First Class Vermaelen Registers A Double
Sep 19th, 2009 by 'holic
Those who suspected that Arsene Wenger would play one or more of his talented youngsters were proved wrong as Le Boss plumped for arguably the strongest side available to him. That they proved to be a sledgehammer to crack a nut should not concern us at this point.
Star of the show was undoubtedly Thomas Vermaelen. Already feted for the way he has slotted into the Arsenal side, the Belgian became the Gunners leading scorer this season with a towering 25th minute header and a superb curling left-foot finish two minutes after the break. Not bad for a central defender!
That second goal settled nerves, not because Wigan were providing any significant threat, but because that header provided the narrowest of advantages for a side so in control in the opening half. The one real chance for the visitors was parried by Mannone, and the defence scrambled it clear.
That second goal effectively ended the contest, but to their credit Arsenal continued to push. One of the better performers on the day was Emmanuel Eboue, so vilified by the home crowd in the corresponding fixture last season. His reward arrived on the hour when Eduardo’s strike deflected off the Ivorian for Arsenal’s third goal.
A flurry of substitutions saw first Ramsey, then Rosicky and Bendtner join the action. With the benefit of hindsight the boss may have saved one of those for a few minutes, as Cesc Fabregas limped through the final ten minutes, clearly in pain, although that didn’t stop him getting forward to apply the finishing touch to Bendtner’s cross after some clever work by Robin van Persie.
Regular readers will know I’m not one for marking performers, but as well as Vermaelen and Eboue, a special mention too for William Gallas. Once again he spent a lot of time going forward and in the right mood he poses a real threat arriving unmarked from deep and linking play. More motivated opponents may try to attack the gaps that are left behind when he does that, but Wigan were never so inclined.
So that is a welcome three points in the bag after the disappointments in Manchester. We get a perfect test of how far we have come this season when we make the short journey to Craven Cottage next week. The ghosts of a painful and gutless defeat to Fulham thirteen months ago need to be exorcised. If we can find eleven fit players to travel, I have a feeling revenge is in the air.
41 Responses to “First Class Vermaelen Registers A Double”
Fabregas looks different he looks sadened. I hope that he is ok.
Am I reading too much into Cesc’s lack of celebration? Was it cos he was carrying a knock? Cos the game was already won? Or was it something more. He hasn’t looked happy in the last few weeks…..
WATCH MOTD TONIGHT!!! ONLY A FEW STRIKERS IN THE WORLD COULD OF STRIKED A GOAL LIKE THAT! ANY STRIKER WOULD OF BEEN PROUD TO SCORE THAT GOAL.
EXPECT MORE OF THAT FROM VERMAELEN… HE LIKES TO GO FORWARD AND IS VERY, VERY GOOD AT IT!!
Cesc isnt Cescy at the moment…
Am I reading too much into Cescโs lack of celebration?
Yes, you are. Watch him celebrate the first three goals when he wasn’t crocked.
WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH CESC? he looked miserable in belgium…he looked miserable today! And his passing seems to have gone a bit pear shaped! Hes certainly not a happy man at the moment! I fear the calls from catalan have gotten too loud?!
Hope he is not injured! Will we ever have a ”full-strength” arsenal out on the field? Maybe we dont need to, judging from todays performance (^^,)
Ok will do – only saw brief goal highlights. What about that belgian lad- class act in every dept.
Van Persie and Cesc took a battering today. Hope neither ends up on the treatment table for too long. otherwise the sledgehammer nut etc thing will definitely concern us.
This was one of those games we have every season where the opposition is non existent … like the blackburn game last season …
Vermaelen is one of those talents who can excel in any position they desire … we have not had a center back like him
another thing … clichy had a good game … which should be acknowledged …especially after everyone pointing a finger at him over the last couple of weeks
If we could have gotten Huntlaar, it would be perfect.
The thing with Cesc was he rushed back to quickly from injury, to play in Spain’s dead rubber of a match during the interlull. And now he is paying for it in our league.
I hope.
Vermaelenbauer.
Or perhaps Vermenbauer – a bit punchier and the likeness is a bit more obvious.
Either way, very impressed with Wenger’s key signings the last 3 or so years.
stephen – who, the Huntelaar who has hardly set Milan on fire?
Very interesting point AusGunner … sometimes people get so lost in the people who haven’t come in that those who have come in are forgotten … Its not difficult to see what wenger means when he says that he will only sign top top quality …
Does anyone out there think that Vermaleen should be the DM we all have been calling for? Move him into that possition and let Senderos play CB till Jenuary then Wenger buys another solid defender.
Brill game. Wot is up wid cesc? It is really concerning me there is sumthing wrong.
Good call vp. A good plan B.
A cold San Miguel please ‘holic!
Cesc? He looked ok enough when celebrating the first 3 goals for someone having to carry an injury and play at the same time…..because the subs had already been made!?
Great victory and [much needed] confidence boosting for the team. It shows that we ARE capable of competing and just NEED to believe in the talent that lies throughout the team. That , for me, is the main problem.
Keep on believing ๐
A drop of Bowmore if you have any handy please ‘holic. It was an oddly subdued afternoon at The Grove, quite a few empty seats and not just in the away end. It was a stroll for us, Wigan only put a bit of effort in during a spell at the end of the first half otherwise we completely controlled the game without having to raise the tempo. If it hadn’t been for a couple of fine Kirkland saves we’d have had six and yet very little happened to quicken the pulse. There are often games when teams come to us and attempt to slow the game down in the hope that we’ll be content to hog the ball without doing any damage but in this case we played a slow game and still took the goals our superiority deserved. Vermaelen’s second was a peach. Eboue had a purposeful, direct game. I was about to write that he was short on end product but he did play Vermaelen in for the second and his deflection for the third may have been crucial – it was hilarious to see him celerbrate in one corner while Eduardo went to the other. He’s still nutty old Eboue though – why did he have to try to handball a goal in the first half and still miss!? I did laugh at him getting booked while rubbing his head as if to prove he’d actually headed the ball. He walked off the field at half time with his shirt off revealing a message on the t-shirt underneath. Could he have been booked for that? would it have been the most ridiculously self inflicted red card ever?
Or maybe swap Song and Tommy over. That might be a good plan C.
Nice right up Beardy.
Great win!! but there is definitely something bothering Cesc. vpi totally agree with u Verminator can really be a good DM he has a killer pass and a beautiful Left foooot. That goal for a defender, thats just beyond me!!
Bowmore, a good choice. Since I have today acquired some Laphroaig Quarter Cask I am in a good mood, so you can enjoy my Bowmore.
Good spot with Eboue. I think he was wearing it on Wednesday as well, but I couldn’t see what it said, I’m afraid.
I am just really disappointed with the fact that RVP is been played as Cebtral striker when his goal tally is very low if not poor so far. why cant Aw just play Eduardo there and RVP wide if we are to continue the 433 formation? Any one agreeing with me?
Or even Bendy.
What a great great day! And to think that the team can offer so much more, possibly Arsene’s best team ever.
Can’t wait for the CC game to get a better idea of what our future is made of.
Cheers for the Bx updates, ‘holic.
I love Thomas and Tomas.
Well done Eboue!
the Rosicky and Bendtner
Also while I love him, I think you meant ‘then’ ๐
Good work sub-ed. I did indeed!
Yeah, I agree with a few of you on here, Cesc looks troubled, doesn’t look himself!
I think that one thing that might be going on in Cesc’s mind is the fact that very soon we will have Nasri, Ashavin, TR all available for selection in the attacking midfield possition, then also throw Eboue, Danilson, Jack, Ramsey & Diaby into the mix and you may begin to see why he’s not himself. Don’t forget that his game has not been so great as usual in recent times.
Praise be to god was the Eboue shirt message on Wednesday. I’ll have a quart of Wild Turkey please barman.
I feel that maybe Cesc’s mind is already in Barcelona. His attitude and passing was very poor yesterday.
Am I reading too much into Cescโs lack of celebration?
Maybe he knew he didnt play well n was disappointed.
Good idea Vp. Imagine to put Vermalen and Song’s place. Especially when facing the team from lower table.
RE: Cesc – The optimist in me thinks we shouldn’t worry too much. I think he just going through a patch of bad form – I agree that yesterday, apart from the goal, he was poor – and that any lack of clebration was because he knows that too and was injured. he’ll come good again and we’ll all benefit.
And just to add my two-penneth – Vermaelen was pure class yesterday. I was sat behind the goal at the end we were defending 1st half and was watching him closely and thinking he’s a legend in the making. then he got that 2nd goal early in the 2nd half… just awesome.
Why move Vermaelan out of position? I think the main reason the Belgian Commando has started so well this season is because he’s being used to do exactly what he does best; Defend!
I think people are too caught up in the goals he’s scored to note the confidence he and Willy have in eachother to actually defend is the main reason they’re our highest scorers this season.
Most Premiership sides don’t have defenders who can exploit space given to them by retreating midfields as well as these guys. Or someone as well suited and willing to drop back and cover for them when they do open up teams by rolling forward.
I personally think, as well as they’re own forward thinking mentality, Alex Song’s brilliant display’s in the Anchorman position is the reason Willy and Big Tom are getting forward and scoring as much as they are.
So, big up to TV and WG, but many many props to Alex Song; rapidly emerging as an actual star.
I only wish Denilson’s stuttering development could catch up, then we’d really be scary!
Sofa King – I agree. Vermaelen’s the best central defender we have, and he seems to relish playing there. Let’s keep him there.
Eboue – I love the fella. He’s as mad as a box of frogs but he’s a character….got bags of the stuff, with attitude too! Arsenal…as well as the PL need players like him.
๐