RSS
Home
Breaking down a crazy Wednesday
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
AP Photo/Sean Dempsey
If all Wednesdays are like that one, then mid-week specials should become a more prominent feature of the EPL’s schedule. ‘Cause after yesterday’s fireworks, there must be something to this whole playing under the lights thing.
Where to start? Let’s go with the best GAME, first, which also included one of the top goals of this year. Perhaps we should have known it would be special after David Bentley’s stunning 40-yard volley for the opener. Count Manuel Almunia as a shocked witness to that piece of brilliance, and it would only be the beginning of a tough night for the Arsenal keeper.
I arrived at a pub at the start of the second half to meet some friends, and luckily it was pretty evenly divided among the two teams in terms of support. What a half – six goals, a two-goal comeback by Tottenham starting in the 89th minute. The roars were deafening, and goals were so frequent it was like a boxing match, left, right, left, left. Those are the games we sit around praying for, and when they come you can’t tear yourself away.
Of course Arsenal will lament the defending near the end that allowed Jermaine Jenas the space for his sublime strike to make it 4-3, but for the neutral viewer this was one to remember. When Aaron Lennon deposited the rebound in the final minute of stoppage time, my friend looked over and told me not to die after seeing my expression. This could end up the game of the season.
And meanwhile, we had the reemergence of Cristiano Ronaldo with a brace at Old Trafford in the two-nil victory to get Manchester United back on track. If you read Daniel Taylor’s write-up in The Guardian, there’s still plenty of talk about Ronaldo and the United supporters concerning his mindset after this summer’s Real Madrid fiasco. Seems all this discussion and obsession by the supporters just makes this a bigger issue than it really is. Ronaldo is in Manchester for now, and the concerns can wait until next summer.
But the other story at Old Trafford was Dimitar Berbatov’s mind-boggling tightrope down the endline to beat a defender and set up Ronaldo’s second goal. If Bentley’s goal is up there for awards at the end of the season, then this will certainly be one of the more memorable setups.
Meanwhile, Chelsea and Liverpool were able to gain full points, with Rafa’s club continuing to lead the EPL. We should be setting up for a fun weekend, and I’m heading down to Manchester tomorrow to catch the United/Hull game.
So what did you learn from Wednesday? Does Liverpool look for real now? Where will Bentley’s goal rank at the end of the season?
