Kevin Whitcher
Contributor Ian Henry reminded me in the run up to today’s London derby that it falls on the anniversary of a particular match against another of Arsenal’s capital rivals. This, of course being the 5-0 victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane on 23rd December 1978 – 35 years ago.
If you have the time, you can sit back and enjoy 22 and a half minutes of highlights on youtube. Warning – bubble perms are prevalent on both sides.
Undoubtedly, it was a result that made and broke a few Christmases. I am guessing the only upside for Spurs fans is that Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday, so they would not have to face ribbing from work colleagues until the dust had settled a little.
And so we fast forward to 2013 and the visit of Chelsea this evening. Make no mistake, this is a key fixture in Arsenal’s season, a signpost game. Win and they can go forward with renewed confidence and treat recent reverses as blips. Lose and a haul of one point from nine, with a Champions League defeat in the middle of that sequence, and there will be arguments that the 2013-14 bubble has burst.
Few expected Arsenal to win at Eastlands, but when a title challenging team hosts its main rivals, it should win if it has genuine aspirations to be in the mix at the end of the campaign.
The fact that a Wenger team has never beaten a Mourinho managed side is a stat that has been raised in the build-up to this match. But it is just that – a stat. In truth, Arsenal should have won this game back in December 2006, but were denied by a very late Michael Essien equalizer. It is more infamous as being the first match Ashley Cole played for Chelsea against Arsenal after his acrimonious departure and much abuse (remember the inflatable mobile phones?) from the away section.
It was in the early days of my posting editorial pieces online, but my thoughts on this game at the time can be read here. It was in the days when Project Youth was in progress, which as we now know did not ultimately produce the team we hoped for.
Anyway, tonight will be a match with greater experience in the Arsenal ranks, and no Didier Drogba theatrics to be seen. Rather strangely, both Essien and Flamini – the two scorers seven years ago – could play, despite both having left and then returned to their respective clubs. The weather could well play a part, with mistakes inevitable. It’s going to be a wet and very windy night and there may be a few hardy sellers trying to shift copies of the Gooner. Make it worth their while by buying a copy!
Hopefully, I will be writing in good Christmas cheer about the events of this evening on Tuesday morning with Arsenal back at the top of the Premier League pile. It’s a case of seizing the moment, proving that this team has what it takes and not leaving us with the feeling of another false dawn. A 5-0 win would be nice, but I’ll settle for just the three points!
