with 12. On target shots were 7-4 in our favour, but I think they were unlucky not to score, with plenty of missed chances- rather describing their season. Walcott had a shot across the goal in the first minute, then Belhadj went clear and blasted it over. Like I said, missed opportunities. In defense too. Today they just fell apart, unlike the Pompey of old throughout the last few months.
Minute 13, and Vela was appealing for a penalty under the basis of shirt pulling, and the ball bundled out for a corner. Arshy took the corner, it was returned to him, his second cross met Bendy's head and into the back of the net.
In the 17th minute, we could have been up 2-0, but Vela took a touch from Eboue's pass, and so the Pompey defense regrouped, and so the shot was deflected over the goal line.
Pompey could have drawn level in the 25th minute, with Crouch sending a pass to Belhadj. He tried to chip Fabianski advancing off his line but the shot wandered wide. Another missed opportunity.
And just before the break, Davis hacked down Arshavin as he was about to go clear, and a yellow and a penalty were to settle it. Bendtner slotted it in, 2-0 at the break.
Down 2-0, Utaka and Kanu went on at the break. 2 subs used already. Utaka went wide and over in the opening 5 minutes, and Pompey had a barrage of chances. None taken. Again. A header from Utaka was smashed over and Kanu made Fabianski save seemingly his first of the day.
10 minutes in, and again they could have equalised. Utaka ran around Fabianski, with the whole goal, but he wasn't fast enough, with Sagna stealing the ball. A goal saving tackle.
A minute later, crap clearing after a chance by Arshavin was punished by Vela, with a bottom corner drive into the net.
Clearly that goal had finished off the game, and Wenger thought so too, ringing the changes-Walcott for Coquelin (64), Bendy for Merida (78), and Ramsey for Randall (82). But when Randall went on it was safe to say that we had won, with Pompey on 10 men with the sending off of Parmarot and a 3-0 lead.
Vela forced a great save from James, Crouch for Pompey flicked over, and Distin made Fabianski pull off a brilliant save, but the game was over. Arsenal convincingly beat Pompey 3-0, and waiting for the wallpaper to appear on the website.
That's an extract, not the whole post, for more visit http://www.arsenalnet.blogspot.com