Chelsea Up Next – Adieu Mathieu?
May 3rd, 2007 by 'holic
Following their exit from the Champions League at the hands of Liverpool it is a possibility that Chelsea could surrender their Premiership title at the Grove on Sunday. Should United claim the Manchester derby on Saturday then anything less than a win for Chelsea on Sunday would see the trophy head north.
One player who may be quite keen to make an appearance, if only from the bench, would be Mathieu Flamini. Given his public pronouncements that he will be moving on in the summer to seek regular first team football this will be Matty’s last chance to appear in an Arsenal shirt in front of the home support.
I don’t believe that their will be a mass outpouring of tears at his departure, but at the same time I think he would get a warm reception as a show of gratitude for his efforts in the red and white.
Who can forget his displays in an unfamiliar left-back role last season as Arsenal chalked up a Champions League record for not conceding a goal? Who didn’t feel for him when a certain West-London bound individual returned from a long absence to replace him in the Final?
Matty may not have been the most gifted of our young midfield hopefuls, but he was good enough to earn a first call-up for the French national squad this season, and he never gave less than a hundred percent for the cause. He also produced possibly his best performance for the club in the draw at Stamford Bridge in December.
The side that travelled to Chelsea was missing the injured Gallas, Toure, Rosicky, and Henry and given little chance of success, but the young Gunners gave as good as they got and looked to have snatched the points when Flamini, of all people, lashed home a shot from the edge of the box with only eleven minutes remaining.
Essien’s spectacular strike five minutes later salvaged a point for the hosts, but once again the Gunners had produced a solid display against title rivals.
In recent seasons we have been denied the opportunity to say farewell to some big Highbury names. It would be fitting to afford Matty a rousing farewell on the day that the man he deputised for last season could be making his first trip to Ashburton Grove. What could make the point more than by showing complete indifference to Chelsea’s left-back whilst reserving a huge roar for the departing Flamini?
Whoever thinks that the FA don’t do irony cannot surely have missed Arsene Wenger’s fine and censure for questioning the linesman, sorry, assistant referee, at the Carling Cup Final against Sundays opponents. The circle would be complete if at the weekend Emmanuel Adebayor were to escape punishment for clearly landing one on Frank Lampard. (One suggestion Ade, save it for the tunnel at the end of the game!)
I am away for a couple of days so won’t be back until it’s time to comment on the Chelsea game. Hopefully it will be a report on a resounding and deserved victory. I wish you all a happy and healthy bank holiday.
One Response to “Chelsea Up Next – Adieu Mathieu?”
Good article, ‘Holic. Flamini has the right attitude; always gives his all on the pitch but somehow just doesn’t get the chance. It’s a pity.