The warm air was stifling – another summer morning in Australia that made everyone reluctant to do anything but sit in air-conditioned offices and homes, barely moving for fear of a heat stroke. Amidst the heat and stillness, I’m sure the Arsenal fans were bouncing off the walls. I know I was.
The final scoreline after an extended period of added time read Arsenal 5 – West Ham 1. This midweek boost is exactly what Gooners around the world (and indeed, the team itself) needed after a couple of disappointing matches in the Premier League. We here at the Spot Kick (yes, my Manchester-supporting podcast co-host as well) have always been big fans of Podolski. So it was good to see that while he was banging in a goal and queuing up three assists, his cross-town competitor that many Gooners wanted last summer was busy kicking a small child.
This did leave me a small dilemma for my first foray into Gunner-specific blogging: I could talk about Podolski’s spectacular man of the match performance, or Giroud’s silencing of his critics with an efficient brace, or the incisive passing by Cazorla. But their performances speak for themselves – they don’t need some half-French, half-Italian blogger living in Australia to toot their horns for them.
There is someone, however, whose performance probably did go unnoticed. Not because it was bad, but because it was the performance of a midfield controller. “We all know about Mikel Arteta,” you say, “Plus our solid Spaniard wasn’t even playing!”
It’s not him that I’m referring to. It’s our beloved, eternal scapegoat – Aaron Ramsey.
The Spot Kick 