Review: Porto 2 - Arsenal 1

It's probably quite sad that defensively, nothing really surprises me anymore about our team. Given all the missing players in the team, we played as well as we could have expected for the first 50 minutes of the game. That is, of course, minus our goalkeeper.

His first howler was shocking even for something in the depths of the lowest levels of the English league system. But here, in the first minutes of the Champions League, was so pathetic it only reflects on the boss himself, and how he has placed his team in such a position as far as goalkeepers go. A mis-placed cross, nothing spectacular, straight at Fabianski, nothing near the goal, and he bundles it into the goal. So it was shock to the system, and I must say we reacted pretty well, better than I'd expected. The equaliser was more then we deserved, and who else to get it than Sol himself.

After that, and especially after the re-start, we dominated while Porto looked increasingly deflated and outclassed. Then, the piece de resistance. Fabianski had already been guilty of not opening his damn mouth and giving his defenders some degree of confidence. But in this instance, a harmless ball through the middle, Sol gets in front of it, and toe pokes it back to Fabianski with a Porto player lurking. He could've taken two touches and booted it straight out, but proceeds to pick it up. Sad sad sad sign of a goalkeeper who must at that time must have been shivering in his balls.

What happens after that wouldn't even have happened in the kick-abouts with the kiddies. I won't blame Sol. If I were him, I would've spent that key 2 seconds pummeling Fabianski just to get him substituted. But we give yet another goal away to Porto with Sol distraught and Fabianski handing the ball back to Porto. If it wasn't Arse, I'd have died laughing.

After that, with the players totally deflated, asking for a second was probably too much. So we take a 2-1 deficit to the Emirates, and if we do go out then it must be deserved. Sad, but deserved for a team so lacking in any semblance of defensive and goalkeeping quality. (And I say again - for that, I blame Wenger).

I feel especially bad for Sol. Had a great showing all things concerned, and it was unfortunate that he was guilty by association for the second goal.

As for Fabianski, well. We have Almunia. Hurray. Wenger must feel like shit now for slipping Almunia the boarding pass to Timbuktu instead of Oporto. Yes, he's young, but judging from the two goals, he deserves to be nowhere near an Arsenal shirt for the rest of his life.

Let's just do the player ratings - which apart from Fabianski, has to be seen in the light of the overall deflation suffered after the second goal. I also kinda feel sorry for the defenders. It must so suck to have Fabianski behind you. Do I pass it back? Do I boot it out? Why doesn't he say anything? What the F????

Fabianski -2 - Yes, that's right. Negative. Two. Homer Simpson would've had two fewer "d'oh!" moments.

Clichy 5.5 - Again, scarily leaking down the left.

Campbell 7 - My man of the match. Has lost some pace, but his tackling and timing are still impeccable. The Hulk ran into him a few times, and bounced off The Thing.

Vermaelen 6.5 - Not his best. A few dodgy clearances, mis-timed passes.

Sagna 6 - Tried his best, and kept it quiet more or less.

Denilson 5 - Absent as usual.

Diaby 6.5 - Not his best, but had a few good contributions.

Cesc 6.5 - Far from his best, and did nothing to lift the team. We still had lots of time after the second to get something that we deserved, but that would have needed some serious leadership. [NB: How can someone linked with Barca stomach such a dismal goalkeeping performance and stay?]

Nasri 7 - Had some good moments too, but seemed the most affected...

Rosicky 7 - Good showing too, and had a dead-certain penalty turned down.

Bent Nick 7 - Good showing too, and why Wenger replaced him with Vela, only he can know.

Finally, a word on the ref. Yes, he's the idiot who gave the Henry goal away. But this must also count as one of the worst performances I've seen in a long time. Yes, he gave some decisions our way, and some not. But overall, he was just lost. As far as the second Porto goal goes, yes, they were free to take it, but it was probably our fault for thinking that he'd have to pull play back and look to the whistle. If he doesn't have to whistle for the free-kick in the box, then why the different treatment for any other one outside?

Anyways, just for the heck of it, we've decided to shoot ourselves in the foot, and taken the other off for good measure as well. We'll play Porto in 3 weeks without our feet, so let's see whether we can get anything from it. Thank god for Sol Campbell the goal machine.