Arsenal v Fulham | Scott Murray
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Today's classified results [Legal disclaimer: results not actually classified]
18 min: Andy Murray, like Joe Baker an occupant of the Arsenal/Hibernian subsection on the Big Fitba Venn, is the stands today. He's just been pictured re-tying one of his shoelaces, or maybe scratching the back of his ankle, I'm not totally sure. It's suddenly turned into that sort of game.
15 min: Ramsey has a whack at goal from 30-odd yards. It's a pretty poor business, all told.
14 min: After that free-flowing opening ten minutes or so, nothing much is happening now. May as well fill in the time with the following from reader AB, a textbook example of how to crowbar criticism of former Arsenal star Ashley Cole into any social situation: "Theo Walcott's a great player and his book is a masterpiece. It's not my favourite footballer autobiography though, which is Ashley Cole's 'My Defence'. Whenever Ashley says 'my' as in 'I picked up my handbag and it felt too light actually, for a man of my worth' he says 'me', as in 'I'd been parked outside Chezza's house in me convertible white Roller for three days before she said 'yes''. 'Me'! I'm sure 'me' is totally hip hop but on the page it just sounded as Yorkshire as it comes without throwing a sack of ferrets in the River Aye-Up. It made reading the whole book on the whole a bit odd. which let's face it would have been the case if he hadn't used 'me' ha ha ha."
11 min: Fulham pass it around awhile in the middle. Some crisp passing, though they don't really get anywhere. There goes that atmosphere! Very quiet all of a sudden.
9 min: A nice, flowing, open start, eh?
7 min: Van Persie finds space down the inside-lef! t channe l, romping into the box. He cuts the ball back for Ramsey, rushing in. Ramsey aims for the top right, and his effort is going in, until Schwarzer claws away brilliantly. It's a corner, from the right, and it's plucked from the sky by the keeper, who has had a very handy 30 seconds or so there.
6 min: Fulham's first interesting sortie into Arsenal territory. Ruiz sashays down the right and into the box, near the byline. He pulls the ball back, low and hard, for Dempsey, who takes a snapshot from ten yards, but the ball's blocked by Djourou the nanosecond it leaves his foot. Super-solid defending by Arsenal, if you don't count Andre Santos giving Ruiz the run of the place.
4 min: Arshavin and van Persie exchange passes just outside the Fulham area. Arshavin finds himself one on one with the keeper, and slots home low and hard. Great finish, but it's all for naught, because the Russian is marginally offside. Not by much, but it's enough, and a great decision by Flag Operative.
2 min: A fine atmosphere at the Emirates. Arshavin skates down the left at speed, and nearly finds the man of the moment, van Persie, in the middle with a low ball. But it's cut out by Hangeland.
The teams are out. So much so, that we're off! Fulham get the ball rolling, kicking the ball towards the North Bank. Finsbury Park, Gillespie Road, up to your actual Seven Sisters, innit. Within a minute, van Persie has won a corner down the right, but it's a complete waste of time.
One thing worth remembering: Arsene Wenger and Martin Jol once nearly came to blows on the touchline. "He obviously hadn't seen the size of my fists," smiled Jol after the brouhaha, a feature of a north-London derby in 2006. The only non-sanctimonious response to this being: more please!
Kick off: 5.30pm.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Senderos, Riis! e, Etuhu , Murphy, Dempsey, Ruiz, Dembele, Zamora.
Subs: Etheridge, Johnson, Kasami, Gecov, Hughes, Frei, Briggs.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Djourou, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Andre Santos, Song, Ramsey, Arteta, Walcott, van Persie, Arshavin.
Subs: Fabianski, Diaby, Koscielny, Frimpong, Gervinho, Chamakh, Benayoun.
Anyway, this should be a home banker, because struggling Fulham - two points off the relegation places - have a terrible record at Arsenal, who are looking to make it six league wins on the bounce. They've never won a match at Arsenal in 25 attempts, losing 22 of them. Since returning to the big time in 2001, they've played ten games at either Highbury or Ashburton Grove, losing eight, and drawing 0-0 twice. The game before that - in their relegation season of 1967/68 - saw them on the wrong end of a 5-3 goalfest. Here's what the Observer's legendary John Arlott had to say about that match:
This match was decided before it began, in the training which gave Arsenal the higher output of effort and, in the sapping last stages, the greater stamina.Through an afternoon of edged wind and sluicing rain, Fulham contested the issue with spirit and, often, invention. They might claim that they lost only through defensive errors. But, crucially, when the spray spurted from tired heels, though they still had ideas and opportunities, they flagged. Arsenal did not.
Arsenal also held three major tactical advantages. Ure, in his last appearance before his long suspension, and McLintock dominated the play from their defensive fringe into the build-up area; Radford. deceptively numbered seven, was dominant in the air; and Neill sternly controlled their central defence.
Fulham's new Scottish centre-forward, Gilroy, should serve them well: he has the stuff of football in him, and the quality of subtlety. Only nine minutes from the start Dempsey, moving up, coldly headed in a right-wing corner and posed Arsenal an altogether unexpected pro! blem.
Arsenal worked steadily and at length Sammels, breaking clear on the left, crossed low, Graham dummied and left Radford clear to shoot the equalising goal. Five minutes more and Sammels chipped a free kick from the right over an ill-positioned defensive barrier and Radford, from an inch above the eyebrows, rapped the ball in clear of Seymour.
A pass of superb control from Haynes sent in Conway for a simple shot to equalise and then, as Fulham drew breath, in the minute before half-time, Seymour came to the edge of the penalty area to scoop up Sammels' gentle chip, fumbled it horribly to Addison, and left him free to stroll on and tap into goal.
Arsenal started the second half at full effort and Fulham never truly cleared the ball from their own area before Sammels crossed and Addison, left clear by defensive slackness, headed an easy goal.
For almost a quarter-hour the Fulham goal was in constant jeopardy. Briefly the pressure was eased when Haynes began a movement which ended with Barrett's sharp cross and Clarke's poised volley, from an awkward angle. for their third goal.
For the last half-hour, Arsenal were always moving in hard on the marginal ball. Ten minutes from the end, McLintock calmly measured his cross from the left and Radford, perfectly positioned, slid it under Seymour to put the issue beyond doubt.
Another eight goals today, please!
Welcome to our coverage of Robin van Persie versus Fulham. Arsenal being a one-man show, that's what it says here. Theo Walcott, as ever, getting no credit whatsoever for his continued excellence.
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