Arsenal 3-1 Everton

By: travis | October 20th, 2008

Optimism reigns after this win? Not yet. Three points is three points, especially after a shaky start. But it wasn’t as easy as the final score might indicate. Plus, Kolo Toure will now miss an undetermined amount of time with a shoulder injure. That could mean the starting centrebacks, Gallas and Toure, might not feature midweek. My frustration at loaning out Senderos continues to fester.

Things started out as bad as they could on Saturday, with Everton going in front after some shocking defending. I thought Silvestre was out of position, not getting back to mark Osman, who was in a good position to tap home past Almunia. Far from being hopeful, I was expecting another loss at home – and was scared to death as a Joleon Lescott header was cleared off the line by (my) Man of the Match Gael Clichy.

The end of the first half couldn’t come sooner, and unsurprisingly enough, Theo was brought on. Placing the hopes and dreams of a season in top flight on a 19-year old isn’t the best, but it almost seems like that’s where Arsenal is. The second half, according to Walcott, was the best he’s seen, and it is pretty close to the truth. The equalizer came from Nasri, who if he can stay fit, seems like a more than adequate replacement for Hleb. It was a poor clearance that Silvestre left for Nasri to slot home from outside the box, with help from a defender’s boot deflecting it with the slightest of touches. The sense of relief increased when Van Persie got his head on a rebound of a Fabregas shot, expertly guiding it home into the corner.

Walcott sealed the victory, megging Tim Howard off a nice one-two from Abou Diaby, who made it through the game unscathed. Amazing, really. Diaby looked good, and it would be a real boost for him to remain healthy. What wasn’t good was the loss of Nasri, who picked up a thigh knock.

Saturday was really a tale of two halves, and it accurately describes the season so far – look brilliant during some stretches, quite lethargic during other times. There might have been a Hull City repeat if not for the brilliant second half, so there is something to take away along those lines. Going forward, the season looks bleak – at least in the belief of a serious title challenge. Examining the comprehensive depth of Chelsea, the strong finishing of Man Utd, or the deft comeback ability of Liverpool, it’s hard to see this team, as it stands, coming out the best of those four. It’s definitely a dour outlook, and I’d like to think otherwise, but can anyone argue differently? I’d love to hear other opinions on this one, so please, share your thoughts below.

I won’t be able to get anything up for tomorrow’s CL match due to a long day of travel. Istanbul will be a tough test no doubt, and I’ll have something up on Wednesday.