Arsenal (Reservas) 2 - 3 Chelsea (Reservas)

ARSENAL RESERVES 2 CHELSEA RESERVES 3

Didier Drogba successfully completed just under an hour's football on what was a good opening to the reserve team season.

After four months of recuperation on a knee problem, it was an understandably steady rather than spectacular start to his 2008/09 campaign - but there was a sure sign of the real Drogba in creating Chelsea's first-half equaliser, providing a platform for his younger colleagues to accelerate away for an admirable win. There was plenty of entertainment throughout a game full of pace and attacking attention from both sides.

There was an opening within a minute for Chelsea, Scott Sinclair running clear with the offside flag staying down but a well-timed covering tackle saved the home side. From the corner that followed, Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny mis-read Miroslav Stoch's shot totally and was fortunate indeed to see his half-save loop up and over the goal. Chelsea were kicking down the Barnet slope, a significant advantage on this ground, but it was not enough to prevent Arsenal taking a 10th minute lead. Following on from a couple of threatening shots, Chelsea were slow to clear the ball and from the edge of the six-yard box, Mark Randall poked the ball home.

After the early set-back, Chelsea will be pleased not have fallen further behind as Arsenal maintained the pressure. Jack Wilshere scooped over when well-placed and with the Blues defence looking stretched, Rui Fonte was able to cut in and fire across Taylor, the Chelsea keeper relieved to see the ball strike the far post and fall kindly. Arsenal winger Fran Merida tried his luck from further out and Taylor tipped over.

After 20 minutes of pressure, Stoch began the Chelsea retaliation with a trick past his marker and a low drive that was saved. Where Brendan Rodgers's side were having joy was with the ball behind and the well-timed run and one such dash from Sinclair was followed by a low cross in Drogba's direction. It was cut out with the striker poised to score. The clearance only went as far as Sinclair whose follow-up shot looked on its way in before Wilshere did well to clear off the line. That was on 25 minutes and the crowd saw the best of Sinclair three minutes later as he dribbled through and shot, only for Szczesnyto pull off a commendable one-handed save with next to no reaction time.

Arsenal attacked once more when the speedy Jay Simpson worked his way past Nana Ofori-Twumasi but Taylor saved. Drogba was finding possession hard to find but on 31 minutes came his best moment yet and the pas of the game. He picked out Sinclair from a position out on the touch line, only for the England Under 19 winger to shoot over. Chelsea's anchor midfielder Liam Bridcutt was booked for an off-the-ball moment before the Chelsea equaliser came three minutes before the break. It was all about Drogba. Out on the left, full-back Ogogo was out-foxed and out muscled Senderos-style before Drogba waited his moment to set up Tejera from a yard out.

The first chance of the second half fell Stoch's way but went wide. Arsenal then struck the woodwork for a second time when a free-kick deflected up off the Chelsea wall and looped beyond the reach of Taylor. On 58 minutes, Drogba was withdrawn and replaced by Fábio Paim, the new loan signing from Sporting Lisbon who took up position on the left of the front three, Sinclair moving central. At the same moment, Michael Woods came on for Tejera. Within four minutes, the subs made a massive impact. Paim, from midway inside the Arsenal half picked out Stoch with a great diagonal ball. The Slovakian spotted a burst into the box by Woods and found him for a finish from eight yards.

Scaling the Underhill slope was proving no deterrent to the Chelsea side as a third was added on 70 minutes. Sinclair registered the goal he had been threatening when a Mellis shot was charged down but fell to the edge of the area for his colleague to slam it in under the bar. Chelsea went post rattling just two minutes later when a Stoch free-kick was curled past the wall to make it two woodwork strikes to one in the home side's favour. Arsenal reduced the real deficit to 3-2 and set-up a nerve-jangling finish with a free-kick into the top corner by Fonte after Magnay had fouled Simpson right on the edge of the area, a tackle for which he was booked.

The closing minutes saw Arsenal throw bodies and passes down the slope and Chelsea survived a ball across the face of goal by Simpson which evaded a forest of feet. Then Taylor punched over well from Wilshere, a save he had to repeat before the whistle went and the reserves were able to claim their first three points from their first game of the campaign.


Chelsea: Rhys Taylor; Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Jeffrey Bruma, Carl Magnay, Patrick van Aanholt; Sergio Tejera (Michael Woods 58), Liam Bridcutt, Jacob Mellis; Scott Sinclair, Didier Drogba (Fábio Paim 58), Miroslav Stoch (Ricardo Fernandes 86).

Arsenal: Wojciech Szczesny; Abu Ogogo, Gavin Hoyte, Kyle Bartley, Kieran Gibbs; Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin (James Dunne 59), Mark Randall (Rhys Murphy), Fran Merida; Jay Simpson, Rui Fonte.

Texto e Imagem: www.chelseafc.co.uk



A topsy-turvy evening at Underhill eventually ended in a 3-2 defeat for Arsenal Reserves at the hands of London rivals Chelsea.

A strong start and even stronger finish sandwiched a sustained spell under pressure for Neil Banfield's boys that ultimately cost them the points. Mark Randall put the Gunners in front early on, but that lead was cut just before the break by Sergio Tejera Rodriguez. And by the 70th minute Arsenal found themselves two goals behind as substitute Michael Woods and then Scott Sinclair punished some lacklustre defending. Rui Fonte's stunning free-kick 12 minutes from time proved to be scant consolation.

A fresh season brought just one fresh face in Banfield's first starting line-up, Francis Coquelin. The 17-year old Frenchman impressed in a handful of first-team appearances during pre-season and was the only player on show tonight not to have previously played under Banfield. Wojciech Szczesny was making his first appearance as the No 1 at this level. But the pair charged with arguably the hardest task of the evening sat just in front. Kyle Bartley and Gavin Hoyte where going to have their hands full with Chelsea's No 9. And the visitors' centre forward needed no introduction. Didier Drogba has been a thorn in Arsenal's side since his arrival from Olympique Marseilles four years ago. The Ivorian's last competitive appearance resulted in a red card - in last season's Champions League final. As for the rest, only four had played for the Blues in the goalless draw at Underhill back in February.

Chelsea started the brighter but only had a clutch of corners to show for their effort. Simpson fired the first shot in anger on 10 minutes before Merida drew a full-length save from Rhys Taylor. The breakthrough followed shortly after. Randall's finish to a six-yard scrap was brilliant. After a neat give and go with Coquelin, the Englishman had at least five blue shirts descend on him eight yards from goal. With a soft-shoe shuffle he escaped with the ball and dinked it over the advancing Taylor. It was a touch of class. Further warning shots followed. Fonte thumped the post from distance and Jack Wilshere scooped over after a thrusting five-man move. Merida, too, went close with a long-range effort, but in between Hoyte was required to make a last-ditch tackle to stop a dangerous Chelsea break.

Hoyte again came to the rescue midway through the half, cutting out Sinclair's teasing cross, and Abu Ogogo thwarted the Chelsea man shortly after when well placed on the line. Sinclair wasn't enjoying the best of spells. His mazy run deserved better than the scuffed finish on the half-hour. The balance of power was shifting and Arsenal were starting to sit a little deeper. It wasn't helping their cause. Sinclair fired over from Drogba's clever release. Now the £25 million man was starting to make his presence known and soon made his most telling contribution. Powering towards the byline Drogba muscled past one challenge, bided his time and fizzed an inch-perfect cross low to the back post. Rodriguez couldn't miss.

Arsenal's woes continued early in the second-half and they were lucky not to trail when an unmarked Miroslav Stoch curled an effort wide from inside the box. It was, briefly, a well-heeded wake-up call. Randall had a deflected free-kick rebound off the crossbar and Hoyte's follow-up was smothered by Taylor at the near post. However the visitors weren't on the back foot for long. With 64 minutes gone substitute Fábio Paim flung a glorious cross-field pass behind a retreating Arsenal rearguard and into the path of Stoch who in turn rolled in Woods to apply a simple finish by the penalty spot.

The third wasn't long in coming. Six minutes later the lively Patrick van Aanholt was on hand to pounce on a loose pass in midfield and when his surge forward was only half-cleared, the writing was on the wall, Sinclair eventually finishing from 12 yards out. Stoch hit the post with a free-kick as Chelsea looked to press home their advantage. But Arsenal hadn't given up the ghost. Carl Magnay was fortunate to stay on the pitch when, as last defender, he chopped down Simpson just outside the box. Rui Fonte dished out suitable justice with an emphatic free-kick. The hosts were back in it. Simpson's low cross only needed a touch, and Wilshere's audacious chip drew the best from Taylor. Bartley was next, but he prodded over from a corner. Arsenal continued to look the team most likely but the pressure came to nothing.

Texto: www.arsenal.com

01.09.2008 23:59h | Ocultar ou Mostrar Comentários | Noticias