Easy Like Sunday Morning

I forgot how sweet Sunday mornings are after a comfortable win the day before, it has been a long time.  Even though we did our hardest yesterday by wasting some beautiful football, Plymouth played out if their skins and they have to receive the credit for keeping the score to 3-1.  That being said, it has been a long time since I last saw an Arsenal side chase so much down, and while mistakes were made, heads didn't drop, and balls were fought for all over the pitch.

 

My twitter account went like this (it’s best read from the bottom up):

·         Final score 3-1 which is extra sweet cause I'd a fiver on that score     

·         Off the bar should have been 4, what a block     

·         What a save from fabianski...it's the dreaded four minutes injury time     

·         Missed by a mile     

·         Great work from vela earns a free kick in van persie land, he's on a hatrick     

·         Still playing like we need a winner     

·         Nasri is from another planet, fantastic, we should be goals up     

·         He worked hard, his touch just let him down, far too heavy     

·         Bye bye bendtner     

·         Here comes jack     

·         Brilliant! 3-1 van persie just brilliant     

·         Gibbs even     

·         Can't get it into the box, gibbs goes close from the edge     

·         Handball in the box, stopped velas cross, we've picked it up     

·         Ramsey turns and shoots and doesn't miss by much, must be cause I've a fiver on him to score     

·         This is the fastest I've seen us play on a long time tho     

·         Can we hold on? Isn't it crazy that I'm even thinking that!     

·         We've had 15 shots     

·         Nasris running about like a man possessed     

·         Gibbs has played well since he came on

·         Fantastic skill and pace from vela     

·         ...........eboue     

·         Vela for................     

·         Same strength shown by bendtner and ref gives free kick WTF     

·         Great strength from djourou     

·         The crowd are in great voice, great cup tie     

·         Bloody hell arsenal scare me     

·         Bugger the rout, we're all over the place at the back     

·         Fabianskis Valium obviously wore off, what a shambles at the back     

·         Fuck, 2-1     

·         Or was it an own goal, pictures too small to see clearly     

·         Mr uselss makes it two...I sense a rout     

·         Wow bendtner turned his man and won a corner...what a header by van persie, 1 nil!!!!     

·         Half time and nothing to show for our domination, playing well tho, closing down, first to the 50-50's, committed which is good to see     

·         Its like the Alamo, a few crosses ade would love     

·         Played short and wasted     

·         Super move,great pass from eboue, corner     

·         Nasri into the wall     

·         Bendtner takes it of van persies toe, he's done that a lot...free kick in van persies range

·         I wonder if Plymouth can keep up this work rate for 90 mins     

·         Bendtner just wide, difficult diving header     

·         Great defending by sagna    

·         Our lack of creativity is painful, eboue had a beauty of a pass on but chose to shoot...wide     

·         He's useless, get bendter off and ade on, if we're taking this competition seriously he should have started     

·         Good take, fabianski must have taken his Valium today     

·         Still haven't cleared it tho     

·         Good save fabianski...and punch     

·         Under pressure and can't get it cleared ffs     

·         Silvestre off Gibbs on, no idea why as commentary is in spanish or something     

·         We should be goals up    

·         How does he continue to get picked!     

·         I see bendtner is his usual useless self, nil nil nearly 25 mins played  

I sound like a FIFA simulated match....

My nerves were wrecked, and it was only Plymouth.  I don’t think I ever thought they would throw it totally away, but the way 2008 went you never can tell.  But this is 2009.  It is a new year, with new luck allocations and a chance to start anew (even if it is mid-season).  How fitting the first match of the new year is a new competition, one still alive with promise.

So it was a comfortable win, but, it was more than that.  It was passionate, determined, and committed.  It was an Arsenal performance to be proud of because, no matter how much raw talent you’ve got in your squad, it means bugger all if you lack the fire to fight.

We’ve seen that fire against Man U, Chelsea, and Liverpool, to see it against Plymouth after what we did against Hull et al has pleased me more.  Raising your game for the big boys is easy.   This is the type of match that wins you silverware.