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Arsenal v Newcastle, Monday April 28th, 2014
© Unknown - all rights reserved
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| Tookey's Rating |
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6 /10
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| Average Rating |
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0 /10
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| Starring |
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| Tookey's Review |
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| Released: |
2014 |
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| Genre: |
SPORTS
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Arsenal v Newcastle, Monday 28th April, 2014.
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Reviewed by Chris Tookey
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Newcastle spent ninety miserable minutes redefining mediocrity. On this evidence, it was hard to understand how they have ever risen to the heights of ninth in the Premiership. Bereft of attacking ideas, their one idea was to stifle the creativity of Arsenal.
They made hardly a shot on goal, and their best strike was a 35-yard scorcher by defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote, who had presumably despaired of finding anyone in a black-and-white shirt to pass to in front of him.
Before the match, telly expert Gary Neville was suggesting that Newcastle’s loaned striker Loic Remy might be the back-up for Olivier Giroud that Arsene Wenger is searching for, now that he has belatedly realized what every Arsenal fan has been chanting for years, that Nicklas Bendtner is not up to the job. Let’s just say that Monsieur Remy did not make much of an impact.
The one Newcastle player who did not seem to have travelled in order to make up the numbers was Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul, who made a series of athletic saves that made the scoreline 3-0, as opposed to 8-0.
This was Newcastle’s sixth straight defeat, and boos and banners towards the end suggested that the visiting fans were far from happy campers. Manager Alan Pardew, back from suspension after absent-mindedly head-butting an opposing player, conspicuously failed to change his team’s approach or shape as they fell further and further behind. His face had the haunted expression of a man warming the bench for a successor. This was David Moyes without the staring eyes.
Very early on, a long, speculative punt upfield into space from Newcastle’s other defensive midfielder, Vurnon Anita, signaled the Northerners’ reluctance to play anything resembling modern football. This was the style, or lack of it, that Wimbledon brought to the First Division many years ago, and that Jose Mourinho derides as “nineteenth century” when he isn’t practising it himself against Liverpool or Atletico Madrid.
By contrast, Arsenal looked classy - a dead cert to take fourth place and sail into the Champions’ League yet again.
Heavy defeats by other top clubs have shown the Gunners’ frailty in defensive midfield, their lack of pace on the wings whenever Walcott is injured, and their over-dependence on Giroud as target man. For me, neither Monreal nor Sagna convinces as a first-choice wing-back in an era when defensive full-backs are expected to double up as wingers. If Wenger does stay on as manager, which he surely should, he has quite a few new players to buy with whatever money he may have.
Where Arsenal are most impressive is in central midfield, going forward. Even without the injured Jack Wilshere, whose form this season has been more down than up, Aaron Ramsey restored to health and haring from box to box is one of the great sights of Premiership football.
Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil are no one’s idea of defensive midfielders, but all the stronger for their exposure to ruthlessly muscular English competition. They look world-class when moving forward, their balance and ability to ride tackles are excellent, and their ball control will test defences much more determined than Newcastle’s.
Ozil’s goal should have been judged offside, but it showed an opportunism and adventure that he often failed to demonstrate at Real Madrid. With a bit more body strength and a fit Aaron Ramsey to take care of business behind him, he promises to be the most creative attacking midfielder in the league next year.
It took a surprisingly long time and an exquisite free kick from Cazorla for Arsenal to take the lead, with Laurent Koscielny the scorer. Evidently, Koscielny and Mertesacker had tired of waiting for the Newcastle forwards to wake up and had decided they might as well join in the fun up front. From then on, the Gunners never looked like being caught.
Podolski might have had a penalty when his shirt was pulled in the penalty area. Tiote deliberately trod on Ramsey’s heel when he couldn’t catch him by legitimate means. Newcastle’s hapless central defender Mike Williamson, on this evidence a man with the agility and acceleration of a sloth, had a nightmarish time trying to keep up with Giroud.
The second half was like exhibition football, the kind Real Madrid used to play in the 1960s, and not too different from the way Barcelona and Spain have played in the last decade when they were at their best.
Pundits often ask why Arsenal fans pay ridiculously high ticket prices and put up with the indignity of not winning the Premiership. The answer is out there on the immaculately tended field at the Emirates. Okay, Arsenal have obvious weaknesses. And now, having got their stadium and finances in order, they do need a deeper squad to augment the creative talents they have. But they truly are a pleasure to watch.
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