A glimmer of daylight at the top, achieved after what had been a frustrating afternoon with Wigan defended stoically. The expected packed midfield from the visitors arrived and emphasised the gap between the top teams in the division, the ability to retain possession leading to the opposition tiring as the game becomes more strung out over the pitch.
A two goal victory was probably the correct margin between the sides. As is always the case when a team has been unceremoniously caned in the previous game, they tighten up and put out an eleven that is more geared to damage limitation that any prospect of three points. That Almunia had little other back passes to keep his concentration once the first twenty minutes had passed emphasises the gap between top and bottom.
The partnership of Theo and Adebayor yielded little tangible results. They linked reasonably well but lacked penetration in the box. One chance in the first half summed up their collective afternoon; a neat interchange allowed Adebayor a sniff of a shot but Pollitt’s outstretched left leg sent the ball for a corner. It was a frustrating game for Adebayor; as the senior forward on show he worked hard but with little end product where it counts, suggesting that his best partnership will come with a player comfortable at being in the centre. The introduction of Eduardo hinted at that but the planned change to bring Bendtner into the fray shuffled the Croat to the left. His work rate cannot be faulted nor can his patience. Having performed well for his country in midweek, he must be wondering how he can prove his worth to the side through playing out of position. I preferred his inclusion ahead of Walcott’s yesterday as a central striker but
It was Marcus Bent’s horrendous challenge on Denilson that proved to be the catalyst. In keeping with an abject afternoon’s refereeing, the straight red that the tackle merited turned out to be yellow. The most generous interpretation one can put on it is that Mr Walton forgot which pocket the cards were in and only realised his mistake after he had shown the card. It is often the case that challenges enliven such performances; events were topped off by Heskey’s tackle on Walcott. In his defence, the intent was to win the ball, Heskey catching his opponent with a trailing leg that was used to push himself back to his feet. It was what is euphemistically excused as a forward’s challenge. Never the most graceful of players, his enforced lay-off has obviously impaired his timing. And that is as charitable as I feel like being this morning.
The substitution proved to be the final ingredient for the mix. It was planned in any case, Walcott was making way for Bendtner Receiving a pass on the edge of the area, he laid the ball wide to the run of Sagna. The cross was perfectly weighted to the near post for Gallas, who had continued his run from the initial pass that started the move, to head deftly past Pollitt. Resistance broken and it was then a case of when the second would follow, not if.
It duly arrived two minutes later. A sweeping move from the left culminated in Bendtner releasing Rosicky in the central midfield role he prefers. The ball found the back of the net via the far post, the Czech shooting across Pollitt from the edge of the area.
For me, despite his leadership qualities, it is not William Gallas who was Man of the Match. That accolade should be passed to Bacary Sagna. His performance was consistent throughout and he added penetration to the right flank. The cross for Gallas’ goal was nothing short of excellent.
In a week where Gilberto apparently declared his undying love for an Old Lady in Turin, the centre of the midfield seems well stocked. Diarra proved a capable substitute for Flamini, energetic and generally fitting into the team. A better judgement could be formed if he had played alongside Fabregas and Hleb; Denilson provided more proof that he has a long term future in the centre but is a different beast to Fabregas currently; a run in the side may hone the vision for passing, something that all bar the very best struggle to bring to a game ‘cold’.
The three points proved to be important, allowing a gap to open following Manchester United’s failure at Bolton. The month ahead is shaping up to be very interesting indeed.
