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yes once again, soccernet...
Kanu was the star of another Arsenal late show as he smuggled home an 87th-minute winner just when Graham Taylor's Watford troops looked like spiking another of the FA Carling Premiership's big European guns. A major bombardment, forged without the services of strike-stars Dennis Bergkamp and Davor Suker until the closing 22 minutes, produced only frustration for Arsene Wenger's team. And they appeared to have fired their last shot when veteran goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain, who had already covered himself in glory, somehow beat out Martin Keown's thunderbolt and then knocked away Kanu's follow-up. But the big Nigerian, battered and bustled throughout by Watford's uncompromising Welsh defender Robert Page, just would not be denied. He had already hit a post with a crashing 25-yard drive and provided Chamberlain with most of his catalogue of breathtaking saves. But he held off Page to keep possession when Ukrainian right back Oleg Luzhny tossed in a long throw with three minutes left and slid the ball beneath Chamberlain and over the line. The cult-hero of Highbury was back in fashion again after his miserable miss from a penalty against Fiorentina in the Champions League 12 days ago. And how he deserved it. A standing ovation when he was brought off just a few seconds after his goal was entirely appropriate for the striker who appears to be able to do almost anything with the ball when it is delivered to his size 12 boots. It was debatable whether the cheer for Kanu which nearly raised Highbury's roof was louder than the roar that subsequently greeted news of Manchester United dropping two points at home to Southampton. But boss Wenger had needed to recruit his other super-strikers, Bergkamp and Suker to help break down this stubborn Watford resistance. It was easy to see why old fox Taylor's promoted side had embarrassed Chelsea and Liverpool with 1-0 surprises this season. And with Wenger opting to make five changes from the Arsenal line-up that started against AIK Solna at Wembley last Wednesday, there looked, for a long time, that another upset was on the cards. Not that Watford had much to cheer in attack. They had only four efforts on goal compared to Arsenal's amazing 30. But their often agricultural commitment frequently knocked Gunners out of their elegant stride. Watford kept it predictably tight right from the first whistle and without Bergkamp's ingenuity and Suker's goal-poaching potential, Arsenal made a few first-half openings from a mountain of pressure. Skipper Tony Adams wasted the best of them after only eight minutes when he stole in behind the defence to meet Ljungberg's free kick but failed to direct his header wide of the suddenly isolated Chamberlain. If that had gone in it might well have been a much different story but although Overmars, Parlour and Kanu - with a thundering effort from an improbable angle that flew across the goal and missed the far post by inches - all fired admirable efforts, Chamberlain was not called into serious action. And the goalkeeper was given the benefit of referee Paul Durkin's doubt when a Patrick Vieira header, from one of a long list of free kicks around the penalty area - this time by Ljungberg - dropped over him and across the line. Durkin pulled up Adams for a foul to cut Arsenal's celebrations short and the big England centre back, who at first ran up to the World Cup official clearly intent on protest, wisely changed his mind in mid-stride - turning back towards his own half to get on with the job. In truth there was not much of a task to complete against Watford's limited front line, badly missing the injured Tommy Mooney and only occasionally inspired by the running of their £950,000 Dutch new boy Nordin Wooter. Watford contributed little to the spectacle, dragging 10 men back behind the ball whenever danger threatened and biting into some dubious challenges. But when you are up again mega-rich cavaliers with only a pin-money army of your own, Taylor is quite prepared to suffer the slings and arrows of those who want their football decorated with frills. His problem was that Arsenal have resolution and spirit as well as class. Goalkeeper Alex Manninger, who threatens to push David Seaman out of the number one slot, showed all three qualities, denying Watford their only real two chances when his flying, fearless advances left striker Allan Smart - the Watford goal-hero against Chelsea - with a sore head and a sore knee. And in the end, thanks to Kanu's persistence, Arsenal's mixture of guts and skill and paid off. The kind of game they have to play in Barcelona next Wednesday will seem light years away, but such is the intrigue of modern football. And if they thought AIK Solna had a tough defence at Wembley last week when victory was only achieved by two goals in stoppage time then how about this armour-plated effort by Watford? |
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