we witnessed history

Arsenal wasn’t Arsenal, the fans weren’t normal boring Arsenal fans, and Fulhamerica is done: yesterday morning we witnessed a moment in Arsenal history.

First, Adebayor was magnificent and has to be man of the match in the eyes of anyone with eyes.  His dribbling, control, work rate — everything — was magnificent.  I understand why people like to get down on him: last year and in some matches this year, his touch seems a little off.  He loses the ball at times, sometimes his attack isn’t that great and there are times when he dribbles off to no where.  I understand it because it’s exactly what I can’t stand about Eboue.  But unlike Eboue, Adebayor shows flashes of brilliance and opens up our game in a way that most recent fans have never seen.  Yesterday’s headers only further solidified him in my mind as a transformative Arsenal player.  Whereas last year Arsenal were limited to slick passing and trying to “walk the ball into the net.”  This year they have a player who can run under the pass.  A player who can hang in the air and turn crosses into headed goals.  A player who can chest the ball down and score on the volley.  And this is transformative because it opens Arsenal’s play up to so many more scoring chances.  And that’s exactly what we are seeing, thanks to one man: Emmanuel Adebayor.  Thus, yesterday’s match was historical from a team perspective because it showed that they can score from a multitude of angles and passes and plays.

And the fans responded positively to Adebayor yesterday creating what I believe to be a new song.  In fact, throughout the match the Arsenal fans were head and shoulders better than the Fulham fans.  And to my American compatriots who support Fulham, or whatever team you support, that is fan support.  But the magical thing about that moment was that the fans kept singing and kept singing and kept singing.  Arsenal fans who were at the match say they were singing:

“Adebayor, Adebayor, give him the ball and he will score”

You can hear it here at the 6:09 mark.  If anyone has better video of it, let me know.  And so, a new, creative, and hypnotizing chant about my new favorite player; Adebayor.  And a moment in Arsenal history.

And that was the match.  Yeah, the human victory cigar scored a third.  Yeah Cesc is totally out of sorts.  And yeah, Cesc needs to get his shooting boots on.  But who cares when Arsenal made history yesterday?

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