A gentle stroll in the Park

Did we all have a good evening?

Lining up against Portsmouth, we started as expected. I heard mention that Denilson was out with 'flu, though I could have misheard in hope. Is that right? I'm too lazy to check it out. Cesc was nowhere to been seen as expected, the boss saying he would be around 10 days which, in Ashburton Grove Medical Speak is short for 'sometime before the end of the season if you're lucky.' With Eboue already on his way to Egypt and everyone else suffering from plague, our bench was styled in Carling Cup fashion with Merida, Wilshere, and Eastmond taking their place alongside a returning (for how long?) Rosicky.

The glaring absence was Theo. No sign, no mention. I wish Arsenal wouldn't just 'dissapear' players like this, it's incredibly frustrating.

As I predicted, our match v Pompey unfortunately started as our last few have. Sloppy passing, Eduardo in excellent positions with zero faith in his ability to finish. Portsmouth got in a little bit too easily and we failed to score in the opening 15 yet again. Once the 15 had passed we started to look a bit more threatening, and as Portsmouth's initial attempt at grabbing the early goal failed they began to sit deeper and deeper inviting us on.

Very silly boys.

In the 27th minute Eduardo stepped up to take a free kick. With no Denilson or Cesc, our options were limited, but if you had asked me I'd have put Arshavin over it before Dudu given his confidence levels.

Very silly me.

Even though it took a huge deflection, and was never going to threaten the goal without it, somehow he managed to deflect it in off the wall and looked a hell of a lot happier with that goal than he did with his scuff against Hull. Will this be the one to kick him on? It isn’t his play, or his positioning, the ONLY thing he has trouble with at the minute is putting the ball in the back of the net. That is not the Eduardo we all and love.

Our third goal from a direct free kick in three games after none for two years. Why the fuck do people keep harping on about Arsenal having a terrible record at set pieces? As far as I am aware we scored more goals than anybody else last season from set pieces and are in the top 3 this year (maybe even higher after the ones against Hull, Villa, and Portsmouth). It really winds me up. As does how they harp on about getting Cesc back as if we haven't had 324 other players out injured this season? Pundits just hear a line and repeat it like brainless parrots only without the entertaining squawky twang.

Anyway, the second half continued, Diaby showed why he twirls so much by twirling his way, with the ball, away from practically every Portsmouth player who came near him. Despite slipping on his arse to let Pompey through (when I type Pompey it isn't out of any fond affection, just cause it's easier to type) he was solid again, at times seeming to have four Pompey midfielders hanging from him and still going forward, or backwards, or sideways, but never down.

As Alan Davies suggested in his fantastic podcast, 'It's up for grabs now', perhaps he, like Hunt against Hull, was trying to sell him some lucky heather.

Arshavin was quiet (again) though he did seem to be working harder than in recent weeks but have a look out for his ‘awww yes, very sweet’ reaction as Samir slammed our second home with a sweetly driven shot right in the corner. Can’t win at places like Portsmouth without Cesc? I say 21 unbeaten last year without him.

Title this year with.

5-0 was on.

By half time we were deservedly in front and the 2-0 did not do our dominance justice even though at times defensively we looked as if we wanted to make it a little bit more ‘interesting.’

Sky said Portsmouth were underperforming in the first half, but I prefer to see it as Arsenal pressing so well we gave them no opportunity to play well. Sometimes it is Arsenal-tinted glasses, sometimes it’s just fucking obvious.

Ramsey's goal was a thing of beauty, A jink, a dash, and a drive. 50 for the season, and on course to be the first team to score 100 in a season. We need a striker you say?It was a goal his very tidy performance deserved.

Portsmouth then pulled one back, just as I was thinking about gloating that we had managed three clean sheets in a row. Could Almunia have done better? I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention, but I was when he came for a punch shortly after and missed it by three feet.

As did Song. What a great header. After bemoaning the pointlessness of  crossing the ball in to the box, uppopped Alex in acres of space (made very well for himself after he resisted the urge to shoot due to the fact that he can't) to place a powerful header well away from the keeper. 4-1. 5-0 might not have been on anymore, but how many thought we'd score 4?

Shortly after the third went in Rosicky took the field in place of Eduardo dispelling the myth that he was only on the bench to prove that he still exists.

At 4-1 it was a case of what we have we hold as Nasri was replaced by Eastmond making his league debut to lock things down.  Vela also came on after the fourth for Arshavin. One pygmy centre forward for another.

So that was that. Three points, very nicely earned, even if we did decide, eventually, to give in to our natural instincts and defend like a bunch of epileptic donkeys.

I didn't know that we had won more games in 2009 calendar year than any other team. Sure as hell didn't feel like it at times. We also scored more goals in the first half of the season, averaging almost 3 goals a game with 13 different scorers. And we NEED a striker why? I say we have far more pressing positions to fill.

Akinfeev is all I'll say, new year, new start and all that, I'm giving the 'number 1' a bit of a break.A finger or a toe perhaps?What I will say is that I was impresssed with how he made sure Eastmond was alright after he miscontrolled one which went for a corner (which we fucked up royally).

So we managed 13 points from 15 over the first most crucial point of the season, with a team of diasbled pygmies, no left-back, no striker, no captain, a team apparently unable to score or defend set-pieces. A light-weight team who can be easily bullied with a fragile defence. And all from three tough away matches and Aston Villa at home. Imagine where we'd be with all our players? Imagine a time when people no longer call us 'Barcelona-lite' Imagine pundits actually realising we're pretty fucking hard. That time is coming my friends, that time is coming.

2010 will belong to Arsenal, of this I am sure. I have had faith in Wenger, often blind at times, but you cannot fail to see where we are with what we have had to 'make-do' with. Never have I had more faith in him than I do this season. It may not be clicking every match, but it never does for anyone, champions or not. The main thing is that we keep putting those points on the board while all the while knowing we will only get better.

That, I'm sure you'll agree, is one hell of an awesome prospect.

So all that's left to do is wish you all a superb new year. May your hangovers be mighty and your resolutions ridiculous.

Here's to an amazing 2010 - may the trophies be plentiful, heavy, and very, very shiny.