Sunday saw
an early start to the day, hoping for a lot better then my recent trip to
Liverpool. Having gone to Anfield early in the season, I was understandably apprehensive
about a return to Merseyside. It started badly. Ed’s Dinner wasn’t open, the
cash machine was broken and Jens Lehmann, looking splendid and tall in his club
blazer, was running away from the trains north. You need a ticket Jens just
like the rest of us! However, even though we have been terrible this season
away from home, Everton have just been terrible. Walking around Goodison pre
match you could sense the pessimism and speaking to some locals, they weren’t particularly
upbeat ahead of this one. The match kicked off and you could see why. Early chances
for Ramsey and then Lacazette, both saved by Pickford, made it feel like it
could be one of those days.
This was
then amplified when Idrissa Gana Gueye picked Granit Xhaka’s pocket and the
inevitable happened; Wayne Rooney netting against us for the fifteenth time. My
seat in the upper tier of the away section was right next to the home supports,
and when this goal went in, I made eye contact with an older gentlemen and just
started laughing.
Having already
costs us goals in defeats at Stoke, Liverpool and Watford in similar fashion,
there were question marks over the Swiss international but to be fair to him he
did go on and produce an excellent performance.
Surprisingly,
Rooney’s opener didn’t change the flow of the match and we continued to
dominate before finally beating Pickford from a thunderbolt from Nacho Monreal.
1-1 at half time, a score that would’ve suited neither; you could feel the
nervousness from both sets of supporters. At half time Everton switched from
3-4-2-1 to 4-2-3-1, which somehow made them even more open at the back. However,
it did take a sublime goal to put the Gunners in front. A brilliant cross from
Alexis Sanchez was flicked in by Mesut Özil and sent the traveling
contingent wild. One thing I did spot in the aftermath of this goal was the
passion from Grant Xhaka. Screaming, shouting and waving his arms around; maybe
a sign of his passion or could simply be relief as he was culpable for the
Everton opener. As soon as Idrissa Gana Gueye was dismissed for a stupid second
yellow, even at only 1-2, you feared for the Toffees and hoped we would be able
to see out the game which has been a problem in the past.
Goals
number three for Lacazette and four for Ramsey swiftly followed and each was
met by a mass Evertonian exit. Both these goals felt significant for the individuals
involved. This was our record signing’s first goal away from the Emirates
Stadium, which in previous games had felt as though it had been bothering him. As
for the latter it wasn’t the scorer but the architect who this was a massive moment
for. Throughout the game the previous week at Vicarage Road, despite not even
coming on, ‘SUPER JACKY WILSHERE’ had been sung non stop and the same was heard
again this week. In claiming this assist it’ll hopefully help Jack properly
feel part of the first team again. I was worried when he went out on loan we’d never
see him again. Everton did pull a goal
back and I have never seen any goal more half heartedly celebrated then this
one. This was then swiftly cancelled out by a superb goal by Alexis Sanchez but
again the defending from Everton was some of the worst I’ve ever witnessed.
All
3 of Alexis, Özil and Lacazette grabbed a goal, with the two former also getting an assist
each, and speaking to Arsenal fans in and around the ground, there was genuine excitement
about watching this trio. It was worth the wait. The elderly Everton supporter across
the barrier from me caught my eye and said, ‘the best team won by an absolute
mile, and that’s not because you’re any good it’s just we are s**t.’ The game
summed up very accurately? Maybe? We need to be shown this again against a
better side and we know how that goes for us! As we clapped our boys one very very drunk fan
ran onto the pitch towards an applauding Jack Wilshere who charitably handed
over his shirt. The lucky fan was swiftly removed to cheers as he waved his
match worn shirt like a trophy!
The feeling
was very different for the Evertonians I chatted to who were in a subdued mood
as one would expect. When asked by me who they’d want to take over from the
doomed Koeman the most common name was Sam Allardyce, maybe justified by their
current predicament. One fan was even hoping for Liverpool legend Rafa Benitez,
which would be controversial to say the least but a thing they all agreed on
was they did not want to see the return of a certain David Moyes!
Overall,
coming back on the train after an away day victory was an all to alien feeling
and we didn’t really know what to do as we usually spend this time complaining
about how terrible we were. Not to worry, there will be plenty of opportunity
to do just that on the way home from my next away trip, when we visit unbeaten league
leaders Manchester City. If that all goes wrong never fear …….. It’s Spurs at
home! Ooh to, Ooh to be…..
