It’s games like these that will make the Gareth Barry transfer more likely. We sit at halftime, and Arsenal is down 1-0 on the road at Fulham thanks to a volley off a corner from Brede Hangeland. Without Cesc Fabregas in the middle of the pitch to control the pace of play, Arsenal has looked very vulnerable in the midfield and on the wings. It’s not fair to evaluate the Gunners without Fabregas, but it sure looks like they could use more presence in that area with the transfer window close to ending.
Adebayor was unlucky not to score on his header that hit the post, and Van Persie failed to put both his free kick and shot in the box on net. But the short corner that scored the goal was unacceptable defense – a ball should never get that close to the ground on a corner without someone getting a head on it.
A quick rundown of some scores today: Sunderland 2-1 over Tottenham ; Everton 2-1 West Brom ; Stoke City 3-2 over Aston Villa; Newcastle 1-0 over Bolton on Michael Owen’s strike; Liverpool 2-1 on Gerrard’s 90th minute strike over Bolton; Hull City 1-1 draw with Blackburn.
More later today on the plethora of matches.