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Arsenal vs Slavia Prague 23rd October 2007 - UEFA Champions League Match 3 - Emirates Stadium  Pitch - Pre-match There's something special about night matches, even more so with European competition. We've been lucky really as this is our 10th successive Champion’s League season. I can’t remember what it was like before and I don't want to. Tonight we are playing Slavia Prague and I don’t know anything about them other than it’s their first time in the competition. My journey goes well, and I’m not quite sure why I am late. The match has kicked-off when arrive and it’s the 3rd minute. There are a few empty seats around me too. As I am settling into my seat Arsenal score the first goal. I think I was taking my jacket off at the time. I then drop it on the floor and as I pick it up I miss the replay too. Great, luckily for me they show it again and see that it’s a peach from Cesc Fabregas who bends it around a Slavia defender and past the keeper from about 10 yards out. It was an excellent strike. Now I’m relaxed in my seat, watching European football and its one nil to the Arsenal. It doesn’t get much better than this I think. It does. We take control of the game and score again around 20 minutes later when, after some pressure in the Slavia box the ball ends up at the feet of Alexander Hleb. He strikes the ball low, and most likely wide, but there’s a bad deflection of a Prague player which diverts the ball past the keeper into the back of the net. Slavia Prague have played some good football themselves and have had a couple of chances too but poor finishing, rather than good defending has prevented them scoring. I must admit that I had thoughts of the Sunderland game when That match is pretty much out of reach though as the third goal goes in before the break, and what a deserved goal it is for Theo Walcott. The ball is passed back to the Slavia ‘keeper and he makes a complete mess the clearance giving it straight to Theo. He shows great composure as it takes a couple of touches and the shoots it into the empty net. The stadium erupts and every Arsenal player congratulates Theo on his first home goal (he previously scored in the Carling Cup Final against Chel$ki). Theo’s biggest fan sits close to me in the stadium (you know who you are!) and a few people shake his hand as the Theo, Theo, Theo chants echo around. 3 nil at Half-time, job done. Its party time at Emirates and it all starts when the 4thgoal is scored. It’s a second for Hleb (although the first has now been given as an own goal). A great pass from Cesc set up the shot which Help coolly slotted home. Goal scorer then became provider after Hleb’s excellent run and pass gives the ball to Theo on the left wing. The youngster is able to run into the box and pass the ball around the keeper for a goal which looked very much like a Thierry Henry goal. The best goal of the night though came from a Slavia Prague corner! The ball was cleared by Kolo to Hleb who makes another great run up the left channel before passing to Adebayor who passes to Theo, and it’s his intelligent touch that sets-up Cesc Fabulous for goal number 6. There’s still 30 minutes left! We then make three substitutions with Rosicky, Bendtner & Giblets coming on for Flammers, Hleb and Adebayor. To Slavia Prague’s delight, this breaks up the rhythm of Arsenal and Prague then have there best passage of play. This is reflected by there supporters who don’t stop singing and jumping throughout the match. Truly excellent supporters and this is acknowledged by the Arsenal supporters who respond with by applauding them. Unfortunately for their fans they are unable to break down the Arsenal defence and it us who score the last goal of the night after Bendtner scores with his second attempt and some good linkup play with Eboue. I’d have settled for 1 nil before the game and I’m delighted to have seen 7 nil for the third time in as many seasons (Everton and Middlesboro). Our defence at times does worry me though, and better teams might have punished us tonight, and we will be playing better teams very, very soon. Some people are never happy!  |
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