'We're the champions, that's why'
That was the chant of the Arsenal faithful as Charlton went down to a 4-0 defeat at Highbury. Charlton had started brightly enough, playing some neat, passing football, although they never really threatened the Arsenal goal throughout the whole match. Then a foolish back pass by Euell created unnecessary danger, Deano rushed out of his goal and Arsenal were 1-0 ahead not long before half time. Within minutes of the re-start they were 2-0 ahead and after that it was downhill all the way for the Addicks with Arsenal increasingly dominating the match.
Charlton started brightly and won what was to be their only corner of their match. Their build up play was looking promising and the lively Graham Stuart put in a good ball to Euell but he was able to do nothing with it. Perry provided some good defensive work. An effort by Bergkamp went wide. Henry advanced on goal, but Deano outwitted him with some smart work. After a break by Arsenal, Deano could only push out an attempt on goal by Henry, but Cliché's effort went well over. Then it was Henry's turn to put a shot over and an Arsenal free kick was wasted. Deano made a comfortable save. Deano came out to make a save from Viera.
So far, so good. But then Euell lost possession with his unnecesary back pass, Henry pounced and sent Bergkamp clear. Deano came out of his goal along the line in an attempt to deny Bergkamp, but he cut the ball back for Ljungberg who had no difficulty in evading an apparently motionless Perry and putting the ball in the back of the net on 33 minutes. Deano then had to make a good save from Henry. Viera was booked for a foul on Stuart and then Stuart was booked for a foul on Lauren. Lungeberg then decided to trip an advancing Herminator and received a yellow card for his troubles. An effort from El Karkhouri soared over the Gooners goal, prompting chants of 'Johnny Wilkinson' from the home fans.
Half time: Gooners 1, Addicks 0
Luke Young provided some good defensive work with a header to Deano. Then Reyes turned provided for Henry. Fortune thought he had him covered, but Henry displayed his sheer brilliance with a strong back heel that went through Fortune's leg and evaded Deano to go into the far corner of the net. 2-0 on 48 minutes. Arsenal felt able to withdraw Lungeberg and bring on Pennant.
From now on Arsenal very much in command, but Stuart had a chance to put Charlton back in the match when he was fed the ball by Euell, but Stuart's shot went just wide. Arsenal won a succession of corners, then Lisbie won Charlton a free kick in a promising position not far from the 'D', but Murphy's effort went over. Stuart gave Lehmann some practice with a shot that was straight at him.
The calls of the Addickted for substitutions were met on 66 minutes when the hapless Kishishev was replaced by Rommedahl while the off form Euell was replaced by JJ. Cliché was booked but the resultant free kick ended in an offside decision. Fluent passing by Arsenal then allowed Henry to make it 3-0 with a shot that left Deano with no chance. As the rain lashed down and many of the Addickted headed for the exit, Reyes made it 4-0. The fading Stuart was replaced by the returning Holland.
By now Arsenal were completely dominating the match in terms of possession. Charlton failed to take the chance offered by a free kick with El Karkhouri sending the ball well over the goal. Reyes having missed a chance to make it 5-0 with a shot that he blazed over with only Deano to beat, Arsenal thought they had done it when a shot from van Persie went into the back of the net but the assistant referee's flag was already up for offside. Deano then had to make a superb save to keep the scoreline down. At least it wasn't the 6-0 defeat that Charlton suffered here in 1947.
On arriving at Marylebone on the way back to Leamington there was a large police presence and I was stopped and asked to assist with their enquiries into the daylight robbery at Highbury and Charlton's 4-0 defeat. So at last I got to meet one of the Charlton bobbies!
Match analysis
It was one of those rare occasions when Hooch the Pooch decided to withhold the Silver Bone. Deano made one superb save which stopped an even bigger defeat, was partly at fault for the first goal, but was generally left exposed by a Charlton defence that had no answer to Charlton's pace. Parry and Fortune both seemed unable to cope with a rampant Arsenal. Luke Young did make some good contributions to defence and forged forward once or twice. Hreidarsson did his job competently enough. Kishishev was having another of his off days and simply couldn't match Arsenal. El Karkouri made some useful contributions in midfield, but his free kicks were woeful. Stuart was one of the best Charlton players in the first half, harrying Arsenal and displaying good ball control. But he faded as the match went on. Murphy still doesn't seem to be slotting into the team very well and it has been suggested that he will be signed by Everton in the transfer window, the cover story being that his wife (rather than him) hasn't settled down south. Euell had a poor game and it was no surprise when he was substituted. Lisbie did his best to use his pace, but was out muscled by the Gooners defence. JJ was simply outclassed when he came on. There were calls from the Addickted for Rommedahl to come on, but it can't be said he had made much of a difference. Likewise for Holland but it was good to see him back.
Hiss of the Match I thought that referee Mike Dean had a good game, calming players down but not being afraid to dish out the yellow cards when necessary. The Hiss of the Match goes to Transport for London for failing to provide a service after the game and to the bus driver who lost his rag with the crowds as they surged across the road at Finsbury Park after the game.
Crowd Rating The Addickted were in good heart and tried to keep their spirits up as Charlton fell to pieces, but I was not impressed with the mass exodus after the scoreline went to 3-0. 6/10. The award for the most inventive chant goes to the Gooners for their 'Johnny Wilkinson' chant which the used to serenade players whose shots went well over the bar.
Charlton started brightly and won what was to be their only corner of their match. Their build up play was looking promising and the lively Graham Stuart put in a good ball to Euell but he was able to do nothing with it. Perry provided some good defensive work. An effort by Bergkamp went wide. Henry advanced on goal, but Deano outwitted him with some smart work. After a break by Arsenal, Deano could only push out an attempt on goal by Henry, but Cliché's effort went well over. Then it was Henry's turn to put a shot over and an Arsenal free kick was wasted. Deano made a comfortable save. Deano came out to make a save from Viera.
So far, so good. But then Euell lost possession with his unnecesary back pass, Henry pounced and sent Bergkamp clear. Deano came out of his goal along the line in an attempt to deny Bergkamp, but he cut the ball back for Ljungberg who had no difficulty in evading an apparently motionless Perry and putting the ball in the back of the net on 33 minutes. Deano then had to make a good save from Henry. Viera was booked for a foul on Stuart and then Stuart was booked for a foul on Lauren. Lungeberg then decided to trip an advancing Herminator and received a yellow card for his troubles. An effort from El Karkhouri soared over the Gooners goal, prompting chants of 'Johnny Wilkinson' from the home fans.
Half time: Gooners 1, Addicks 0
Luke Young provided some good defensive work with a header to Deano. Then Reyes turned provided for Henry. Fortune thought he had him covered, but Henry displayed his sheer brilliance with a strong back heel that went through Fortune's leg and evaded Deano to go into the far corner of the net. 2-0 on 48 minutes. Arsenal felt able to withdraw Lungeberg and bring on Pennant.
From now on Arsenal very much in command, but Stuart had a chance to put Charlton back in the match when he was fed the ball by Euell, but Stuart's shot went just wide. Arsenal won a succession of corners, then Lisbie won Charlton a free kick in a promising position not far from the 'D', but Murphy's effort went over. Stuart gave Lehmann some practice with a shot that was straight at him.
The calls of the Addickted for substitutions were met on 66 minutes when the hapless Kishishev was replaced by Rommedahl while the off form Euell was replaced by JJ. Cliché was booked but the resultant free kick ended in an offside decision. Fluent passing by Arsenal then allowed Henry to make it 3-0 with a shot that left Deano with no chance. As the rain lashed down and many of the Addickted headed for the exit, Reyes made it 4-0. The fading Stuart was replaced by the returning Holland.
By now Arsenal were completely dominating the match in terms of possession. Charlton failed to take the chance offered by a free kick with El Karkhouri sending the ball well over the goal. Reyes having missed a chance to make it 5-0 with a shot that he blazed over with only Deano to beat, Arsenal thought they had done it when a shot from van Persie went into the back of the net but the assistant referee's flag was already up for offside. Deano then had to make a superb save to keep the scoreline down. At least it wasn't the 6-0 defeat that Charlton suffered here in 1947.
On arriving at Marylebone on the way back to Leamington there was a large police presence and I was stopped and asked to assist with their enquiries into the daylight robbery at Highbury and Charlton's 4-0 defeat. So at last I got to meet one of the Charlton bobbies!
Match analysis
It was one of those rare occasions when Hooch the Pooch decided to withhold the Silver Bone. Deano made one superb save which stopped an even bigger defeat, was partly at fault for the first goal, but was generally left exposed by a Charlton defence that had no answer to Charlton's pace. Parry and Fortune both seemed unable to cope with a rampant Arsenal. Luke Young did make some good contributions to defence and forged forward once or twice. Hreidarsson did his job competently enough. Kishishev was having another of his off days and simply couldn't match Arsenal. El Karkouri made some useful contributions in midfield, but his free kicks were woeful. Stuart was one of the best Charlton players in the first half, harrying Arsenal and displaying good ball control. But he faded as the match went on. Murphy still doesn't seem to be slotting into the team very well and it has been suggested that he will be signed by Everton in the transfer window, the cover story being that his wife (rather than him) hasn't settled down south. Euell had a poor game and it was no surprise when he was substituted. Lisbie did his best to use his pace, but was out muscled by the Gooners defence. JJ was simply outclassed when he came on. There were calls from the Addickted for Rommedahl to come on, but it can't be said he had made much of a difference. Likewise for Holland but it was good to see him back.
Hiss of the Match I thought that referee Mike Dean had a good game, calming players down but not being afraid to dish out the yellow cards when necessary. The Hiss of the Match goes to Transport for London for failing to provide a service after the game and to the bus driver who lost his rag with the crowds as they surged across the road at Finsbury Park after the game.
Crowd Rating The Addickted were in good heart and tried to keep their spirits up as Charlton fell to pieces, but I was not impressed with the mass exodus after the scoreline went to 3-0. 6/10. The award for the most inventive chant goes to the Gooners for their 'Johnny Wilkinson' chant which the used to serenade players whose shots went well over the bar.
posted by Wyn Grant at 6:47 PM
3 Comments:
I think the weather had more to do with the exodus than the scoreline, to be fair.
To Addicks: His name is Murphy, not Mutphy. Could mention the other spelling mistakes in your post but don't want to embarrass you further. If you're going to have a go at someone for spelling you need to make sure you get your own ones right.
Lungeberg was meant to be a joke not a spelling mistake, but probably not a very good one. Similarly Cliché instead of Clichy. I ought to put a deliberate mistake in and offer a prize.
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