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Arsenal 4, AZ Alkmaar 1
IT'S been ten years since the Spurs beat Arsenal in the Premier League and Wednesday night's Champions League group stage win brought up another decade anniversary for Gunners fans.
Barring an unthinkable run of results Arsenal will march triumphantly into the knockout stages of Europe's premier tournament for the tenth year in a row.
Remember those dark days playing home ties Wembley Stadium in 1998? That was the last time we didn't progress.
The Champions League group stage home ties have been fairly unremarkable since then. The Emirates was not full on Wednesday and I wasn't convinced when the attendance figure came up as 59,000 – Club Level was half full – and you can see why.
Here's the format: a team from Belgium or Turkey, probably managed by a fallen World Cup winner, arrives bringing fans with flares who bounce-up and down in unison for 90 minutes and chanting in a vaguely threatening way. They make a lot of noise and seem to be having fun – but the home fans are baffled. 1-0. Who are ya, who are ya who are ya? Then, depending on whether Arsenal can be bothered or not, it's a goalfest or we concede an irritating equaliser late on.
Arsenal can be bothered at the moment. The fourth goal against AZ last night was like something you'd dream up on the Playstation. Eduardo's backheel raced 20 yards along the glistening turf right into the path of Andrey Arshavin, who cut back to Abou Diaby for a calm and collected half volley into the far corner. That was absolute class. Nasri's dummy to sell the defenders before scoring Arsenal's second was also top, top quality. Even Wenger got in on the act - nonchalantly trapping a wayward pass on the side line when the ball came his way.
The team might not be as powerful a unit as the Invincibles or the team's that won the leagues before them. But the flashes of brilliance – particularly the control and the one touch passing – displayed by this team are in a league of their own.
There's a new kind of hunger and fun and confidence running through this side that's breathtaking at times. Even the prospect of Standard Liege later this month with the group stage effectively wrapped up has got my pulse racing.
After the match Wenger reiterated that he was committed to providing a "spectacle" each week – and that's what makes it so exciting to be an Arsenal fan right now. |
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