LFL: ARSENAL

This was another really great result after a battling performance had produced one of our speciality late goals. It was a cracking game and we’re up to third spot, for a while at least.

BEFORE

If we could come away with a point this afternoon, I'd be delighted but while my heart hopes we can achieve that, my head says we can't. Arsenal are in excellent form and even the probable absence of one or two key players shouldn't dent their abilities much. It's a disappointment that we'll be without Alderete again but surely he'll be back after the international break. The first twenty-five minutes against Everton were hair-raising but we improved greatly and deserved the draw. We'll have to be on our toes early on today or we'll be well punished. I think we'll be a lot tighter than on Monday and I've no doubt we'll put up a good fight whatever the result. I'll be at the game and am really looking forward to it. Match prediction: 2-1 to Arsenal.

The pubs were packed in the city centre as I walked to the ground. I got into my seat in the Upper East Stand around forty-five minutes before kick-off and checked the team-news. There were no changes either in the starting line-up or on the bench from the Everton game. As it was the closest match to Remembrance Sunday we had a brass band marching round the pitch half an hour before kick-off and later on an impressive display from the fans followed by the minute’s silence and the Last Post played by a group of six musicians. My friends’ match predictions were both 2-1 to Arsenal. There were several thousand Gunners fans present and the atmosphere was buoyant all round. The weather was cool but dry as we kicked off.

THE MATCH

We did all the pressing in the opening stages and every touch we made was roared on by our fans. In the sixth minute Merino went down injured in our box and play was held up for four minutes during which the Roker End serenaded us with chants about Xhaka and Ballard. Soon Arsenal started to press us back and we conceded a free-kick not far outside the middle of our box in the fourteenth. Rice hit it on target but Roefs was there to punch it away for a throw. We conceded the first corner and after Saka took it on their right we got the ball clear without difficulty. In the twentieth we set up our best move so far but as Traore ran into the right side of their box he slipped right over on the moist surface and that was that. Arsenal were pressing us very high and we were having difficulty in creating forward moves. Some poor clearances were also causing us alarm but all in all we’d had a decent first quarter.

In the twenty-eighth Isidor sent a low shot not far wide of their right post in a move that left both Le Fee and Timber injured. Le Fee soon recovered but it took a while for Timber to get to his feet. There was definitely going to be a good deal of added-time. I think Traore needed to change his boots as he again slipped on the touchline when he was set up for a promising surge into their half. Anyway, next thing we were ahead! Ballard received the ball from Mukiele just inside their box and after controlling it he lammed a powerful shot into the net giving Raya in goal no chance.

We’d been constantly snapping at their heels before the goal but we seemed to step up the pressure afterwards. Roefs was looking cool but having typed that he promptly booted a clearance into touch. I knew there’d be a good wodge of added-time but I wasn’t expecting nine minutes. There was a yellow card for Xhaka and we survived the resultant free-kick though we were pinned back for a good while afterwards. We won our first corner in the eighth minute of added-time and when it was cleared a powerful shot from, I think, Mukiele wasn’t far wide. When the half-time whistle finally blew there was great applause all around.

Lee Howey came on to make the half-time draw and then Talking Heads were played over the p.a. so life felt very good but I knew that whatever happened we’d be in for a hell of a second period.

We were pressed back for the opening few minutes but then we stormed back to win a corner in the forty-ninth. The ball quickly found its way back to Roefs and after some unnecessary farting around we were almost in trouble but the danger passed. Saka managed a low shot that wasn’t far wide of our right post but he was back again in the fifty-fourth to put Arsenal level and again the chance came from some needless messing around in our own half. For the first time the away fans were making all the noise but just for a short while. On the hour Roefs was there to grab a low shot at the second attempt after Arsenal had started to purr ominously. Next thing we made a triple switch, bringing on Brobbey, Adingra and Talbi for Isidor, Le Fee and Traore. Arsenal maintained their pressure and a shot rebounded from our bar after Roefs had punched clear. In the sixty-sixth we conceded a free-kick in a dangerous spot near the left angle of our box but it resulted in Roefs being felled and we had a free-kick of our own.

As we entered the final quarter we were on the attack and there was no question of us trying to hold out for a point. Reinildo was booked for a foul that gave Arsenal another free-kick in a dangerous spot. We couldn’t get the ball away and Trossard lashed a powerful shot into the net to put them ahead. The lad next to me had predicted a 3-2 win for us so we had about a quarter of an hour in which to do it. Both sets of fans were still in great voice. With about ten minutes on the clock an injury to Mukiele gave everyone a breather and then both sides started going at it hammer and tongs again. Raya was injured while going down for a low block and a lot of our fans thought he was faking it. We were enjoying a good period of pressure and then there was a great cheer as Mayenda came on for Geertruida.

There was loud booing for referee Craig Pawson when he failed to give us a free-kick for what had looked a clear foul on Brobbey but there were soon cheers when seven minutes of added-time were announced. A few minutes into it we were level and it was Brobbey who hit a right-footed shot home but, my God, there was a long period of agonising debate involving the ref and presumably VAR officials before the goal was allowed to stand. It wasn’t over yet, though, as Arsenal won a corner and then we charged forward after getting it clear. After more than ninety-eight minutes the final whistle went to much rejoicing.