Ohhh Santi Carzoooorla! Arsenal 2 - 0 Spuds FA Cup



I just can't get that song out of my head, and it's been an almost full 24 hours since we beat the Spuds to advance to the 4th round of the FA Cup.  With a -40 degree day coming up, yesterday's performance helps to warm my heart.

The squad
We all knew rotation was in the cards with our injuries, fatigue, and illnesses (seriously, doesn't anyone at Arsenal get a flu shot?).  I, for one, was expecting to see Podolski get a start on the wing rather than as striker.  But Arsene decided to give Serge a start instead, and that paid off big time.  Youngsters are unpredictable and inconsistent, so it was great to see Serge have a man-of-the-match performance against our rivals.  His touch, acceleration, and passing were top notch, as well as his willingness to have a go at goal and get an assist.  And as a sentimental type, it gave me a huge grin to see him be the first to dog pile on top of Rosicky after he scored.  The talent is there so it's nice to see the emotional investment as well.  Going from youngest to oldest...

Rosicky continues his great form
TR7 has been a key player for a couple of seasons now.  At 33, he's playing at a much younger level and continues to push us up the pitch and model the importance of team defense.  His closing down of opponents yesterday resulted in a terrific dispossession of Rose, and his experience allowed him to stay calm as he approached Lloris for the chip.  I was worried he was taking too long to shoot, but waiting brought the goalie out and down, which allowed the chip to be successful.  It was a beauty.

Walcott surprised me.
I figured with Podolski not really looking the part of the striker and Giroud still recovering from illness that Theo would start centrally.  What I wasn't expecting was how he went deep to get the ball and bring it up, and that he didn't have to walk the ball in to get a shot off.  In fact, his first shot was some yards off.  The defense were backing up expecting him to drive toward goal, he had space and took the shot.  Against teams who are going to give Theo space, he could be unpredictable.  Considering the points that were made last match about Arsenal being too dependent on playing with a big man upfront, Theo's performance pointed to the fact that we might be figuring out how to do just that.  I liked it. What was even more unpredictable was his response to the Tottenham scum throwing coins at him (insert joke here about how much $ Spurs spent over the summer) as he was being stretchered off.  Theo is such a nice boy, it made his reaction all the more hilarious.  

More than ever, I am reminded that Adebayor is a non-issue. 
He's a waste of talent and we are well to be shod of him.  The defense handled him well, and he made himself look classless when he pushed Sagna.  Bacary's subtle headshake says it all.

My parents are becoming Gooners.
My mom especially, which has only taken me 11 years as a fan to accomplish.  It's great fun watching her cheer on the fellas.  Her main motivation may not be purely sportsman-like, however.  She often comments on how handsome our squad is.  She's not wrong.

What next?
Our boys get nine days off.  Hopefully injuries, tiredness, and illness will exit in time for our Aston Villa match on the 13th.  After being able to watch The Arsenal every three days, I am expecting to go through withdrawals, but if everyone is healed up, I'll have no complaints.

That's it for now.  Have a good one Gooners.