November 7 2004

Aki Riihilahti

Winning at Cardiff in May, it was hard to envisage us playing Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. Now we have to play them in the space of one week, writes the Saint.

Our Premiership campaign started with Chelsea beating us quite convincingly in August. This would be a good barometer to see how far we have come. Teamwise we were ok, however the fact that Fitz Hall was not playing was a disappointment, but Gonzalo Sarondo replaced him, so there was nothing to worry about.

Or was there? The game started and despite us trying to get a stranglehold on the game, the Arsenal class was beginning to tell. Reyes tested Kiraly before Henry had one wide. Not even 10 minutes on the clock. It could be a long evening.

The Palace midfield was beginning to get into the game and Aki Rhihilaati brought down Patrick Viera with a crunching tackle on 12 minutes. Aki did say that no matter who the opposition, he was always going to give 100%.

He meant every word. Down the right hand side, Ashley Cole, returning to Palace and he did get a great reception was beginning to make inroads and Emmerson Boyce gave a ball away cheaply to the England man, but his pass to Henry ended with a cross to Veira, and an easy save to Kiraly was forthcoming.

We would have to cut this out, if we were going to make any kind of impression in this game. But not 2 minutes later, Granville did exactly the same only to see Henry blast over from 20 yards. We were penned back in our own half, it was all Arsenal.

Arsenals domination was such that we never had a chance to come forward as we were defending so deep, you would have thought that the back 4 were queuing up for some late night shopping at Sainsburys behind the Whitehorse Lane! However then came a real turning point in the game.

Sorondo, who was playing well sustained an injury in a clash with Henry and limped off to be replaced by Mikeal Leigertwood. Now, it would have been normal for people to feel that we really were going to be exposed.

Boyce had played well since starting this season and was once again, outstanding in this game but Leigertwood, who looked very much out of sorts against Charlton, surely not. It was only going to be a matter of time now.....

But that time never came. We grew in confidence as we put together a good 4-5 man move, culminating in Ben Watsons 30 yard drilled pass just getting the better of Wayne Routledge, before Jens Lehmann kicked the ball directly at AJ to see the ball bounce harmlessly around the Gooners backline. Could we be coming back into the game?

We were back in it. Arsenal are devastating on the break and Pires had a chance, but Kiraly was equal. We were starting to get crosses into the box when on 31 minutes, the first contentious decision of the evening came when Mike Dean gave a free kick to Arsenal, when Viera went down under a fair (ish) challenge from Micheal Hughes. From the Free kick, Veira found Reyes but it came to nothing. We could do without the referee being on their side as well.

At least the referee recognised that there was 2 teams on the pitch when Pascal Cygan, clearly the weakest link in the Arsenal team, cynically hacked down AJ on an all too rare foray into Arsenal territory.

From the free kick we won our first corner but it sadly came to nothing. 36 minutes and we were really coming back into the match. So much so, that from one Arsenal attack, Leigertwood won the header (against Henry no less) before scampering back to take it down neatly before passing it away to safety. Engaging stuff.

However Arsenal are at their most deadly on the break and Kolo Toure was allowed to run and fire in a shot which Kiraly did well to turn around the post. Henry, delivering the corner, opted to play it short and between him and Reyes, they conjured up, nothing. Thankfully.

Nothing was really working for Arsenal as having 70% of the play means nothing if you cant score. Reyes looked lively, but Leigertwood who had not played in the Premiership this season was having the game of his life, winning headers above the Spanish International, clearing at every opportunity, keeping it nice and tidy.

Boyce looked at home in the centre and despite a late flurry from Pires and co, it ended 0-0 at half time, which was amazing when you consider the amount of possession that Arsenal had. Take nothing away from our boys though, we were resolute.

However the 2nd half was going to be a totally different affair. Arsenal appeared to have shot their bolt, Cygan was booked almost immediately for a challenge on AJ, and despite nothing from the resulting free kick was forthcoming, the winds of change were blowing. Hughes was beginning to boss the midfield, again leaving Viera a reminder that he was in a battle as another trademark Hughes tackle was left with Pat on his back and Arsenal getting a free kick.

No card from the referee, meant that despite the howls of derision from the away supporters, the tackle was good. Dowie then made a substitution that raised some eyebrows, but was going to be inspired, as Routledge came off for Vasillios Lakis. It was the seminal moment that we had been waiting for.

That is not to say that Routledge had a bad game, far from it. But he was getting no change out of Cole and looked quite unthreatening. However we had becoming threatening. 10 passes in a row receiving the "oles!" from the crowd was amazing. We lost at Wigan one year ago live on Sky and now here we were, passing the ball around quite adroitly against the Champions.

Dreams are made of this. Ben Watsons' forward 15 yard pass was just too far in front of AJ and Lehmann made a comfortable catch. 60 seconds later, Aki and Watson were in the thick of it again, Lehmann coming out to deny the Palace youngster any sniff of a chance.

However you cannot discount Arsenal and from the resulting break, won a corner which Pires put over. 60 minutes gone, but the threat was still there.

Fireworks night may well have gone by. However the match suddenly had its blue (or should that be red and blue)touch paper lit as from the next break Ljungberg cut in and sent a cross over which was met by Thierry Henry and Arsenal were ahead. The sight of AJ bouncing the ball in the cetnre circle as the Gooners celebrated was strange.

He was bouncing it up and down like nothing had happened. He must have been disappointed, to see Henry stretch one more goal in front of him. If he was, it didn't show as almost immediately, we hit back. Hughes fed Lakis and from the run and cross the ball was just too far in front of AJ, but was right on the boot of Aki Rhihilaati who beat Toure to the ball and it was past Lehmann and in. 1-1. WE WERE LEVEL. Cue pandamonium from around the stadium. 3,000 Gooners were in disbelief. We were in dreamland.

Arsenal were paralysed, straight from the kick off, Kolkka was set free down the left and he tormented Lauren before losing out just in front of the penalty area. Ghosting past 3 Arsenal players, we have gotten a real bargain here.

Moments later, Watson with another trademark pass found AJ on the right and his cross saw Vas the Bubble steaming in but he topped the shot and the ball flew up and over Lehmanns goal from 3 yards out. That was 2-1. We could have been in front.

You couldn't blame Lakis, it was one of those crosses that just hit his foot, rather than placing it. But the damage was done, Arsenal had not recovered from the previous weeks exertions and we were on top. That defeat against Wigan when we were humiliated seemed very far away just now.

Once again, Arsenal tried to come back and Cesc Fabregas had a shot from 20 yards which Kiraly got down and made a good save from. But it was end to end stuff now and Leigertwood made a foray forward, releasing AJ on the right again and from his cross, Mikeal got the return ball but could only head it tamely wide.

No matter, it was a great incisive counter attacking move. Wenger was clearly out of ideas and took off Pires and Ljungberg fro the Dutch duo of Bergkamp and Van Persie. Almost immediately this paid dividends as a snapshot from Van Persie was brilliantly saved by Kiraly, who again looked unbeatable.

We were growing in confidence. We can match Arsenal on their day and we in the Holmesdale said exactly what we thought of Alan Hansen. Worst team in the Premiership? You're having a laugh Hansen! Atsenal kept throwing everything at the makeshift Palace defence but we stood firm.

Freedman came on to rapturous applause for Joonas Kolkka who had another fine game. Van Persie was almost set free but Kiraly came to meet it and what looked like antics, was actually a very comfortable save from the Hungarian.

It was winding down but it was now all Palace. We kept the ball and even had a couple of chances with AJ finding space and the impressive Toure and the hapless Cygan just about keeping him at bay with a couple of last ditch tackles. Despite Mike Dean trying to borrow time from somewhere we held firm.

The final whistle brought cheers from the Holmesdale faithful and silence from the away end. Dowie and the boys went off to applause and cheers which were richly deserved. No Dowie punch though, this is reserved for victories only. This is a sign of how far we have come. We could have won this game. 26,193 fans knew that, no matter what team they were supporting.

This was the biggest crowd for 10 years, our best result at home against Arsenal in the Premiership and we seem to be the strongest side that we have ever been in the Premiership under Dowie. Teams that Coppel and Smith had in our last 3 sojourns were scared of the big boys. Arsenal regularly beat us back then, by 3 or 4 goals. Now, no fear, hard work and a team spirit that just wont die.

Man of the Match - Micheal Hughes - Simply everywhere.

Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Arsenal

Riihilahti 65 Henry 63

Line Ups :

Crystal Palace: Kiraly 8, Boyce 8, Sorondo 7 (Leigertwood 23 - 8 ), Popovic 8, Granville 7, Routledge 7 (Lakis 52 - 8) , Riihilahti 8 , Hughes 9 , Watson 8 , Kolkka 8 (Freedman 81 7) , Johnson 8.

Subs Not Used : Speroni, Torghelle.

Arsenal: Lehmann 7 , Lauren 7, Cygan 6 , Toure 8 , Cole 7, Ljungberg 7(Bergkamp 72 - 7), Vieira 7, Fabregas 8 (Flamini 81 - 6) , Pires 8 (Van Persie 72 - 8) , Reyes 8, Henry 8

Subs Not Used : Senderos, Almunia.

Referee: M Dean.

Attendance : 26,193