
Arsenal’s new season started today with a friendly against League 2 side Barnet. Arsenal played a mixture of youth and first team members in a hard fought victory at Underhill stadium. The Arsenal line up was:
Arsenal:
-1.Almunia -
3. Sagna 5. Nordtviet 6. J.Hoyte 2. Clichy
11. Lansbury 4. Denilson 8. A. Ramsey 7. Traore
9. Walcott 10. Bendtner
Arsenal started proceedings with the kick off, and were keeping the ball well, trying to get a passing rythm going with a youthful looking side two players making their debuts in Lansbury and Ramsey. Barnet were not out of sorts though and had their fair share of posession in the first few minutes Barnet forced Almunia into action with a save low down to his right. In the first quarter of an hour Havard Nordtveit gave away a free kick on the edge of the area and Kenny Gillet stepped up and curled it into Almunia’s near post it was a suprising 1-0 lead to the league 2 side.
After the goal Arsenal tried to get back into the game using Aaron Ramsey’s passing skills and he was impressing, spreading the play well on a couple of occasions to the left and right wings. Arsenal was lacking that killer instinct in the final third as half time came closer and closer it looked like Barnet would go into the break with the 1-0 lead and it was to be that way. On the half time whistle Wenger didn’t look impressed with his troops and mass changes were to be made in the second period.
Arsenal made 11 changes, Mannone, Ogogo, Steer, Rodgers, G.hoyte, Wilshere, Barazite, Coquelin, Randall, Simpson, R. Fonte. Our featured player Nicklas Bendtner was replaced at half time, he looked a little rusty,he never really got going today and didn’t get alot of service but we know more will come from him in future pre season games. In the second half Arsenal gave a debut to recent signing Coquelin a 17 year old French Central Midfielder, Jay Simpson had Arsenal’s first chance of the second half with a deflected effort nearly dropping over the Barnet keeper but he caught it. Arsenal looked more and more dangerous as the half went on and the youngsters were impressing and looked like scoring, that goal came in the 63rd minute, Jack Wilshere many Arsenal fans will know from his Youtube compilations danced inside and played a delightful through ball to Jay Simpson and on his first game back from his loan at Millwall he fired home from a acute angle 1-1.
Arsenal again stepped up the tempo and looked for the winner. Arsenal got their second goal in the 74th minute, that man or should i say boy was in the thick of the action again as he raced beyond the Barnet defence and played another good through ball to Jay Simpson who on the edge of the area found Nacer Barazite who slotted home from close range 2-1 to the Gunners, and that was to be the final score, not fantastic from Arsenal but got the job done, with in the first half Ramsey impressing and in the second half Wilshere stole the show, i expect the first teamers to be more sharp next game after all this was the first game back after a long break.