Our hunt for another trophy will continue for yet another competition after we were valiantly knocked out against a vibrant Arsenal side at the Emirates in a 1-2 defeat. At times in domestic cup competitions, we have looked toothless and our reserves have looked lost and out of sorts. Today, this was not so much the case, although two of our fringe players will have to explain their horrendous performances today (more on that later). For the most part, our players played their hearts out and made a good account for themselves.
There was also the benefit of an impressive debut from Alberto Aquilani, and he made an immediate impression with some delightful passing and some exquisite touches on the ball. It is clear he will be a player for us, something that is desperately needed given that Yossi Benayoun seems to be our one truly creative spark out there.
And other than that, all I can say is that we witnessed a goal that will be forever on top 10 belters lists (or at least considered) from Emiliano Insua. The strike was pure power, audacity, and technique. You have to see it! The way Insua chested it down and unleashed with the laces of his left boot from 30 yards out was, let’s say, “Didi Hamann-like.” That’s really how I’ll explain it, because Didi used to score goals like that for us. What a way to grab your first, Insua!
Sadly, Insua’s strike wasn’t enough, as it was sandwiched between goals from Merida and Bendtner. Both teams could argue that they should have scored more, with Liverpool’s guilty party once again being the combination of Voronin and Babel. These two players have managed to find themselves more and more alienated from Rafa’s plans, and performances like they put forth today will only do more to hamper their chances of success in the squad. With Babel, you have to make the tap-ins and actually beat a defender from time to time. With Voronin, you can’t drop back into your own half if you are a striker and then give up a ball in the process that leads to a first goal for Arsenal. If these were one-offs, that would be one thing. But they haven’t been one-offs. They are constant occurences, and surely Rafa’s patience will tell in the transfer market. There is no way Babel can get back now, if you ask me. He’s had far too many chances to be considered part of Rafa’s master plan. I say we cut our losses and sell him for about 8-10 mil now before his price dips even more. With Voronin, I say we just get whatever peanuts and pieces of lint people are willing to shell out.
All in all, though, this result should not be viewed with too much negativity. Arsenal away in this competition was always the hardest draw, and our clash would have seen either side disappointed at an exit. I’m just thankful that it was the League Cup and not the FA Cup and that we weren’t given a right hiding. Instead, the likes of Spearing, Insua, Ngog, Aquilani, and Plessis were able to prove their worth and all did quite well. Degen even managed to impress me a little bit!
And that’s saying something.
So with this competition out of the way, I’m sincerely hoping that Rafa puts a genuine emphasis on the FA Cup. Winning that competition would be a MASSIVE boost for our club in a season where with 15 matches played, we’ve managed to already lose seven of them. Just the thought of that is mind-boggling, especially considering that one of our 8 wins was against Manchester United in a COMPREHENSIVE 2-0 victory. Football, as Kevin Keegan would say, is a funny old game.
