How Did You Do That Flamini?

To have the great Maradona visit you in the dressing room after a game must have been an unbelievable experience. But to see him face to face especially after succumbing to your second straight loss to the same team by identical scores of 3-0 must have be embarrassing. I’m sure that is how the Newcastle players felt when the legend himself walked into the room.

So for the second time in a matter of 4 days, the Magpies visited Emirates Stadium to play against Arsenal. And for the second time, they got beaten by the same scoreline, albeit this time without putting as much of a fight. This was a match where Newcastle tried all night to put Michael Owen through with balls over the defense. The passes were either called offside or managed to be cut by the duo of Senderos or Gallas. Safe to say there was no need for Almunia to even put on gloves.

Surely after this game, Matthieu Flamini has warrants himself a healthy pay rise almost equivalent to that of another star of the night, Emmanuel Adebayor. Both of them ran the show for Arsenal. Flamini has not put a foot wrong all season and certainly one of the frontrunners for Arsenal’s player of the season. Flourishing in his extended stint in the center of the park, Flamini has given the Arsenal’s rearguard a more reassuring look this season. Add to that his occasional forays upfront and late runs into the opposition box, Wenger may have finally found the perfect foil for Cecs Fabregas.

It seems like a formality for the past few postings that I’ve mentioned how good Phillipe Senderos has been. He continued in the same vein in the latest win. Owen does not have a sniff of a chance. Neither did Smith for that matter. Senderos has just been a rock in his return to the first team. He is tidier with his passing and not making any rash tackles or fouls. If this goes on, I could very well fancy Wenger to have a look at the idea of a 3-5-2 with Diaby or Gilberto sitting in the middle with Flamini while Fabregas and Hleb being given free roles.

Adebayor has really outdone himself this season. No one could’ve foreseen his current ranking in the top scorer’s chart. For the amount of sitters that he has missed early in the season, he is definitely making up for it in the post-Christmas matches. Headers, right foot, left foot and even from the most unimaginable of angles, he puts in the net. Somewhere in the Catalan city, Henry must have a rise smile and staking a claim in helping the Togonator to become the player he is right now.

When Fabregas scored the third, there was sign of togetherness that was very endearing to watch. He, Adebayor and Bendtner all huddled up for an extended period of time. Perhaps and hopefully exorcising the ghost of the clash between the latter two from the drubbing last week. Add to that the final whistle huddle and you can almost picture an Arsenal dressing room that is full of families and friends.

All for one and one for all.