Review: Arsenal 3 - Nazitrap Egardleb 1

I was nervous before kick-off, petrified when it started, and downright morose when I began witnessing the first 20 or so minutes of our so-called do-or-die match up.

It was abject. Lethargic. And I was struggling to see how a team with zero points, 1 goal and nothing to play for other than pride seemed to be just that tad more into the game than the Arsenal at home. Maybe it was how the team was set up. Maybe it was having RVP roaming around the flanks or behind Chamakh to no great consequence. Maybe it was Arshavin having a horrid game, or Gibbs once again showing us that he's of that made-of-candy floss ilk. Whatever.

Then it happened. A gift. We needed it, and thank god for our partisan friends. Silly penalty to give away, and RVP smashes home the penalty. No way did we deserve a lead at half time, but hey, I'll take it.

Second half, and we reach the bewitching minutes. Those from around 50-55. Remember Spurs? Villa? Anyways, first try, and goal. To Partizan. They who've scored zilch in their four other games with Braga and Shakhtar. As I said...we were always going to be charitable. We were charitable in Belgrade, so why not here. The only two goals the Serbs have scored this season in Europe, and we were the kind beneficiaries.

I mean, we've let in two goals from Partizan. Both from a guy who calls himself Cleo, for chrissakes! Oooooooo..."Cleo" scored, did he??

1-1. Nice. At this point, it's still 0-0 in the Shakhtar-Braga game, and the commentators are all doom and gloom about how a goal in either tie in the wrong direction would just kill us off. It's also at this point that I begin praying for a Shakhtar, coz there was no way I could see us getting one with the same dudes on the pitch.

So thank god for the substitution. Arshavin has been alternating between sublime and ridiculous, so good thing the boss took him off early. Walcott on, and already that slight difference.

And what a goal. Nifty volley, and thank god for the boy. A couple of minutes later, and Nasri wraps it up. Wonder goal too, complete with a dizzy shimmy before smashing it in with his left foot.

At this point, it's all well in the kingdom, and we really start thinking of the Real-Barca-Bayern-Schalke formula. I tell you. I have a feeling. It's gonna be...Schalke.

Anyways, the press is going to go all crazy about our defence as usual. Yes. Don't have to be a genius there. About drawing the big teams. Yes, all our fault. But hey. We played crap for about 80 minutes, and showed that with just a good 10-minute spell, we were good enough for the tie. So who knows. If we keep it to just letting in 1 or 2 to Barca during a crap spell, we may just have a chance.

Next up. Man U on Monday. Yum. For once, it being away has given me a nice warm feeling in me belly. This could just be it. A win at Old Trafford. I can just see it. Man U crambling under their own pressure at home, admitting to the inevitability of a first league defeat, and us revelling in the pressure-less environment away from the Emirates.

So let's just go do it.