that was a shocking first half performance but until Everton scored from a badly defended corner they hadn't really posed a threat. We offered less than nothing in the first half and they played the football.
But the difference between the top teams and the also rans is the ability to change games. Specifically, top teams have men who score key goals out of nothing and Eduardo whose first half invisibility act was true sleight of hand convinced the Everton defence that he wasn't there in the second half either. Latching onto a route one punt his control with his chest/upper arm took him up against the last defender who he left in his wake and calmly slotted home the equaliser. The second was similar though they couldn't even claim hand ball and again he placed it rather than belted it past Howard.
It was a feisty game and I haven't seen others full time comments but I think a word of praise is due the referee. He did give us some soft yellows, though Flamini took one to make his one game suspension the FA Cup (much as Cesc took one and chose to miss the Wigan home game) but he resisted the crowd's repeated yells very well. Atkinson might, however, have booked both Arteta and Neville for awful dives but he waved play on for at least half a dozen such offences by Everton. Indeed Lescott, like Neville, was guilty of these and aren't they both ugly - I mean English?! More of that later...
With a 2-1 lead and Bendtner, on one yellow, on the verge of substitution, he committed a silly and ugly foul which undeniably merited at least a yellow and was sent off. Apparently inept communications from bench to ref had prevented his substitution a few minutes earlier. So we were going to be under the cosh as a stupid boy was taught a very sorry lesson. Or so we thought, as Adebayor, on for Eduardo and chasing a lost cause, exploited hesitation in the defence. Up against Howard, as the keeper missed his kick, he won the ball and walked or rather ran it into an empty net, nearly breaking it as he made sure, following it in!
There were still a good dozen minutes plus stoppages left though and the concern was that one Everton goal might start an onslaught. But Arteta in scrapping with Fab, flung out an arm and Cesc went down. Made a meal of it? Maybe, but in a tough away game and given the sort of decisions we see against us, isn't that what foreigners do?! Arteta was given the red card and surely that was the end, with Tom sensibly on for Cesc to see out time. But no, to rub their faces in it, Ade and Diaby combined in our right hand corner before passing to Tom who slotted with comfort in at the near post. 4-1 flattered us but their display of petulance and niggle got what it deserved and we clearly do now have a Plan B or two! Psychologically too, a massive lift out of a run of poor away performances, a poor performance overall but a big and significant win, coming again from behind at a very hostile ground.
Back to Eduardo and his record for us so far is as follows - a total of only 18 games, of which only 12 were starts, and 9 goals scored. He’ll be good once he’s settled in…. and yes he has scored a few against lesser teams, but usually playing for our reserves who can’t be expected to supply the service our on song first eleven will do… He has now scored in all three competitions he's played in for us and who would rule out the FA Cup too before January is out....
Arsene, human as he is, knows and I think we'd have taken four points from Pompey and Goodison, the surprise being that we got the maximum at the harder game. We have ridden the storm with home and FA Cup games to come and the chance for a bit of rotation. Oh and apparently Manure have usually finished seasons in the position they find themselves in on New Year's Day.... Chelsea and Manure aside, all our remaining away games are against teams well entrenched in the bottom half of the table.... so they may not be easy but should all be winnable....
Bye then Jens and thanks for the good times - and knowing when to call it a day...
Happy New Year one and all
I say we are top of the league, we are...
the other DB
David Burgh
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