Two teams with two different objectives. Hull City battling for Premier League survival. Arsenal battling to win the Premier League title. So, it was no wonder that the KC Stadium on Saturday resembled a battlefield with both teams getting physical as they attempted to become victorious.
As it ended up, it was Arsenal that grabbed the vital three points to keep the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester United, but it was a close match and it took an injury time winner from Nicklas Bendtner to keep his team’s Premier League title hopes alive.
It could have so nearly been a 1-1 draw. Hull City, obviously lacking in talent against a much more gifted Arsenal side, made up for their lack of superiority by playing with a heart, passion and drive that made Arsenal work even harder for those 50/50 balls. Plus, to make matters worse for the Gunners, Hull City poured defenders back into the box to negate Arsenal’s attacks. And it almost worked.
Nearing the 90 minute mark of this game, it looked like Hull may have achieved their goal of grabbing a vital point. Arsenal continued to push forward but looked unable to break down a dogged defence. But Arsene Wenger’s side refused to give up and it was a shot that was punched away by American-born Wales goalkeeper Boaz Myhill that ultimately led to the winner when it fell into the path of Bendtner and the Danish striker knocked the rebound past Myhill to seal the vital 2-1 victory.
Arsenal supporters erupted with joy and began singing “Super, Super Nick” over and over again.
Overall, it was an entertaining game complete with plenty of controversial incidents, some bad refereeing decisions, some very good assistant referee decisions but the 2-1 result was a fair one in the end. Hull City now look dangerously close to relegation but will take a lot of positives from this game. Arsenal, meanwhile, will get a boost from this win. This was a game that Arsenal would have drawn in the past, but they have that extra edge now that reminds me of the killer instinct that Manchester United has when they finish teams off with last minute winners to grab all three points.
Next step for Arsenal is a home game next Saturday against any team in relegation trouble, West Ham United.
Photo credit: Kassch
Does anyone remember who received the ball after the stoppage in play as result of Campbell’s tackle on Zayatte? Was the foul actually called on Sol because a few people keep saying that there was a foul committed against Campbell for which the whistle was blown, and not for Sol’s tackle. Soccernet also has Campbell down for drawing one foul in the match, but I can’t remember where that was.
I’m pretty sure Hull received a free kick, but I’m also confused about who the foul was called on. The whistle came pretty late and made it seem like there was a foul after the Campbell tackle.
Sol’s foul was the one that gave Hull the PK. He was NOT called for a foul in the tackle on Zayatte. Ref waved play on, the foul came after, I believe it was on Denilson or Nasri.
Agree. Sol got there marginally before the ball so the ref didn’t call it as a foul.
“some very good assistant referee decisions” – huh? Like the obvious offside against Vennegoor that wasn’t called and led to Hull’s PK? Or the yellow card given to Bendtner for getting slapped by Boateng?
Good assistant referee decisions such as when the asst. talked to Howard Webb and informed him of the incident between Boateng and Bendtner, which resulted in both of them getting yellow carded.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
You mean the assistant referee who told Webb that both should get yellows when Boateng poked Bendtner in the eye and Bendtner did nothing? Instead of a red for Boateng (striking an opposing player is supposed to be a straight red, not a yellow) and nothing for Bendtner?
See photo here…pretty bad refereeing in my opinion.
http://unprofessionalfoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/eye.jpg
Eladio, you mean the assistant referee who told Webb that Boateng poked Bendtner in the eye and Bendtner retaliated by pushing back or slapping Boateng?
Cheers,
The Gaffer
Gaffer, exactly where do you see Bendtner “pushing back or slapping Boateng?” Review it here (5:55 mark) http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/5045995/
The only thing Bendtner did was move Boateng’s hand out of his face.
Gaffer, I think you may be a closet Arsenal fan.
Killer instinct? I’m thinking more like dumb luck. Granted, the score’s the same.
Yes ten men on the pitch, but they also played ten men behind the ball so it didn’t really matter. As soon as they scored the equalizer Hull was playing for the draw, be it with ten or eleven men. I can’t stand when teams do that, Arsenal deserved the points.
Why does Arsenal do this to us over and over again? It seemed easier to bury the numerous changes we created before Bendter scored.
That said, they boys found a way to get the 3 points and I hope they continue like that for the rest of the season.
I was worried about Nasri today. I know the entire offense was sputtering in the second half, but he just disappeared before getting subbed off.
Also, I didn’t like the amount of dives we took today, especially in the first half. None of them really stuck out to me, but it seemed like we were relying on Hull’s reputation for fouling to win free kicks more than we were working to stay on the ball and play our game.
Who was the co-commentator? He was exceptionally biased toward Arsenal. Once they missed the offside, the penalty was nailed on, but he kept saying over and over that Vennegor played for it, marginal contact, etc.
Phil, it was Gary O’Reilly. I agree with you that he was definitely lopsided in favor of Arsenal. But in his defense, he felt pretty strongly about being against the decision.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
D and Eladio, regarding the incident between Boateng and Bendtner where both received a yellow card, I watched the video clip you shared in the above thread and it’s very interesting to watch because it’s the same video that I saw, but since the one you watched was on BBC’s Match Of The Day, it had a different commentator. Yours was Steve WIlson. On the international feed that I watched, it was Steve Banyard and Gary O’Reilly.
When Banyard and O’Reilly commentated on the incident, they pointed out how the assistant referee should be commended for bringing the issue to the referee’s attention, which is what influenced my view of the game and which is why I applauded the assistant referee.
However, after watching the video you showed, I was wrong and I completely agree with you. Bendtner should not have received a yellow card. It just goes to show you how influential a commentator and co-commentator are and how they influenced me.
The situation reminds me of the Samir Nasri stamp in the return fixture earlier this season when the footage shown on MOTD was inconclusive regarding whether Nasri stamped down on purpose, but the footage on the international feed was – I believe – conclusive and Nasri should have been red carded.
Cheers,
The Gaffer