Same Old Arsenal

The Champions League is back and this time around there were fewer surprises.

Group E

Manchester United 3, Aab 0

So before, when I said that ManU was gonna get relegated, I was wrong. Turns out Cristiano is the heartbeat that moves around all the stale blood at United. It's not such an obvious impact all the time. I mean, when he does this, that's fairly blunt, but when he doesn't appear on the scoresheet, he always makes me think. It's just the feeling you get when an important player is missing.
Stats don't always tell the full story - i.e. when Sagna went down last year there was this abrupt sense of vunerability about Arsenal's back line. And not just because it was a back-up defender - it was suddenly you had never heard of those guys and it showed. Fast forward to the start of this season when United came out flat and lacked menance. Coincidentely, they turned both those things around instantly when Ronaldo came onto the pitch (to cheers - never any doubt) in that first CL tie.
If he's on the pitch, United is United, when he's not, there any other name-drop team.

One more thing and I'm off the Manchester Wagon. Berbatov scored two goals and didn't celebrate either. The first one, granted, was a rec-league gift and the second one was kind of a snoozer as well but hey Dimitar, since when are you bigger than the game? Go ahead and celebrate next time or everyone is gonna think you dont care. I've already put you on mercenary watch.


Villareal 1, Celtic 0

A win is a win. Villa has 4 points and essentially puts Celtic on the ropes for their tie against United. Me likes because Celtic has been known make for interesting games against ManU. I'll be watching.

Oh, and Senna apparently scored a beauty free-kick but I can't find the highlights and for some inexplicable reason, at half-time, Espn only shows goals for 1 of the 7 other ongoing games. Thanks Espn coverage.


Arsenal 4, Porto 0

Here's the thing. Arsenal always plays like this. When chances become goals, Arsenal is "turning on the style," but when they don't, Arsenal's pass first, shoot never strategy fails again. Sorry, but they play pretty much the same at all times. True, the Gunners seemed to have more energy today but it's hard to claim otherwise when the embarrass the Portuguese champs. Don't get me wrong, I loved the game. We looked great, and there is again no doubt that when everything clicks, Arsenal football is the most beautiful kind. Still, it's just getting hard to stomach performances like this followed by losses to the likes of Hull City (who by the way is a legit squad - they look comfortable staying around the premiership for awhile)

Anyway, all I really wanted to note is that Adebayor's dancing scares me. In a good way, but wow, it leaves me speechless.