Overmars slices the Blades
by Myles Palmer
FEATURES
THE ARSENAL AGM - FULL WRITE UP
FIVE REASONS: ARSENAL COULD WIN IN BARCELONA
CARLTON AND ITV UPSET US AGAIN
JEKYLL AND HYDE PLAY THE NOU CAMP
Arsenal 2 Sheffield United 1
(Overmars 14, Bergkamp 36) : (Morris 88)
Marc Overmars sliced the Blades apart with surgical shooting andpassing at Highbury on Tuesday night.
The announcement of Overmars's name was vigorously booed by visiting fans, as expected.
As he dribbled towards the Sheffield punters at the Clock End, they sang, One cheating bastard, there's only one cheating bastard!
It was a vivid, compelling match because it had an extra edge. Not just a replay, but a very, very weird repeat of a game that never was.With Sheffield United fielding exactly the same starting eleven.
After 14 minutes, Bergkamp played the ball foward to his left. Hughes,accelerating in support, seemed to intercept a pass that was not meant forhim, then touched it on for Overmars, who hit a low left foot shot under Alan Kelly from 16 yards. A super-professional clinical finish by the player Wenger calls "an efficient guy".
Bergkamp, who had four assists in the 5-0 demolition of Leicester,looked scalpel-sharp again. He played Vieira into the box on the same side and for a split second it seemed Patrick might nutmeg Kelly from three yards, but the keeper blocked with his legs.
After 36 minutes, Overmars hit a Beckham-style diagonal 50-yarder from the halfway line, picking out Parlour's run.The weight on the pass was perfect, with the ball rolling towards the bye-line and almost stopping. Parlour cut it back into the box first time. The weight of his pass was very good, too. The ball wasn't quite into Bergkamp's stride, but it gave Dennis space to adjust his body shape, and measure an exquisite chipwhich sent the ball sharply up, across Kelly's dive, and into the far side of the goal. A moment of supreme class.
At such moments it is Bergkamp's team, Bergkamps crowd, Bergkamp's stadium and Bergkamp's pitch. Why else does groundsman Steve Braddock create the finest playing surface in England? So that the ball will run true and such moments of devastating skill will be possible.
Braddock's immaculate pitch, which is far superior to Manchester United's or Chelsea's right now, could play a major role in the title race.It is Wenger's invisible player because it suits his pace-based style of play.
Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Martin Keown would play football on a mountain-side if necessary, and play well, but Dennis Bergkamp needs (and deserves) a 110-yard snooker table.
Anyway, the replay was 2-0 with 53 minutes to go. And it never looked over at 2-0. Sheffield United had lost Graeme Stuart after five minutes, injured in a tackle by Stephen Hughes. Hughes had started in place of Garde. Winterburn had come back for Dixon, with Vivas switching to the right.
Vivas is now concentrating, tackling well, winning headers, passing accurately and looking skilful. A small guy, he is very good at back-pedalling quickly to prevent passes being played over his head.
And remember: playing fullback is a game of angles and good habits. It is hard to play left back on Saturday afternoon, and right back on Tuesday night.
When Vivas slightly mistimed a tiny backpass to Adams, Tony cleared the ball anyway, and gave him a little pat on the bum. As if to say, Don't worry about it - we got away with that.
After his hat-trick against stodgy Leicester, Anelka struggled all night against sharp, tight marking.
That's because he bases his midfield game on his pace, just as he bases his striking game on his pace. When Anelka cannot turn with the ball, he scoots backwards across the field with it. He would often be better playing one or two-touch.
Blades' boss Steve Bruce arranged for Anelka to be blotted out, and he was. He couldn't make through runs, and when he tried to turn away from his marker he ran into a swarm of midfield players led by the irrepressible Curtis Woodhouse.
Anelka had a left-foot shot saved (24 min), a wild blast into the North Bank after a Dennis dink gave him an opening (49), and a low right-foot shot past the far post (66). That was all he did.
Wenger brought Kanu on for Anelka (69), and Kanu had a nightmare as well.Garde came on for Overmars (74), Diawara replaced Bergkamp (79).
As Arsenal tired their passing became sloppy, and United came more into the game. They deserved their late goal. Lee Morris made it 2-1 after Seaman had made a point blank save from Marcelo (87).
On Thursday we learned that Juventus executive Roberto Bettega had been at the game and that Juve were thinking of offering £20 million for Anelka. What would they offer if they had seen him play well?
We were recently asked to believe that Juventus paid Monaco £11million for Thierry Henry, Anelka's friend.
On February 8th there was a Richard Williams profile of Anelka in The Independent. Williams said that Juventus coach Carlo Ancelotti has been overheard describing Anelka as "the Van Basten of the newmillennium".
A 19-year old with five caps cannot be the new Marco Van Basten. What tosh!
Van Basten was the greatest centre forward of the last 20 years. He had lightning acceleration and fine intelligence. Nobody except George Weah even comes close.
Unlike Anelka, Van Basten could pass, volley and head the ball. Let's wait till Anelka has scored 10 goals in the Champions League before we make comparisons like that.
The next millenium is about 40 weeks away.That's about 60 matches away. Let's see what Anelka doesin his next 60 matches. 25th February 1999.