The Watcher wrote:
bighairlolbighairlol

@ Kunjufu, i told you you soon be looking at the Carling didnt i.....lol

I'll call that a major!! LOL

3 away defeats on the spin, and suddenly we have gone from title contenders to suggesting we may not even qualify for Champions League. John Gregory on Sky Sports last night was disgraceful with his disrespectful sniping about us struggling to make top 4.

Title contenders we may not be, but I always felt this was the time of year which would solve the puzzle. But lets not get hysterical here.

To suddenly think we will not even make top 4 is not so much laughable, but more worryingly borderline insanity! We have just played our most difficult spell of the season, and after Stamford Bridge next weekend, it certainly gets smoother.

We are still in contention for the Champions League, and with the experience of last season we are still in with a huge chance of going one better. And apart from Chelsea and Utd, the other top 4 places are not that far away. We have a game in hand still and we are still well place for a final 4 finish. There are no trophies for finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th. Only qualification for the Champions League matters.

Do that and add a trophy, and we can certainly ram those naieve comments back down Gregory's throat come the end of May.

You guys didalright without Henry - now m make it a regular thing to keep him happy

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham
By Andrew McKenzie



Gilberto Silva (right) scored twice from the spotReferee Graham Poll was at the centre of attention as two disputed penalties helped Arsenal beat Spurs in the first north London derby at their new ground.
Arsenal led through a composed finish by Emmanuel Adebayor after he was played onside by Pascal Chimbonda.
Chimbonda was then harshly adjudged to have fouled Tomas Rosicky and Gilberto Silva drilled home the penalty.
Gilberto got another from the spot after Jermaine Jenas felled Robin van Persie, after the Dutchman had handled.
The win extended Arsenal's unbeaten streak over their neighbours to 14 league games.
It also maintained their run of always winning 3-0 in Premiership action at the Emirates Stadium after scoring the first goal.
Poll attracted criticism for his performance in the recent London derby between Spurs and Chelsea.
And while he looked to have blundered for Arsenal's two penalties, Tottenham did not deserve anything from a lacklustre performance.
Their one and only moment of note came in the 11th minute.




GC

606: Have your say
Steed Malbranque started a fine move down the left and almost finished it when Dimitar Berbatov worked an opening in the box but the French winger lashed his shot just wide of the post.
But from that moment the game was all about Arsenal.
The Gunners were close to their fluent best, with Adebayor's powerful running with the ball providing a worthy replacement for injured skipper Thierry Henry.
He was given the benefit of a split decision by the linesman when Toure lifted the ball over the top and the talented 22-year-old Togo forward showed composure beyond his years to slot past Paul Robinson.
Henry, who had earlier played down reports of a bust up with manager Arsene Wenger, was first off the bench to celebrate with his protege.
The goal saw Arsenal grow in confidence, while Spurs seemed to slip even further into their shell.

Martin Jol was far from impressed. Johan Djourou should have finished off a whipped in Van Persie free-kick and Adebayor drilled at Robinson with team-mates better placed.
Freddie Ljungberg was enjoying plenty of space down the right, with Spurs' exposed left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto finding the Swede and the overlapping Emmanuel Eboue too much of a handful.
On the other flank right-back Chimbonda was having an equally wretched time.
With Rosicky free on goal he lunged into a desperate last-ditch tackle and looked to have taken the ball cleanly.
But Poll pointed to the spot and stand-in skipper Gilberto Silva gave Robinson no chance with a well-struck penalty into the bottom corner.
If Spurs boss Martin Jol was furious with the officials about the first goal, frustration was the name of the game after a second decision went against his side.
Re-enforcements were drafted in at half-time in the shape of Jenas and Young-Pyo Lee.
Jenas finally brought a save out of Jens Lehmann just after the hour mark with a long-range shot and Aaron Lennon was crowded out when the rebound fell at his feet.
But Jenas' contribution at the other end proved more decisive when he brought down Van Persie in the box and Poll again pointed to the spot.
However, the official had missed a clear handball by Van Persie as he tussled with Jenas and Ledley King outside the area.

How sick must they feel right now? The best chance in years to get the bragging rights, and in our own back yard to boot. This was the opportunity, sorry Spurs fans: its going to be another 10 or 15 years before you get as good a chance again!

What a performance!! Yes ok it was 2 very dubious penalties and not for the 1st time Graham Poll is the talking point, but let us not for a minute belittle what we did today. It was a performance of maturity, determination and courage against a Spurs side who were up for today, make no mistake about that.

Adebayor's finish for the 1st was Henry-esque, Gilberto's 2 penalties fortunate, but deserved given the way we dominated them. They barely attacked, except for the final 20 minutes when they became spiteful with late challenges and Keane's tormenting of Lehmann at set pieces. It was as much as we got from them, and in the end even Eboue (frustrated after a trademark late challenge from Keane) accepted that it was a mere footnote and allowed his frustration to be overtaken by joy at his 1st North London derby victory.

Very very pleased today. We have some pride back and we are in a good frame of mind for the visit to the Bridge next weekend. The title has gone but we are still well placed for a top 4 finish and should do the job in Porto to get the point required for qualification to the next stage in the Champions League.

Sorry Spurs, you blew it big time today. What a bunch of chokers!

Well, y'all need a consolation now the Premiership's gone, so enjoy...

No sooner has the dust settled on the celebrations have the media continued stirring up problems. Now they reckon Henry and Wenger have had a bust up. Something happened on Friday, Henry came out yesterday and said it was nothing. Surely if it was something he would have gone off for a sulk or something, and he would have been nowhere near Ashburton Grove, let alone part of the pitchside celebrations for Adebayor's goal.

Today they seem to seizing on the fact Wenger said little yesterday and didn't offer too much in the way of explainations. Garth Crooks (obviously ex-Spurs, no doubt bitter about the pounding his lot just took) seems to think its very unsual for Wenger to be so cagey. On the otherhand it could be argued that Wenger has a history of saying little about things that might or might not have happened within the club. There have been bust ups before, probably every week infact. The most publicised was the one involving Lauren a few years ago, and the policy then was don't feed the flames by commenting on speculative questions.

Wenger's no fool and Im sure thats all it is. A lot of people were upset by the outcome yesterday, they were circling like vultures sensing there was a big chance for Spurs. Perhaps this non-story is just a smokescreen to disguise their genuine dissapointment about not dancing on our graves just yet.

We may not win any medals for yesterday's performance, but for the age of the team (youngest ever Arsenal XI) then surely it is another sign of incredible promise for the future.

We put out a team yesterday which should have lost by 4 or 5. The average age of the outfield was 23, the average age of the back four was 21. Sure Chelsea lifted their game after Flamini's goal, and towards the end we were hanging on for dear life. But a point is earned, and in the grander scheme of things, it was a valuable point. It may not improve our league position, but it will re-establish our confidence and belief.

Chelsea were held at fortress Bridge by our Under 21 Team. Thats no mean feat.

clp)

I know its a tad late now (but i've only just read this shite).

Yes u played well but why dont u try beating us when its not 12- against 11.

1st goal: Blatantly offside against Adebayor.

2nd Goal: Nein penalty

3rd Goal: Nein penalty

I know its a tad late now (but i've only just read this shite).

Yes u played well but why dont u try beating us when its not 12- against 11.

1st goal: Blatantly offside against Adebayor.

2nd Goal: Nein penalty

3rd Goal: Nein penalty