A surging, confident Arsenal FC put Villareal down 3-0 at Emirates earlier today, sending the Gunners into the Champpions League semifinal for only the 2nd time in the club's history. Arsenal will face their old friends Manchester United in a home & away set beginning March 5th at home.
Winger Theo Walcott, who was a terror down the right side all night long, got the scoring going in the 9th minute with a Thierry Henry-like chip over Villareal keeper Diego Lopez. After the goal, the Gunners poured through the Villareal defense like water through a sieve. It looked like a 2nd goal was imminent, but Emmanuel Adebayor could not find the touch and the game went to the half with Arsenal up 1 in the game and 2-1 Aggregate.
After the half, the Yellow Submarines looked sharper and began to build pressure on the Arsenal goal, though to be fair didn't create any real shots. Fill-in keeper Lukas Fabianski was brilliant throughout, particularly in sweeping up any through balls that penetrated deep.
The Villareal tide, though, was stemmed in the 69th minute when RVN and Adebayor took advantage of a slack defense and the lanky lad from Togo pushed the ball past Lopez and initiated what may be one of the lamest line dances in recent memory.
The game really got out of Villa's hand in the 69th minute when a dodgy foul in the box led to a shot from the dot and Sebastian Eguren got a red card for and an early shower. RVN lasered the penalty home and the 10-man Spanish side could only mope as Arsenal passed the ball around in what looked like a training ground exercise.
It's Chelsea Saturday in the FA Cup Semi and then Liverpool on Tuesday. The last month of the season is shaping up to be a corker!
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