Watched the second half of the Arsenal vs. Man Utd game last night. I felt both midfields played almost identically to how they played against Liverpool at Anfield.
What has happened to Arsenal? Pires was muscled out, Vieira muted, Henry mostly peripheral, Lundbergh missing, with only Denis Bergkamp performing at the same standard as he did last season.
United, on the other hand, were solid in defence and incisive in attack. Keane and Scholes, as they did against Liverpool, dominated the midfield. Ronaldo was given too much space, and cocky little bastard though he is, he used it well. Rooney and Giggs also caused constant damage. And Heinze was excellent again.
It doesn't help Arsenal that their goalkeeper is a wandering lemon, or that Pascale Cygan was present on the pitch, but in terms of the unwillingness or inability to get forward down the flanks after Silvestre walked, on home soil too, it's hard not to say we're witnessing the end of the Arsenal era.
Or maybe, like against Liverpool, United's defending was just too good. I can't see them losing again in the league this season, and they now have to be a very good bet to win the Champion's League as well. And we have to remember that Van Nistleroy wasn't even playing.
It's depressing.
Posted by Setsunai at February 3, 2005 12:40 PM | TrackBack