Fabregas adds spark to sluggish Gunners
ARSENAL 3 EVERTON 1
Everton's Tony Hibbert, left, comes to grips with Arsenal's Gael Clichy during yesterday's Premier League clash at the Emirates
Arsene Wenger insisted last week that the season begins this weekend. With the internationals done with for several months, the Arsenal manager argued that clubs would find their form. Chelsea did that yesterday -- a result that Wenger said doesn't concern him -- but Arsenal waited even longer, only beginning to play in the second 45 minutes at the Emirates.
Everton dominated in the first half, taking the lead through Leon Osman but Arsenal couldn't afford to drop any more points and in the second half they remembered that.
Goals from Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott gave them the win but they were prompted by a familiar figure.
Arsene Wenger says Cesc Fabregas is too young for the captaincy, but he is the only player leading Arsenal at the moment.
There were beautiful moments from others, as there always are with Arsenal and Walcott's half-time introduction will be portrayed as something more than coincidental by a besotted media, but it was Fabregas who tried to make a difference when Arsenal were losing, drawing and holding onto the lead.
"I believe the game changed before the introduction of Walcott," Wenger said. "He had an impact but the whole team played very well. We showed personality and mental strength."
There was also some weakness, he acknowledged, particularly in the first 20 minutes. The first indication of this vulnerability led to Everton's opening goal. Yakubu held up a long ball from defence and laid it off to Osman who knocked it out wide to Steven Pienaar. When Pienaar delivered a cross to the near post, Osman had wandered in unmarked to poke the ball past Manuel Almunia.
This Arsenal side often play like they need reminders and this should have sharpened their minds.
Van Persie had Arsenal's best chance of a first half when he drove a shot too close to Tim Howard and Emmanuel Adebayor's desperation was highlighted by the yellow card he picked up for diving as he tried to win a penalty.
Everton were more determined, their commitment exemplified by Lescott who bravely blocked a Nasri shot that was heading towards goal. David Moyes seemed to have taken a gamble with the selection of 17-year-old Jack Rodwell but the teenager was assured and protected a defence which needed little protecting in the first half.
The centre-backs were intense and united but Arsenal had less resolve and they seemed weakened further when Kolo Toure, who had struggled through most of the first half after damaging his shoulder in an early attack, went off to be replaced by Walcott.
Wenger's side may have needed Walcott but they needed no further dismantling of their defence. They went in only a goal down at half time thanks to a goal-line clearance from Gael Clichy from a Lescott header, but that was no satisfaction to the disgruntled home support which booed the team off. "I wasn't nervous," Wenger insisted.
Yakubu had a chance immediately after the restart to ensure their misery. Then Arsenal equalised and everything was forgotten. Everton's defence was sluggish for the first time, failing to clear a corner properly. The ball came to Nasri on the edge of the box and he drilled a low shot to Howard's right.
Arsenal finally looked like a team that had remembered what they were playing for.
Adebayor was alive, van Persie should have scored when he shot over from 12 yards and Fabregas, still the key man, was now one of many.
They united to scrap with Tony Hibbert who was booked for a hefty but fair challenge on Denilson, but Arsenal seemed to have discovered a cause.
Everton's counter-attacks were becoming fewer. Fabregas released Adebayor and collected the return ball. His shot was saved by Howard but the ball bounced to van Persie who nodded into the empty net. Everton seemed spent too, with only a few of their supporters, who were scuffling on the terraces, putting up a fight. "The result was cruel," Moyes claimed afterwards, but Arsenal were comfortable long before Walcott swept in the third. Wenger will hope that Arsenal's season does begin now. "We couldn't afford to drop a point," he said. Arsenal don't have the luxury of another false start.
- Dion Fanning at the Emirates Stadium
