Saturday, 20 October 2012

Norwich City v Arsenal: live - Telegraph.co.uk

61 mins: The ref, who is a bit of a fusspot for my money, books Holt for dissent.

E-mailPaul: "If they lose today Arsenal will be ten points behind Chelsea. Disaster."

60 mins: Arsenal, in contrast, look insipid and timid with the ball.

59 mins: Only one team in this the last few minutes, and it ain't Arsenal. Their wide men are getting the ball and they are not afraid to run at the Arsenal back line, keeping them pinned back and looking dangerous.

58 mins: Sheesh, Jenkinson needed to make that tackle on Piklington after good work from Holt.

53 mins: Hoolahan is clear! Go on Patches, my son. He races onto a ball and shoo.... Oh wait, he is offside. Booked! For timewasting/kicking the ball away I guess. Aw, that was a bit harsh. I don't think he could hear the whistle over the crowd's excited roar.

52 mins: Ruddy makes a mess of a cross but Giroud's overhead kick is definitely not one for the album.

49 mins: Nice spell of the ball from Norwich, they are starting to be a bit more expressive. Garido delivers the ball to the back post where Santos has the beating of Holt in a tussle. Wouldn't have bet on that outcome.

48 mins: Here's Cazorla and Santos getting into some nice areas down the left but their delivery lacks menace.

46 mins: Arsenal kick off. They look bright and brisk.

E-mailPaul Kerton writes: "Arsenal won't make the top 4 unless they can destroy Norwich. Norwich will stay up only if they beat Arsenal today. For a perennial "top 4" side Arsenal are hugely inconsistent. They miss RVP."

HALF TIME Arsenal have been pretty feeble so far, their front four haven't offered a great deal and their defence was awful at a corner, gifting Turner a free header from which he should have scored. Prior to that, a goalkeeping error handed Grant Holt a goal on a plate. I'm not saying he was offside, but it must have been close. Can Norwich hang on?

45 mins: The half comes to an end with a corner for Norwich, but Arsenal deal with it and that is half time.

43 mins: Honestly. A 14 minute flight. And them, as John Macleary points out, with their 'Green' shirts made out of, so John claims, "recycled plastic bottles." Why don't you just club the baby polar bears to death youself, Wenger. Anyhow, in the meantime, Gervinho gets to the byline and cuts back a dangerous cross. Been too little of that.

41 mins: Wait, Arsenal FLEW from Luton to Norwich last night to get to this game. What the hell?! That's what the TV commentator John Champion has just related. That is bizarre. Apparently there was a problem with the train timetable, or something. 14 minute flight. What about your carbon footprint Wenger, you rotter?

39 mins: Sloppy play from Podolski to get caught offside.

38 mins: Vermaelen fouls Holt and Norwich have a chance to whack another set piece into the Arsenal box. Better defended this time.

37 mins: Arteta flips a ball into the box from a freekick and Gervinho has a hilarious air-shot. That was village.

35 mins: Impressive stuff from Norwich, putting plenty of pressure on Arsenal's collection of pretty passers.

33 mins: Said corner is a nice delivery from Piklington and Michael Turner has a free header! Puts it wide. DREADFUL marking from Arsenal. Ooh, that was a huge chance.

32 mins: Apart from the goal, to which my considered, expert, professional response is a Nelson Muntz-style "Ha HA" this hasn't been much of a match. Here's Norwich with Holt down the right. They win a corner.

30 mins: Giroud wins a corner. Thomas V heads it over. No, beg his pardon. It got a deflection. Corner from the other side now.

28 mins: Tricksy from Gervinho, the ball finds its way through to Giroud, who is offside. VG save from Ruddy, by the way.

27 mins: Arsenal have done naff all for about ten mintues. No quality on their final ball at all. Or even their penultimate ball.

25 mins: Mannone is having a bit of a mare. Holt into the area and he comes out wide, the keeper follows him like an overfriendly labrador, miles away from the goal and unwilling to dive in. Holt is able to cross back across the goalie-free area but fortunately for Arsenal they have numbers back.

23 mins: Cazorla is too quick, too clever, too small and too tricky for Johnson, who is deceived by the Spaniard's Cruyff turn and ends up clattering him. A deserved yellow card.

22 mins: Good little spell from Norwich, pressurising Arsenal and getting a chance to swing a couple of balls into the box.

21 mins: Norwich excellent after their goal, pressing and harriyng Arsenal. Arteta is forced back, their ball players not getting any time.

GoalNORWICH GOAL! Totally out ofthe blue, Alexander Tettey runs and shoots from outside the area. It is pretty much straight at Mannone, but the Arsenal keeper just pushes it straight into the path of Grant Holt. He's in the Wide Awake club, and slots home the rebound. Ha ha ha. Excellent stuff. That should make for a more interesting game. Norwich 1 Arsenal 0 (Holt 20)

17 mins: Turner and Giroud jump for a header, the Norwich man hauls him down and Giroud makes that he has been hit in the back of the head. Didn't look that bad from my view but hey, the modern footballer is a delicate flower.

16 mins: Well, Norwich have survived the first quarter of an hour and, while they have been understandably very limited in their ambition, Arsenal have hardly terrorised them. Just that one effort from Podolski to speak about, really.

13 mins: Pretty dull stuff at the moment to tell you the truth. Arsenal dominating possession without doing a great deal. Holt is up front on his own. A rare break from Martin but no other Norwich player is really getting forward, meaning that even as busy a bee as Holt is ineffective and alone.

11 mins: Rare misplaced pass from Cazorla drifts out of play on the left touchline. Lucky for Norwich that he didn't see Gervinho overlapping outside him on the right.

9 mins: Patient stuff from Arsenal. Vermaelen tries to thread it for Giroud. Now a long ball forward and Ramsey hauls Holt down.

8 mins: Promising run from Pilkington down the Norwich left but Arsenal have plenty of men back and there is nowhere for the move to go.

7 mins: Nothing particular to tell you about in the last three minutes other than that Arsenal have had the ball, and have been playing with it nicely, and not letting Norwich have a go.

4 mins: Second warning for Norwich, if they needed it. They stand off Arsenal's midfield and it is worked neatly and quickly to Podolski by Santos. He shoots wide. DO NOT give them time and space, would have been Hughton's mantra before the game. Is he a good manager? Can his career afford a failure in this job?

3 mins: But a poor clearance by Ruddy! Drops to Gervinho, he feeds it to Podolski, but the Norwich defender Martin get a challenge in JUST before he can shoot. Corner. Cleared.

2 mins: Good start by Norwich, they are hassling Arsenal. Pilkington has a run and shot that goes wide.

1 mins: Arsenal have some early ball amongst their defenders. But now Norwich have a chance to get a ball into the box, and Vermaelen heads it practically out of keeper Mannon's hands.

17.29 Right then. Here we go.

17.25 Anyone care to make the case for Norwich? Hard to see how they can get much here. Still, hope springs eternal. It doesn't look especially like it has sprung into the heart of Chris Hughton, who is chewing gum nervously and rather glumly on the bench.

17.20 Apparently in tribute to the Great British Bake Off, there is an ESPN feature on cake baking. Says Ray Stubbs: "Let's hope this match has all the right ingredients to rise to the occasion." I am stabbing myself in the hand with a compass. It is much less painful. On the upside, it gives us a chance to hear this...

17.15 Heee-eeere's Arsene. "Good for Wilshere to be involved with the team, he is not ready to start, but he is not far away. I am not scientific enough to tell you exactly how many minutes he could play." (Oh yes you are, don't be modest.)

"We want to dictate the game and have a solid defensive performance. Holt gave us a tough time when we played last year, and Hoolahan is very efficient in behind him. We need to break that relationship."

17.10 "If they concede," reckons Martin Keown. "Norwich will be happy to keep the store down." Oh dear. That does not sound very encouraging.

Nice bit of analysis from Craig Burley. He identifies Norwich left-back Garrido as being vulnerable to pace, highlighting how he was standing too deep to counter Raheem Sterling in the hammering they took off Liverpool. With Gervinho the Arsenal right winger also being a speed merchant, he might be in for another sticky afternoon. Sterling, by the way, has scored his first senior goal today.

17.05 Chris Hughton: "We need to get back to where we were two games ago, there is no tougher task then today's. We have played well in four games and not got a win although we were poor in the other three. Our level overall this season has been pretty good. We are up against arguably the best passing team in division, a very good away team."

17.00 Who do you fancy for this one, then? Hard to feel confident for Norwich, isn't it? Arsenal are in ninth after this afternoon's results, but can go fourth with a win.

16.55 One for all you Skee-Lo fans, that last tweet. Let's grab the teams.

Norwich: Ruddy, Russell Martin, Turner, Bassong, Garrido, Elliott Bennett, Johnson, Hoolahan, Tettey, Pilkington, Holt. Subs: Rudd, Snodgrass, Howson, Jackson, Surman, Morison, Ryan Bennett.

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Andre Santos, Ramsey, Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho, Giroud, Podolski. Subs: Martinez, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Djourou, Coquelin, Arshavin, Gnabry.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

16.50 England midfielder Jack Wilshere returns to the Arsenal squad for the first time in more than a year. The 20-year-old has been out with niggling ankle and knee problems, but was named on the Gunners bench.

Andre Santos comes in for injured England full-back Kieran Gibbs as Arsene Wenger makes just one enforced change from the side that won at West Ham.

Norwich are still looking for their first league win under new manager Chris Hughton.

Michael Turner is recalled in central defence, while winger Antony Pilkington comes into a five-man midfield as the Canaries look to recover from their 4-1 defeat at Chelsea before the international break.

16.45 Afternoon sports fans, welcome to our live blog coverage of Norwich City v Arsenal. After two hammerings in two games, Norwich can hardly be relishing the prospect of facing another of the better teams. For Arsenal fans, the big news is that Jack Wilshere is to be in the match day squad (or at least, that is what his agent says). It seems very unlikely that he will be in the XI, though. Anyhow, here's Jonathan Liew on that situation.

England's laboured draw in Poland on Wednesday, during which they desperately lacked a player who could retain possession, saw Wilshere's stock rise without kicking a ball. With Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta enjoying a fine start to the season, Wilshere's return is arguably more important to his country than to his club.

Bits and bobs on info from the Carrow Road match...

Kick-off: 17.30 BST.
TV: Live ESPN, Highlights BBC1 Match of the Day2.

Norwich (Possible, 4-4-1-1): Ruddy; R Martin, Bassong, Barnett, Garrido; E Bennett, Tettey, Howson, Johnson; Hoolahan; Holt.
Out: Butterfield (match fitness), Kane, Lappin, Snodgrass (all ankle)

Arsenal (Possible, 4-2-3-1): Mannone; Jenkinson. Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Arteta, Ramsey; Gervinho, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud.
Out: Diaby, Gibbs (both thigh), Fabianski (back), Rosicky (leg), Sagna (match fitness), Szczesny (ankle), Walcott (chest).

Referee: Lee Probert. Matches: 5. R0 Y15.

Betting: Home 19-5, Away 4-7, Draw 16-5.

Stat of the game: Norwich have three points, their worst ever start after the first seven game of a Premier League season.

Oliver Brown's prediction: Norwich City 1 Arsenal 2

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