Pradeep Kachhala
Has anyone seen that episode of the Simpsons when Homer is in church but secretly listening to an American Football game? He spontaneously jumps up in the middle of a sermon shouting "It’s good! It's good!". Well, I was Homer Simpson last Sunday, where my wife and I had a family commitment which was impossible to avoid. Thanks to technology, and specifically 3G phones, I did have the chance to watch the game. I can't tell you how I reacted, or what those people thought of me when I suddenly jumped up when Rosicky scored the third goal. By the way, I loved his celebration; it reminded me of Tardelli's in the '82 World Cup Final.
How good did that feel, though? Bar the first ten minutes, we actually played like a team possessed, especially in the second half. Rosicky played like Roy Keane circa 1999, but special mention should go to Gibbs and Sagna, whose distribution was extremely important in breaking from the flanks. RvP was immense. His mannerisms as a captain, and ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck, are so important. And how about Theo? Say what you want about him, but when the crowd got on his back, he didn't sulk or hide; he simply got his head down and did what he does best - run and shoot.
Against our nearest London rivals (Spuds and Chelski), we have scored a total of eleven goals (and counting) so far this season. Not a bad statistic to point out to your rivals-supporting mates.
Of course, the above will mean nothing if we do not go to Anfield on Saturday afternoon and perform in exactly the same manner we did last Sunday (bar the two-goal head-start). Importantly, Liverpool have struggled at home this season, so there is no reason why we cannot go there and not only take them out of fourth-spot contention, but also close the gap on the Spuds to four points, with them to entertain Man Utd on Sunday. It is all ifs and buts at the moment, but suddenly the other half of North London is looking over their shoulder and thinking it could be 2006 all over again. Anyone know the recipe for a nice lasagne?
It seems as if Mertesacker may have a German pal in the squad next season. If reports are to be proved correct, Podolski could be an Arsenal player soon. Bar his poor spell at Bayern, he has a superb strike-record for Cologne and Germany. Importantly, he can play on the left, and while his international record is diluted by scoring bags of goals against poor teams (Cyprus for example), he is a big-game player who will provide strong support for RvP (if he stays) next season.
Did anyone catch Arshavin's influential performance for Russia on Wednesday? Not only did he play well, but he also suddenly looked like the player who impressed so much early on in his Arsenal career.
How about the Ox and Lansbury in Under 21 action last week? Lansbury is a talented player who scored a screamer on Wednesday. Interestingly, the official site made no mention of Lansbury's appearance (it did for everyone else including Ox, who played in the same game!) despite his two goals against Belgium.
There have been many false dawns in the past six years, and Sunday may prove to be another, but as there is a definite feel-good factor at the club, let’s keep the momentum and belief and ensure that the only highlight of the Scousers’ season will be the fizzy-drinks cup that they won last Sunday.
