EPL Week 6: Hull City Stun Arsenal With 2-1 Win
September 29th 2008 19:26
Complacency. It's the bane of every athlete in every sport. When you think that no matter how you play against a lower-tiered team or opponent, you'll always end up on top. If there is a side to Arsenal that's always been criticized, it's that mentality – not killing off opponents when they have the chance.
On Saturday, the Gunners had the opportunity widen the gap between them and the rest of the pack by receiving promoted club Hull City. At first, a win looked like a sure thing. Wenger's squad had most of the possession, and all Hull could do was to run after the ball. Still, their trademark fluidity was nowhere to be found as the visitors' defenders applied sustained pressure on the ball-carrier. Arsenal finally opened the scoring at the 49th minute when Fabregas slid down to push in a rebound off Adebayor. The goal was ugly at best, the kind of play where you don't exactly know what you're doing and reacting instinctively. After that, the Gunners went back to their old habits. Instead of looking for a second, they carried on carelessly. The visitors would make them pay dearly for that mistake as they came back from behind and added another with two quick strikes in the span of five minutes. Hull's first goal was a beauty of a strike that left no chance to Almunia while the second was scored on a corner-kick with striker Cousin leaping above everyone else to head it home.
The home side quickly woke up after that. They had no choice but to attack. However, despite playing with three strikers, they couldn't find another goal. Fabregas came close three times on long-range strikes (you have to wonder why he doesn't do that more often) but the goalkeeper stood tall. Gallas also hit the crossbar but it was not to be. With this loss, Arsenal drop back to fourth place with twelve points, Chelsea and Liverpool are two points ahead while Manchester United are four points back with a match in hand.
Arsenal's line-up: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Gael Clichy; Theo Walcott (Carlos Vela, 76th), Cesc Fabregas, Denilson, Emmanuel Eboue (Nicklas Bendtner, 68th); Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor.
On Saturday, the Gunners had the opportunity widen the gap between them and the rest of the pack by receiving promoted club Hull City. At first, a win looked like a sure thing. Wenger's squad had most of the possession, and all Hull could do was to run after the ball. Still, their trademark fluidity was nowhere to be found as the visitors' defenders applied sustained pressure on the ball-carrier. Arsenal finally opened the scoring at the 49th minute when Fabregas slid down to push in a rebound off Adebayor. The goal was ugly at best, the kind of play where you don't exactly know what you're doing and reacting instinctively. After that, the Gunners went back to their old habits. Instead of looking for a second, they carried on carelessly. The visitors would make them pay dearly for that mistake as they came back from behind and added another with two quick strikes in the span of five minutes. Hull's first goal was a beauty of a strike that left no chance to Almunia while the second was scored on a corner-kick with striker Cousin leaping above everyone else to head it home.
The home side quickly woke up after that. They had no choice but to attack. However, despite playing with three strikers, they couldn't find another goal. Fabregas came close three times on long-range strikes (you have to wonder why he doesn't do that more often) but the goalkeeper stood tall. Gallas also hit the crossbar but it was not to be. With this loss, Arsenal drop back to fourth place with twelve points, Chelsea and Liverpool are two points ahead while Manchester United are four points back with a match in hand.
Arsenal's line-up: Manuel Almunia; Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, William Gallas, Gael Clichy; Theo Walcott (Carlos Vela, 76th), Cesc Fabregas, Denilson, Emmanuel Eboue (Nicklas Bendtner, 68th); Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor.
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