Arsenal Inch Back Closer After Win Over Hull

Robin van Persie grabbed three assists to make sure that Arsenal’s battle against Hull was not the same as it was last time the two sides played.  Van Persie almost scored in the first half from a splendid free kick but it was saved and rattled the bar.  However, Emmanuel Adebayor shortly gave Arsenal the lead with his 9th league goal of the season.  Later in the second half, Hull looked to be heading level when they should have received a penalty.  But instead the referee blew for an Arsenal free kick.  However, Daniel Cousin soon headed in to make amends for Hull and level it at 1-1.

But in the 83rd minute, van Persie found Nasri with lots of space and the former Marseille winger calmly slotted it in with his left foot, taking a lucky touch off the post.  Sub Nicklas Bendtner then added to Arsenal’s tally and then later hit the post in Arsenal’s first away win since the result at Stamford Bridge.

PLAYER RATINGS

Almunia 7 Looked confident in goal

CLICHY 5.5 Allowed Hull to thrive on his flank and drifting into and out of the game

DJOUROU 5 Should have given away a penalty and was nervy and poor throughout

TOURE 6 Didn’t have too much to do but defended well enough, although it could have been better

SAGNA 7.5 If all Arsenal players were as consistently excellent as him, we would have won this season’s title already!

NASRI 7.5 Took his goal well and was a threat throughout

DENILSON 5.5 Anonymous for most of the game except for the occasional glimpses of talent–and stupidity as he needlessly gave the ball away several times

DIABY 6.5 Injected more life into the game than Denilson but, well, we really are missing Fabregas

EBOUE 5.5 And we’re missing Walcott, too. Eboue showed some good touches but his end product on crosses and shots was very poor

ADEBAYOR 6.5 Scored a goal to put us into the lead but was poor and sluggish for a lot of the game

VAN PERSIE 9 Excellently set up three goals and continued his astonishing form

SUB: BENDTNER 8 Scored a goal and hit the post. Super sub

————————————————

MAN OF THE MATCH

Advertisement

~ by Jayden Gardiner on January 17, 2009.