morning papers arsenal away

The TimesDecember 17, 2007
Ghost of Jose Mourinho comes back to haunt ChelseaMatt Hughes
Given his remarkable rise, it was with some justification that Avram Grant joked about attending Chelsea’s Christmas party last week dressed as the club’s manager, though for the biggest game of his 18-match reign yesterday he donned the mask of José Mourinho. With the visiting team sent out to defend, picking up five spiteful bookings and ending up hurling long balls to Alex as Ashley Cole grabbed Cesc Fàbregas by the throat, it was as if the Portuguese had accepted a recent invitation to return to work in London after all. The closest Chelsea got to playing sexy football was the presence of Ruud Gullit in the Sky Sports studio.
As they claim to be great friends, Grant will not follow Mourinho’s example to the letter by having a row over a Christmas card with Arsène Wenger, as happened after this fixture two years ago, though he shares his predecessor’s seasonal misfortune.
It would take Scrooge-like spirit to deny that Chelsea are being haunted by the ghost of Christmas past. Just like Mourinho last year, Grant faces an intimidating festive fixture list without several of his key players after John Terry was ruled out for several weeks with ankle ligament damage.He joins Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho on the sidelines. Unlike 12 months ago, Petr Cech is fully fit, though given his failure to claim the corner by Fàbregas that William Gallas headed home even that may be a mixed blessing.
Grant will undoubtedly be given the funds that were denied Mourinho last winter to strengthen his squad during next month’s transfer window, but coping with such a shortage of resources will still present a formidable challenge. Having embarked on an impressive 16-match unbeaten run after defeat in his first game against Manchester United, this was supposed to be the first real test of Grant’s leadership, but, as at Old Trafford, circumstances conspired to deny him a fair fight, in his own head at least.
The Israeli seized on Terry’s injury as the excuse for his second defeat, which he insists has not ended their interest in the title race — which, given it left the cumbersome pairing of Alex and Tal Ben-Haim at centre back gained him some sympathy.
“It’s disappointing because in these two games we deserved more,” Grant said. “Six points at this time of the season is not the end of the world and we can still be involved in the title race. You saw how we lost. It’s not that Arsenal is better than us.”
Grant has revealed so little of himself in three months in charge that many are still unsure of his input, though on this evidence it amounted to little more than telling his players to dig in for trench warfare. The tone was set by a tackle from behind from Frank Lampard on Emmanuel Eboué in the ninth minute for which he somehow escaped a caution, though the England midfield player, Joe Cole, John Obi Mikel, Terry and Ben-Haim soon ended up in Alan Wiley’s notebook, along with four of their opponents.
With the red mist descending, Terry was fortunate to avoid being sent off for an ugly lunge on Eboué before his participation ended in the 34th minute, with the Ivory Coast international being booked himself as he stood on his ankle in the penalty area. To the delight of the visiting fans, Eboué failed to last the course either, suffering knee ligament damage under a challenge from Joe Cole.
A scrappy contest opened up as Chelsea strove for an equaliser in the second half, with Grant again borrowing from the previous incumbent by sending a big defender up front: Alex took on a role last filled with little distinction by Robert Huth. The visiting team ended with five men up front, though the sight of Ashley Cole scrapping with Fàbregas in his own penalty box summed up their contribution to the spectacle. Some things never change.
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William Gallas delivers killer blow for ArsenalBy Henry Winter at the EmiratesLast Updated: 2:53am GMT 17/12/2007Page 1 of 2
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Arsenal (1) 1 Chelsea (0) 0
Imagine a pantomime directed by Quentin Tarantino, where villains are booed, heroes are blood-stained, the body-count is high, the entertainment pulsating, the language filthy and the audience screamed "behind you" as tackles hurtled in like boulders crashing down a mountain-side. Such was the epic drama that gripped the Emirates.
A Derby crammed with sound, fury and significance ended with everyone grasping for breath, with Arsenal regaining the high ground of the Premier League and with serious question-marks over Avram Grant's ability to inspire Chelsea against the leading sides without the heavyweight talent that is Didier Drogba. Badly missing their injured target-man, Chelsea resembled title pretenders lacking a knockout punch. Grant's 4-1-2-3 formation was never going to work with Andrei Shevchenko as the spearhead. At times, Shevchenko resembled a schoolboy trying to cross a busy motorway and worrying whether he had enough pace.
For all the recent bouquets tossed lovingly Grant's way in the post-Jose Mourinho era of peace and harmony at the Bridge, the truth remains that the Blues' fortunes are tied up with Drogba, not Grant. Nicolas Anelka could play the understudy, but he is still not in Drogba's class.
Arsenal had no absent friends to lament. Peering through the heat and dust of this memorable conflict, the Emirates appreciated even more fully the value of the returning central-midfield axis of Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini. Fabregas was the calm amidst the storm while Flamini acted as the hurricane that kept snuffing out the flames of Chelsea ambition.
This was the Premier League at its raw, mistake-filled, mesmerising best. Utterly compelling. Quixotic too. Arsenal prevailed yet arguably their most important individual was the goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia, who denied Chelsea on at least four occasions.
The famous figure between Chelsea's sticks, Petr Cech, also made a string of saves, notably an astonishing double effort to thwart Robin van Persie and Fabregas late on, yet the tall Czech will be remembered here for a mistake that gifted William Gallas the winning goal.
That Gallas scored against his former employers merely added to the unremitting noise. Even the corporate classes rattled their jewelry. A viewing audience measured in hundreds of millions will have loved it too, feasting on football that zigzagged between the carnival and carnage.
From the opening whistle, there was no quarter asked, nor given. It was difficult to know who was busier: the excellent John Obi Mikel, the flying Gael Clichy, Flamini, Fabregas or the Sky sound-man working over-time to muffle the invective pouring from the terraces.
Ashley Cole was assailed with every description imaginable, and some unimaginable. His sneaky, two-figured response may have been spotted by the FA as well as Arsenal's fans. Derision was aimed everywhere. Frank Lampard, the England midfielder, was berated with "you let your country down"; this must have struck the Chelsea man as slightly rich coming from fans of a club who did not have one Englishman in yesterday's match-day 16.
Heaven knows what Fabio Capello must think of English football when he watches a tape of this: such pell-mell football is no preparation for the cerebral demands of the international game. England's new head coach will have seen Lampard being overwhelmed by foreign talent, Joe Cole showing glimpses of class, Shaun Wright-Phillips flattering to deceive and John Terry flirting with a red card before succumbing again to injury. At least Ashley Cole, for all the abuse directed him, impressed with his constant endeavour.
The former Arsenal left-back appeared targeted by his former comrades. Emmanuel Adebayor caught him on the knee as the frenetic game unfolded. The temperature started higher and rose inexorably. When Terry had a chance to clear, he blatantly followed through to catch a prostrate Fabregas. Nasty.
Like a band of brothers, Arsenal players looked out for each other and Emmanuel Eboue swiftly made Terry pay with a high and late challenge that cut the England captain down like a sharpened scythe through wheat. One of football's tougher characters, Terry sought to hobble on, but was clearly destined for the treatment room. If Terry ever writes his life-story, the race for serialisation rights will surely be lead by 'The Lancet'.
"Stick him in a wheelchair and leave him," was one of the more printable chants as Terry was helped down the tunnel. How Chelsea could have done with their inspirational centre-half when Arsenal came calling on the cusp of half-time.
Terry might have organised the defence better. Terry might have been aware that Gallas can stoop to the dark arts in creating space at set-pieces. Tal Ben Haim, Terry's replacement, was caught out by Gallas two-handed push as Fabregas' corner swirled over.
Alan Wiley, otherwise excellent in controlling such a spiky match, did not see Gallas' sly offence. No wonder. Everyone was focusing on Cech leaping to make what appeared a routine catch for one of the world's leading keepers. Amazing, Cech missed Fabregas' inswinging corner. Gallas had gambled on the ball arriving, had pressed the nudge button to take Ben Haim out of the equation, and he hit the jackpot with a simple header. The scoring was over but not the rich entertainment. Wright-Phillips found Mikel with a clever back-heel. Ben Haim castigated Fabregas for diving. Joe Cole executed a pirouette to elude an ambush. Still the spectacle continued. On the hour, Lampard set up a chance for Mikel, whose drive was superbly pushed away by Almunia.
Still the competitive edge kept straying into a land where excess ruled. The hosts were repelling all invaders. Flamini caught Joe Cole. Clichy followed through on Wright-Phillips. Few angels could be found in Chelsea's ranks. Joe Cole put Eboue in a stretcher. Mikel put Fabregas into the hoardings. This Derby scrap climaxed with Fabregas grabbing Ashley Cole by the throat. Arsenal were determined to let nothing slip through their clutches.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indy:
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 0: Gunners defend high ground By Jason Burt Published: 17 December 2007 Big games define big teams, Arsène Wenger reminded us before this encounter. They also define big players and Chelsea may have to again cope without John Terry after their captain suffered suspected ankle ligament damage in a spiteful challenge by Emmanuel Eboué as his side lost to Arsenal for the first time since February 2004.
That defeat was pre-Jose Mourinho and now we are in the post-period. For his successor Avram Grant this was his first serious test after an impressive run of 16 matches unbeaten since defeat in his first game in charge away to Manchester United – another of the big four. It wasn't that the Israeli necessarily failed this latest test – although he certainly was failed by Terry who, for the 39 minutes he participated in this encounter, was something of a raging, pumped-up liability.
The bitterness was complete with Ashley Cole, on his first return to Arsenal since his acrimonious departure, and having suffered relentless taunting, appearing to make obscene gestures at the home supporters as he left the pitch at the end – he was the last Chelsea player to depart. Cole may face further investigation.
Terry could have been red-carded before he limped off, having deliberately slammed the ball into Cesc Fabregas as he lay prone – he was cautioned – and then kicked out at Eboué before the latter eventually, calculatedly, retaliated. The Ivorian, who has a petulant streak, also departed through injury after being felled by Joe Cole, and suffered medial ligament damage to his knee.
There were nine yellow cards in all – five for Chelsea, four for Arsenal – and two mêlées and while the home side will argue that Ashley Cole could also have been dismissed for cuffing Fabregas, Chelsea will argue that Eboué was himself lucky not to go. This was Arsenal's designated match day for their charity of the season, Treehouse, but charity was in short supply.
It was that kind of contest although, at times, a game of football was allowed to break out with Emmanuel Adebayor a forceful, relentless presence for the home side who were able to recall Fabregas, Alexander Hleb and the tenacious Mathieu Flamini from injury.
"I hope he has not gone over the ball but it was impossible to see that from the bench," Wenger said of Eboué while Grant added that the damage done to Terry will be properly assessed later today. The damage done to Chelsea will take longer to determine with Grant, who said a draw was the least his team deserved, claiming that "six points [the total by which they trail Arsenal] is not the end of the world". Wenger concurred with that and even added "I personally hope it stays a four-horse race because it's more interesting". His assessment, in fact, was that Liverpool had suffered the most from yesterday's results, because they lost at home, "but they are not out of it and neither are Chelsea because they have the quality".
That quality will be stretched. Although Michael Ballack will return for the League Cup quarter-final on Wednesday, his first game since April, Terry appears to be out to add to the injuries to Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho. But there was also self-inflicted injury with Arsenal indebted to two terrible mistakes. The first was the gift of a goal by the otherwise reliable Petr Cech, himself only just recovered from injury, the second was an horrendous miss by Shaun Wright-Phillips who volleyed woefully wide from inside the six-yard area with the goal at his mercy.
That chance, late on, came as the ball was inadvertently headed to him by William Gallas but the Arsenal captain proved to be the match-winner with another header. He, of course, was transferred across London in exchange for Ashley Cole and also arrived with something of a tricky reputation – and was even accused by Mourinho of once threatening to score an own goal if he wasn't allowed to leave.
Gallas planted the ball firmly enough in the Chelsea net yesterday. It came on the stroke of half-time after John Obi Mikel had mis-controlled a mis-hit clearance and Fabregas released Tomas Rosicky who was eventually halted by Paulo Ferreira. But Fabregas' corner looped over Cech and the woefully leaden Tal Ben Haim – Terry's replacement – for Gallas to head in. If Terry had still been on the pitch it's hard to believe he would have permitted his former central defensive partner, and friend, such an opportunity.
"He pops up when you need it, when you want it and he's a leader," Wenger said of Gallas who also scored the injury-time goal that had rescued a point against United earlier this season. "That's the best definition of a leader. He shows that he's a winner." It's a definition often applied, also, to Terry although he is not the inspiration of old right now. He appears to be in what could be termed a "bad space" both physically and temperamentally.
Both teams struggled with that during the first period. Wenger called it "a bit locked" but it soon loosened up after Gallas scored. Chelsea had to respond and dropped the tactic of pumping the ball long – maybe they thought Drogba was still there – and found that they could penetrate by encouraging Joe Cole and Mikel to thread passes. A drive by the latter was palmed away by Manuel Almunia while the Spaniard also tipped over a fierce free-kick by Andrei Shevchenko. The Ukrainian was also presented with a gilt-edged headed chance – but planted the ball weakly into the turf.
There were opportunities for Arsenal who finally found some of their free-flowing routine. Robin van Persie, on as a substitute, side-footed over before Cech produced a wonderful double-save from Van Persie and Fabregas. He was beaten, by Adebayor, but the goal was wrongly disallowed for a perceived foul on Ben Haim. It could have been costly for Arsenal, but it was Chelsea who paid the price. "Where we have improved the most," said Wenger, relieved that his team had recovered from its recent wobble, "is not to be dominated in the fight". It was certainly a scrap yesterday.
Arsenal (4-4-1-1): Almunia; Sagna, Touré, Gallas, Clichy; Eboué (Van Persie, 70), Flamini, Fabregas, Rosicky; Hleb (Gilberto, 77); Adebayor (Bendtner, 90). Substitutes not used: Lehmann (gk), Senderos.
Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry (Ben Haim, 39), A Cole; Makelele (Pizarro, 65); Mikel, Lampard; Wright-Phillips (Kalou, 74), Shevchenko, J Cole. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Belletti.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
Booked: Arsenal Adebayor, Eboué, Flamini, Fabregas. Chelsea Lampard, Terry, J Cole, Ben Haim, Mikel.
Man of the match: Adebayor.
Attendance: 60,139.
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Arsenal sitting pretty after winning ugly against off-colour Blues
Kevin McCarra at the Emirates StadiumMonday December 17, 2007The Guardian
A team renowned for its beauty will take a perverse pride in afternoons when they win ugly. This, relatively speaking, was an afternoon when Arsène Wenger's team gouged out a victory. There was spasmodic slickness on the counter-attack and, while Arsenal can be confident of returning to a beautifully articulated style, there are doubts about Chelsea achieving a higher standard.Their willpower is undiminished but that is not enough. The visitors had all their forwards on the pitch by the end; all of them, that is, except the one who is irreplaceable. Didier Drogba is in convalescence from knee surgery, bound for the African Cup of Nations and seemingly disenchanted. It sometimes seems that the Ivorian had no sooner signed for Chelsea than he was in the mood to put his name to a transfer request.
Even in his absence Chelsea will feel that this defeat was unjust. The single goal ought not to have stood because William Gallas gave the substitute Tal Ben Haim a little push before heading home a Cesc Fábregas corner on the verge of half-time.The Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, will probably consider, though, that the Israel centre-back should have been more robust when set-piece shenanigans were taking place. John Terry, who had been replaced following the bad tackle by Emmanuel Eboué that damaged the captain's ankle ligaments, would surely not have let himself be dislodged by Gallas. Chelsea missed him badly because Ricardo Carvalho is still short of his comeback.
The goal, in any case, was one that ought to have been prevented. Gallas, once of Stamford Bridge, settled the game for Arsenal in an incident where Petr Cech looked as if he had joined his old team-mate in defecting to the Emirates. The goalkeeper burst from his line yet never came close to dealing with a delivery from Fábregas that sailed over him. Cech will not believe he really atoned for that, despite a double-save by the goalkeeper in the 88th minute after the substitute Robin Van Persie and Fábregas were each thwarted following a break by Emmanuel Adebayor on the left. At the outer limit of stoppage time Fábregas shot again and saw the attempt blocked by Ashley Cole. The pair tangled in the aftermath and the former Arsenal left-back was lucky that the Spaniard alone was cautioned.
It was a peculiarity for a card to be withheld in a fixture of nine bookings. The frenzy, nonetheless, does not really divert attention from Chelsea's shortcomings. Grant's record has been good but it started with a defeat at Old Trafford and now contains the club's first defeat by Arsenal in any competition since February 2004.
They were goalless, too, against Manchester United in September, when Drogba was absent. As it happens, Andriy Shevchenko did rather well in certain respects at the Emirates, exuding a hunger to make an impact. After 89 minutes he could not quite get sufficient force on a header from Joe Cole's cross to beat Manuel Almunia and in stoppage time the Arsenal goalkeeper tipped over a blistering free-kick from the Ukrainian.
For all that, few are persuaded he will regain the greatness of the Milan days. This had not really been a match for strikers in general, with Arsenal relying on Gallas just as they had when he equalised at the end of last month's draw with Manchester United, but the overall Premier League statistics show how much more threatening they are.
With better judgment Tomas Rosicky would have kept himself onside before setting up Fábregas for a disallowed goal after 81 minutes. Chelsea had fewer moments over which to reproach themselves and Shaun Wright-Phillips had no rivals as culprit-in-chief. With 15 minutes remaining, Gallas could merely glance on a Frank Lampard cross but the Chelsea winger then struck a horribly skewed finish that skidded well wide.
While Almunia was occupied on occasion, there was scant call for him to perform marvels. While Shevchenko, for instance, applied force to an effort in the 33rd minute it flew straight at the goalkeeper. Almunia was at his best when dealing with an effort from distance by Mikel John Obi with an hour gone.
This result will please Wenger, even if it does not appeal to his aesthetic sense. Arsenal coped, despite the anxiety they could have felt about rushing Fábregas, Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb into comebacks from injury. The manager had spoken a few days ago about risking no more than two of them in this game.
His qualms were understandable, despite the fact that he ultimately ignored them. While Fábregas's stamina held up, he could not shape the play as he normally does. Wenger's reasoning, nonetheless, would have been elementary. With figures unavailable, Arsenal had garnered a solitary point from their two previous Premier League games.
It is entirely possible that Wenger will not have sufficient numbers to see this bid for the Premier League title all the way to a triumphant close. Manchester United are luxuriously equipped but Arsenal's belief in themselves is being deepened. In this match, they competed, came up with a goal, however dubious its circumstances, and defended stubbornly.
This was the unglamorous face of football and, in particular, of Arsenal. It was an afternoon to admire, say, the obstinacy of Gaël Clichy and Bacary Sagna, full-backs who largely rendered wing play an irrelevance. The same was true of an individual who used to carry out that function for Arsenal. Those home fans who booed the returning Ashley Cole so doggedly might reflect they were merely refuelling his determination.
In the end, there was more evidence that it is Wenger's team and that of Sir Alex Ferguson who are the true contenders for the Premier League title. It is as if the clock has been turned back now that Manchester United and Arsenal are once more the principal powers. It remains to be seen how much Roman Abramovich will spend to prevent Chelsea, post Jose Mourinho, from getting stuck among the also-rans.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail:
Cech gives the game away - Arsenal enjoy Chelsea’s charityArsenal 1 (William Gallas, 45 + 2) Chelsea 0
By MATT LAWTON
This was a measure of how far Arsenal have come and how much ground Chelsea have lost. A measure of Jose Mourinho's talents, not only as a manager but as a prophet. After all, did he not once say William Gallas had expressed a desire to score against Chelsea?
Here was a match that could have turned out so differently had Mourinho still been in charge of yesterday's Emirates Stadium visitors. A fiercely contested, at times badtempered encounter that would have once proved too physical for Arsenal and all too perfect for Chelsea.
Now, however, things are different. The manager Arsene Wenger never defeated has gone, leaving Chelsea lacking their usual edge and vulnerable to an Arsenal side who proved, as they did at Liverpool and against Manchester United, that they have made the transition from boys to men. This was an Arsenal side who responded to United's victory at Liverpool earlier in the afternoon with a gutsy display that lifted them back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.
That they did so after agreeing to donate their day's wages to the TreeHouse school for autistic children in London made the victory all the more poignant. But it also highlighted what remained the greatest act of charity this week: giving Avram Grant a four-year contract worth in the region of £12million.
Before anyone gets too uptight about Fabio Capello's £6m-a-year, compare the respective merits of the managers and then consider which comes closest to representing value for money and who, out of Brian Barwick and Roman Abramovich, needs their head examined.
Grant deserves to be rewarded for restoring order to a football club in chaos and masterminding an unbeaten run of 16 games. But the two defeats he has suffered have come against United and Arsenal and that has to concern his employers if they really are serious about letting him continue beyond the end of this season.
The smart money, and smart money is an increasingly rare currency in football these days, says changes will still be made, with Frank Rijkaard looking more and more likely to be reunited with Henk Ten Cate at Stamford Bridge.
Less predictable yesterday were the events that conspired against Chelsea: the sight of Petr Cech committing a rare, not to mention decisive, mistake; the sight of Gallas, once of Chelsea but now proudly of Arsenal, shoving Tal Ben Haim out of the way — perhaps illegally — and punishing Cech for flapping hopelessly at a Cesc Fabregas corner with a simple header.
By then, two minutes into firsthalf stoppage-time, Chelsea had lost John Terry when he, in turn, had lost the plot. He limped off with ankle ligament damage courtesy of a dangerous Emmanuel Eboue challenge, but only after he went close to inflicting a similar injury on a variety of opponents.
Ashley Cole, the 'greedier' half of an acrimonious swap deal, had already allowed the tension and the taunts to get the better of him — at one stage giving Arsenal fans a twofingered salute. Terry responded to that by pursuing Arsenal players in over-zealous fashion. A game that concluded with nine bookings was not Terry's finest hour.
It was not Ashley Cole's, either, and he was a little fortunate to escape the attention of referee Alan Wiley in the dying seconds when he responded to a poor tackle from Fabregas by grabbing at the Spaniard's throat.
While Chelsea suffered in Didier Drogba's absence, Arsenal benefited from Fabregas' return. In his absence, Arsenal drew at Newcastle and lost at Middlesbrough. Now they look title contenders again.
That said, it was Manuel Almunia who made the most important contribution here. He was outstanding, producing a succession of fine saves — not least in denying Andriy Shevchenko and John Obi Mikel — and giving Capello a timely reminder of his desire to play for England once he can apply for British citizenship next summer.
He was a little lucky on occasions and never more so than when Shevchenko and Shaun Wright- Phillips squandered wonderful opportunities. But it was also proof that, contrary to the belief of Jens Lehmann, he can win matches.
Gallas also makes crucial contributions and the captain who scored the equaliser against United struck again, maintaining a cool head while others around him lost theirs.
There were moments when, like Almunia, he also defended with great courage. But to Grant's dismay it was Arsenal who went closest to scoring again and Arsenal who finished the stronger. But for minor infringements and an incredible double save from Cech, they would have scored at least two more goals. Once Robin van Persie came on for the injured Eboue, they were significantly more dangerous.
That fact and his side's success in defending their advantage for the duration of a frantic second half must have been particularly pleasing for Wenger. "At least two sides at the top will drop points today," he said in his programme notes. "But we can only take advantage if we win our game."
They took full advantage of Mourinho's departure.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Flamini, Fabregas, Rosicky, Hleb, Adebayor. Subs: Lehmann, Senderos, Van Persie, Silva, Bendtner.
Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Wright-Phillips, Obi, Makelele, Lampard, Joe Cole, Shevchenko. Subs: Cudicini, Pizarro, Kalou, Ben-Haim, Belletti.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------