Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby gooneritis » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:28 pm

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
---------------------------------------------------

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.

Image
Arshavin steals the winner in the 90th minute
ImageImage
User avatar
gooneritis
Tony Adams
Tony Adams
 
Posts: 4102
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:14 am

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby SE13 » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:46 pm

Blimey, you didn't waste anytime!

Nice one :clap:
Image

Image

Please note that my comments are my own view, and not that of GoonersWorld. Everything I write is subject to © 2007-2013, and is my own work unless quoted otherwise.
User avatar
SE13
Rest in Peace
Rest in Peace
 
Posts: 38139
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:12 am
Location: Lincoln

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby Git » Sat Aug 01, 2009 5:54 pm

Super report mate. =]
MML
User avatar
Git
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
 
Posts: 11825
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2007 5:55 am
Location: West Sussex, UK

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby gzagee » Sat Aug 01, 2009 6:29 pm

Very good stuff my man.
Image
User avatar
gzagee
Member of the Year 2008
Member of the Year 2008
 
Posts: 20802
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:46 am
Location: Somewhere between Nadir and Nirvana

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby Goose » Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:34 pm

Good report
Image
User avatar
Goose
Member of the Year 2009
Member of the Year 2009
 
Posts: 9472
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Behind You, Sniffing Your Hair

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby Gunner Down Under » Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:49 pm

Great report. Wait, how many subs are allowed for these friendlies?
Image
User avatar
Gunner Down Under
Bertie Mee
Bertie Mee
 
Posts: 9278
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 4:48 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby Forest » Sat Aug 01, 2009 9:51 pm

GPS Justin wrote:Great report. Wait, how many subs are allowed for these friendlies?


6 permitted to use
@Coulston17

Yeeewwwwwwwwwww Rrrrreeeeeeds!
User avatar
Forest
Bertie Mee
Bertie Mee
 
Posts: 9573
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:48 pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby ozgooner » Sat Aug 01, 2009 11:04 pm

great report mate , these game reports are invaluable to those who can't get these games . well done mate and thanks :clap:
Image

"I started clapping myself , until i realised i was Sunderlands manager" - Peter Reid admires a Dennis Bergkamp finish
User avatar
ozgooner
Tony Adams
Tony Adams
 
Posts: 4272
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:02 am
Location: brisbane , australia

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby undapresha » Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:23 am

Thanks for the report, I'll have a read as I was unable to watch the match last night ;)
User avatar
undapresha
Charlie George
Charlie George
 
Posts: 583
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:13 am

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby castano » Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:24 am

Wonderful report mate.
Image
User avatar
castano
David Rocastle
David Rocastle
 
Posts: 2453
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:33 am
Location: Lost

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby gooneritis » Sun Aug 02, 2009 2:08 am

cheers everyone.

i'm still yet to properly proof read it, lol. as i said in the match thread, i whacked it up just after full time, at 1.30 am and was too tired to go through editing so i wasn't sure if i'd made a few mistakes, glad people liked it :)
ImageImage
User avatar
gooneritis
Tony Adams
Tony Adams
 
Posts: 4102
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:14 am

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby HorseMachine » Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:49 am

Can I just say The Times' match report today was utterly disgraceful.

It was a completely unveiled slights, dismissing Arsenal as a club. There was only one sentence with regards to the match in a full page article (The sentence being something along the lines of "Arsenal didn't deserve to win and the result flatters them")

The headline read "Arshavin hides flaws" and talks about how Arsenal are simply a selling club, and Arsene Wenger has become a master of manipulating supporters, by lying to them about "monetary constraints".

Somehow the article then switched to Melo, and how Arsenal's lack of ambition/quality is shown by the way he didnt want to sign for.

There's more in the article... but I will try to find and post the full report.

Oh and a last thing, it suggests Vermaelen wasnt actually injured... but then doesn't go on to say why...
User avatar
HorseMachine
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
 
Posts: 1059
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:30 pm
Location: London

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby HorseMachine » Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:51 am

The Times wrote:When Arsène Wenger teased Manchester United about the problems that will follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Old Trafford, he spoke from experience. “A player of that calibre is always difficult to replace,” said the Arsenal manager at the end of a month in which he had let two stalwarts leave for a direct competitor.

If Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure are unlikely to sequester much of Ronaldo’s vote in future World Player of the Year polls, they are significant talents, footballers pursued by Europe’s elite clubs for several seasons. They also add to a conveyor belt of high-level Arsenal emigres.

Patrick Vieira, Edu, Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Gilberto Silva, Alexander Hleb, Mathieu Flamini... when the summer transfer window opens, key players consistently depart. The absence of a trophy since Vieira’s sale in 2005 argues that Arsenal have not been the better for it.

Privately, Arsenal admit that they have become “a selling club”, their finances dependent on turning profits on the products of a world-class scouting system. Publicly, Wenger sometimes warns of the dangers of football’s inflated transfer market while talking up the purer pleasures of building a team from youthful talent. When results are less kindly, he reminds listeners of the monetary constraints enforced by the club’s stadium switch.

Wenger identified Felipe Melo as the sort of ball-playing midfield shield required to draw the maximum from Cesc Fabregas, trying hard to convince the Brazilian to switch Fiorentina for England. An offer of cash, Philippe Senderos and Emmanuel Eboue proved insufficient, and the 26-year-old went to Juventus. Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh is still waiting on the transfer from Bordeaux that he was told would happen in June.

And Wenger has not ruled out the most intriguing recruitment of all: Vieira has asked to come back to north London. There may be an element of favour-making in Wenger half-courting the idea — helping Vieira find a more high-profile suitor than Birmingham.

For now the sole senior signing remains Thomas Vermaelen, an £11m Belgium centre-back who missed this Emirates Cup tie with a “slight hamstring problem”. Arsenal’s half-strength team performed much as their full-bore line-ups did last term: slick in possession, promising in their passing, with a brace of late Andrey Arshavin finishes masking defensive deficiencies. Seductive, but far from the finished article.
User avatar
HorseMachine
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
 
Posts: 1059
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:30 pm
Location: London

Re: Arsenal v Athletico Madrid: Match Report

Postby gooneritis » Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:56 am

they should give me the job
ImageImage
User avatar
gooneritis
Tony Adams
Tony Adams
 
Posts: 4102
Joined: Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:14 am


Return to Match Reports 09/10

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests