Derby v Arsenal
We travelled the fairly short journey up the M1 to Pride Park, a ground that we hadn’t been to for a few seasons for obvious reasons, expecting a decent performance and win against the bottom team. A team with only one win all season and with a real chance of setting an all time record low re the number of points gained in the Premier League.
Having said that, Derby have lost quite a few games by just one goal this season and Manchester United had struggled against them not so long ago, grinding out a 1-0 win. The odds of 11-1 on a Derby win were therefore worth thinking about – stranger things have happened after all, and Wenger had been reported as saying that he would rest a few players.
As it turned out, it would have been money wasted. As it also turned out Wenger did rest a few players, and as it also turned out (again), the years that we hadn’t been to Pride Park had seen the area around the ground transformed. After parking the car, you used to have to walk through the dark by the river to the rubble outside the stadium. Gone is the walk, and gone is the rubble – to be replaced by an upmarket trading estate type thing. Much better than before!
This threw us of the scent a bit as we used to know the way to the Navigation pub without a problem. We did find it though, only to find that it was shut when we arrived. Something to do with the previous landlord not paying some bills or something. Anyway, we found another pub around the corner and settled down for a few pints before making our way to the ground.
Pride Park offers pretty decent viewing for the most part and it was from near the front of the ‘upper tier’ that we saw the teams take the pitch. Arsene had been true to his word and had rested a few players, with Fabianski in goal being the stand out one. No I know that we don’t have a very good chance pf winning the league but it’s still mathematically possible, and whilst that’s the case I would prefer that the strongest team available be put out.
Derby started the game reasonably well and harried Arsenal around the park. We took the lead though when Moore made a hash of things at the back – a quick one saw Bendtner fire us into the lead.
As so often happens these days, we weren’t able to hold onto it though. Van Persie missed a great chance to make it 2-1 and soon after a free kick floated in by Lily Savage saw the ball fall at McEveley’s feet. With half an hour gone it was all square.
Van Persie made up for his earlier miss by beating the offside trap, controlling neatly before firing in. He was withdrawn at half time though with yet another injury. A great player he most certainly , not much use on the sidelines though. As it turned out, it was a precautionery measue. Let’s hope for more appearances next season.
The 2nd half saw the introduction of Adebayor who had scored a hat-trick in the fixture at home to Derby earlier in the season. It didn’t take him long to add to his Derby goal tally, he netted our third on the hour mark. Arsenal then played some beautiful football but didn’t finish the game off. In another case of deja vu we missed chance after chance and then let the opposition score. Earnshaw pulled a goal back with about 15 minutes remaining.
With the pressure in the league off, Arsenal responded by attacking rather than sitting on their lead and it paid off. Walcott got a gaol that his performance deserved before Adebayor scored his second and third to finish the game off and complete his second hat-trick against the Rams this season.
So 6 of the best – not the first time that Derby have let in that many this season. Fair play to their supporters though, this game was a sell out and apparantly the last half dozen or so have also sold out!! How many empt seats would there be in our lovely new ground to watch a game when we’d already been relegated?
So we’re still in with a very faint chance, finegrs and all things crossed – and may all things Manc and CSKA Fulham be cursed forever more.
Only one more trip left now – the Black Cats, until the, cheers!
Tags: arsenal, arsenal fc, away, club, daze, footy 24/7, gooners, gunflash, gunners, slippery, supporters
