Sunday's game against Chelsea was good preparation for the championship. It was a shame to lose but Chelsea were dangerous on the long balls while we tried to play our usual game.
I feel the game suffered a bit from the quality of the pitch and we were not 100% sharp to finish our combinations. But overall I am happy because we were consistent, our technical quality was good and our spirit was strong.
The result is not too important. The most important thing is not to have any injuries.
Didier Drogba scored both Chelsea goals and I feel that he gave us a hard time on the long balls. He put them in front and then they were more defensive, and that is understandable.
When they won the ball they became more direct because they have that kind of player in Robben and Duff. It was hot, it was a pre-season game and it was important to score the first goal because we had to chase the game a little.
Some people have questioned Philippe Senderos' performance but I do not want to blame him because it is a little unfair. He was not at his best but he learns from game to game and overall he is not scared to play even if he makes a mistake.
Patrick Vieira's departure has received lots of coverage. I miss all the big players I have lost in my life and Patrick is one of them, but life goes on.
Patrick goes but Fabregas stays. He had an outstanding game on Sunday for 90 minutes and it was only his second match in pre-season. People are concerned about us but we are not at all.
ハマーズ戦のです。
今回は訳付きで。日本語間違ってたらごめんなさい!!
Dear Arsenal supporter,
We were frustrated at Upton Park on Saturday because we did not win the game.
We feel we were quite solid defensively and created chances to win the game but we could not find the final ball. We could not take our chances and in the end if you make a mistake, you lose the game.
Upton Park is a difficult place to go and many teams would have lost that game because West Ham were really up for it.
We won't know whether it was a good point or a bad point until the end of the season. We played a derby and drew, and if West Ham can maintain that physical presence then it will certainly be a good point.
We are trailing Chelsea but I don't believe the title race is over. The fact Chelsea won 2-1 at home against Aston Villa does not make them unstoppable - Aston Villa lost 4-0 at West Ham after all.
I don't think that Chelsea winning was a big surprise. If everyone thinks that the championship is already over, then let's stop, give them the trophy and then start again.
We have a few injuries ahead of our match in Amsterdam, but we are confident that we can get a result out there, which would put us in a good position in the group.
I feel we had a sloppy start to Sunday's game against Birmingham, a post-European Cup match start.
We were on the back foot in the first 15 minutes and they had a good chance with Emile Heskey. Then we slowly got livelier and when we got into the game they had Kenny Cunningham sent off.
I feel it was a correct decision as Freddie Ljungberg was through on goal, but I would love to see the game remain 11 against 11 because I think we would have seen a much more interesting spectacle.
You find out more about your side when you win a game with 11 against 11.
We had plenty of chances but Maik Taylor was outstanding for Birmingham. Robin van Persie's deflected goal was the only kind of shot which could have beaten him.
I can understand that Birmingham would feel hard done by to concede a goal like that when they fought so hard. It must have been difficult to take, but after all the missed chances I was happy to see us score a scrappy goal.
It was our fourth win in the Premiership this season and I feel it is important to win these post-Champions League games.
Last season we came back from Europe and failed to beat Bolton. It is not easy when you have played in Europe in midweek and when you look at the statistics these are good games to win.
最近すっかりさぼってました。。すみません・・
土曜日のSunderland戦のものです。
Dear Arsenal supporter,
I think we played well against Sunderland on Saturday. The confidence is back in the team and, especially after a European game, we will take the three points.
We played with style and good combinations, and sharpness as well. As soon as Sunderland came back and made it 2-1 we had a job to do and we scored the third goal.
Robin van Persie scored again and he has grown a lot as a player. He has improved his link play and that's what I'm most pleased about. I know he scores goals, but I also feel that Robin's awareness is better and that is a very good sign. When you play in a central position, that is vital.
Of course, Robin is learning a lot from Dennis Bergkamp. He is a genius in the game. To play like he plays at his age, you also need to be an example for everybody. The life Dennis leads and the way he practises every day is a credit to the game.
There is no better example for Robin than watching Dennis and being inspired by him. You need a model when you want to play in a position, Dennis is a perfect model for him and he is intelligent enough to copy Dennis.
The win on Saturday took us up a few places in the league. Our target is the Premiership and I feel the potential is there, the quality is there and the belief is there.
Now our progress will depend on our consistency and our winning desire. Our home form is exceptional, now we want to correct our away form.
Thanks for your support.
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Dear Arsenal supporter,
土曜日のSanderland戦ではよいプレーが出来たと思ってます。チームに自信が戻ってきましたし、とくに、CLの後、私たちは3ポイントを得ることが出来ました。
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Dear Arsenal supporter,
We had a bad game on Saturday. The commitment of Bolton in the challenges was superior to ours and we made it difficult for ourselves. Once we were 1-0 down, it was vital not to make another mistake but we did.
In the first half we were beaten on pace and in the challenges. We paid for that. I think we were a little unlucky not to come back to 2-1. I could not see what was wrong with the goal that Robin van Persie scored.
We had a much better second half but we came back too late in the game and as long as you do not come back to 2-1 it is difficult. It was a tentative and frail performance from us. The way they played did beat us, that is credit to Bolton and it is down to our weakness.
What happened is not worrying on one side because we know we were not at our usual level. But on the other side it is worrying because we were beaten too many times in areas of the game where you cannot afford to lose your battles.
To win big games you need to win these battles, but I am not worried about the quality of the players. I know we can bounce back and be better.
People ask me about the need to buy players but Saturday was only one game and I don't think the solution is to buy every time you have a bad match. We have the quality to play better than we did at Bolton.
As for the Premiership, Chelsea are not my biggest worry. My concern is getting my team to respond in the next game.
When you are 14 points behind, you have to be realistic. You have to worry about getting closer to your other opponents in the league and then worry about Chelsea. It would be unrealistic to worry about Chelsea. Let's try to get on top of the other teams who fight for second and third, and then worry about them.
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Dear Arsenal Supporter,
There were a few turning points in Sunday's game, on both sides. You know in a game like that the first goal will have enormous importance, because 85% of these kind of games are decided on the first goal.
We feel we scored a regular goal through Robin van Persie and that the referee made a very bad decision to give it offside.
Other decisions went against us too. Michael Essien's challenge was a straight red in my opinion, it was right in front of the dugout.
You want the referees to make the right decision and I just feel that in our last two games we were hard done by with these types of decisions.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, we have to be in the Champions League next year and we want to finish as close as possible to the top team, whether it is Chelsea or somebody else.
We have to show our strength, come back and finish as close as possible to the top team.
I feel we tried to win the game against Manchester United on Tuesday night and I felt that they tried to win the game as well.
In the first half we played at a high pace, in the second half the pace dropped a bit, and in the final third we couldn't find the spark to make the difference.
You never know what you will get before the game, but I expected us to score a goal and I think we were close. Overall I think we lost our fluency in the second half and the pace in our passing. From then on we did not create as much.
I played Thierry Henry as a lone striker because I feel we have been beaten in the middle of the park in some games away from home.
When the team has lost belief you need to stabilise the defensive record first, and then change again. This season by continuing to play like we did we lost some unexpected games. To get the confidence back you need to stabilise defensively.
On the other hand I feel that we played with so many attacking players - like Pires, Hleb, Reyes, Fabregas, Henry - that to play in a strict 4-4-2 would have been a little bit too much open to counter-attacking.
We haven't scored in our last two games but I think we have shown the potential to score. This team is on the right track and it's down to us to believe and to give confidence.
We have players like Hleb who was outstanding in the first 35 minutes against United and then had 10 minutes where he is not used to the pace of such a game. But there is huge potential in there.
Fabregas, for example, is 18 now and will still be very young in five years. But I think in the next six months he will develop very well.
Tuesday's game was our fourth in eight days and we picked up eight points in that period. We played against our nerves a bit in the Boxing Day game at Charlton but we kept going and finally got the goal which gave us three big points.
The team was a bit nervy after losing a few games but the goal brought us relief and it was a deserved victory which could give us a new start.
We looked really sharp against Portsmouth two days later, scoring four goals before half-time. Every time we went forward we showed good acceleration and looked dangerous. It showed me that the team is improving again.
We dropped two points at Aston Villa on Saturday but we have to be realistic. Even in our super seasons we only made draws at Villa and you have to give them credit.
They fought for every ball and made it very difficult for us. We were not sharp enough or technically astute enough to get out of their pressure but defensively we were sound and solid.
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Dear Arsenal supporter,
I think we played a good first half on Saturday. We passed the ball well against a team that was very well organised to stop us from playing. The speed of our passing made the difference.
In the second half it was more possession than penetration and therefore it was less attractive to watch.
We got a typical cup game from Cardiff. You knew at half time that they would never give up, they would go to the end and try and nick a goal. They got that and the last five minutes were interesting again.
However we were steady, consistent and defended well. The centre backs did especially well, they were resilient for 90 minutes and kept belief until the last second of the game.
The young players impressed me. Kerrea Gilbert played very well, he looks reliable at right back. Johan Djourou was born in 1987, so he will be 19 in 2006 and I think he will develop well. He is very comfortable with the ball, has strong character and a strong build. Both of them have a future.
Robert Pires scored both goals and they were great goals. The speed of our passing got Cardiff out of position and they were good Arsenal goals.
In the second half, once we'd dropped our level physically we were less penetrative. I feel we played more to keep the ball than to kill them off.
We scored seven against Middlesbrough on Saturday but we could have scored even more. I feel we played well and we made it easy.
I think the team has been getting better and better for a while now and we needed that kind of performance to find complete belief again.
When you play our game, with our mind completely on the way we want to play, we can score goals. That is very important. We have to transfer that now week-in week-out and be consistent again like we have been before.
Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick to equal the league goals record of Cliff Bastin. There is not much more to say about Thierry. How far can he go? The real question is where he will stop. I would like to see the name of the player who will beat him!
Ashley Cole came back on Saturday after more than three months out. He was not planned to play because he had only one training session with us and it was a bit early to throw him in.
But Pascal Cygan was injured and, considering we were dominating the game, it was not too bad a game for him to start. Ashley has a slight fatigue point on his thigh, but he should be OK. We'll see in the next two days.
As for Pascal, it looks like he will be out for three weeks. It looks to be a hamstring injury but we are not exactly sure. If it's a real hamstring problem then it's 21 days.
It was a frustrating match at Everton on Saturday. It was difficult to play football and we couldn't get into our game. You have to give credit to Everton, they battled very hard and made a physical combat of it. Once we were 1-0 behind it became difficult.
We have a lot of regrets on the goal that we let in. It was important not concede the first one in a game like that.
The first half was difficult for our defenders because we had the sunshine to contend with and a lot of long balls from Everton.
We tried to come back. We were much more on top of the game in the second half and pushed up Jose Antonio Reyes as a second striker but we did not carve out enough chances.
I admit that I am worried that we can’t get our results right away from home. At home we look alright. But, away from home, we face the same physical game always and we have not found a convincing response.
We need to put some muscle in our team to get away with it.
There was a lot at stake for us against Liverpool on Sunday. We knew that since the defeat at Blackburn on February 25 we could not waste points - and certainly not at home.
We had given a lot on Wednesday night against Real Madrid but I feel this was the third great performance from the team this week. This side is slowly discovering its potential as well improving its belief and confidence.
Overall I feel we deserved to win the game. But I admit that when Liverpool equalised I was a little bit scared for a while that we could lose it. We looked like we'd had a mental blow because we missed so many opportunities to score.
But when they went down to 10 men they got scared to lose the game and basically that helped us win the match. It was a great team performance, we stuck to our game and played our quality passing. With our movement, it was outstanding to watch.
A word about Cesc Fabregas. He was very influential and it is pleasing to see that he has a more physical presence now in the games. You expect an 18-year-old player to be better and better every month. I've seen a lot of young players at the start of their careers and he's one of the best.
Returning to Premiership matters, I think we can still catch Liverpool, who are in third place after Sunday's game. I always thought that if we won that game then we could do it.
There was a little bit of a hangover for them after the Champions League exit. You grieve a little bit when that happens. They certainly gave a lot physically on Sunday but we did as well. However the difference when you qualify, or not qualify, gives you that little edge as you get tired.
久しぶりですが、、、疑惑のロンドンダービーに関してです。
またもザックリとした意訳ですんで・・・(^。^;)
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Dear Arsenal supporter,
Our 1-1 draw in the final North London derby at Highbury leaves us needing Tottenham to drop points to give us a chance of finishing in fourth place.
I don't think the race for fourth is over, but I do think Tottenham played well against us, especially in the first half.
The major talking point on Saturday was Tottenham's goal which was scored after Emmanuel Eboue and Gilberto collided inside our half and Eboue stayed down injured.
They collided with each other and with a player from Tottenham but it doesn't matter who they collided with. When a Tottenham player went down we kicked the ball out, when our player went down they didn't.
At the moment, people are usually fair enough to kick the ball out and respect the convention, even though there is no rule to make teams do that. If it becomes a rule, the difficulty is that players can gain time and cheat with the spirit of the game.
I remember the incident at Highbury against Sheffield United when Kanu kept the ball and we scored a goal. We took advantage on that occasion and then asked for the match to be replayed.
Finally, Philippe Senderos has a knee problem and had to go off on Saturday. I don't know the extent of the injury yet but I think he will be out for Tuesday in Spain.
最終戦に関するメールです。
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I felt that Wigan gave us a hard time on Sunday and we had to deal with nerves as well considering the occasion and the fact that we had to win to give ourselves the best chance of finishing fourth.
We went into the last week knowing that we had two away games, and one home game against Wigan, and less than nine points would probably have given us no chance.
But we won all three and we did it in a fantastic manner because we scored 10 goals, and we had three 'cup' games because all three teams gave us a very hard time. I'm very proud for my team because they showed a lot of character.
As for Tottenham, I don't know what happened there but I feel sorry for them. It was in their hands but they had to play Bolton and West Ham and I knew that they could drop points. Frankly, they could have dropped points against Bolton too.
In the end, even a draw for Tottenham at West Ham would not have been enough for them after we won. Sport is like that sometimes, and to lose it in the last game is difficult.
Securing a place in the Champions League via the Premiership will take a little bit of pressure off when we play Barcelona in Paris on May 17. We won't be favourites but I'm confident my team has the right character to bring the Cup back.
Sunday will always be remembered as the day we said goodbye to Highbury and the atmosphere in the ground - especially with the reaction to events at Upton Park - affected our nerves a little bit.
I tried to convince the players to remain calm because I felt that when we got back to 2-2 we rushed our game a little and tried to play the final ball too quickly. In the second half we did better.
I am regularly asked which players will stay or go in the summer and, frankly, I don't know who will go and who will stay. Personally, I want to keep everybody because I feel this team is growing particularly well.
But for now it's important to enjoy what was a magnificent final day at Highbury after 93 years there. I feel for the history of the Club and for the history of the stadium, and I'm very proud that we finished on a high.
We would all have felt guilty to walk out here on a low, after what has happened here for years. Happily, it was a celebration on and off the pitch.
I don't see how much more we could have done at the Champions League Final. I just think my players were absolutely magnificent, they were heroes but unfortunately they were not rewarded.
We will work with them to transform their frustration to come back. This team deserves a lot of credit, we lost one game in Europe all season when it was 10 versus 11 in the Final. I believe they deserve a massive credit.
I had no complaint about Jens Lehmann's red card. To me it looked a sending off card because it was a foul outside the box and it is very difficult to contest.
Jens came out and he was diving and it was in front of the line of the penalty box in an area when a goalkeeper doesn't know where he is 100 per cent. He was just a fraction outside but I don't think there is a lot of blame for him.
I would not have contested it if the ref had waited and given the goal when Giuly put the ball in the net, but if you look at the referee he was very early with his decision. I saw him whistling straight away when Lehmann made the foul.
The red card came a bit early for us because there were over 70 minutes to go and in a game like that, playing 10 versus 11 against a team which keeps the ball well is difficult.
We took the lead through Sol Campbell and I felt that his performance was very reassuring. I saw in the last two games that he was sharper and I am very happy for him because I know that when he has to deliver in a big game he can do it.
You could see how happy he was with his goal and I knew there was a goal in this game for him because Barcelona were weak in the air in defence.
We played well and I'm convinced we had two or three good chances to score the second goal. When you don't you know the last 20 minutes would be difficult.
My biggest regret is that Barcelona's equaliser was offside. When you are playing 10 versus 11 and you concede an offside goal it is difficult to accept.
Barcelona were not especially creative but they could play on our fatigue factor. I never thought we had won, I am not naive to think that at 1-0 up with 15 minutes left and 10 men. I saw that we dropped physically and I know one lapse of concentration would be costly, but I did not imagine we would take an offside goal.
I saw that at 2-1 down we could not win the ball back. Barcelona did not commit any more. I thought a break or a set piece could get us back to 2-2 but we did not have the force or strength to do it.
Anyway, I congratulate Barcelona and want to give special congratulations to my players for their superb season and the magnificent match they played in Paris.
The players were very down afterwards but it's part of the game. I know it's a common sentence but I knew the loser would not deserve to lose that game because both teams have played magnificent football in Europe and came into this Final unbeaten.
The minimum I wanted from Saturday's game with Aston Villa is that we avoided starting our life at Emirates Stadium with a defeat.
Martin O'Neill's side defended deep and fought for every ball. The question was not to make a mistake but we made one and then of course it became very difficult. I feel that it was a typical game at the beginning of the season where the players were not completely ready physically because they had returned late from the World Cup.
You can say that to come back to 1-1 was a little bit of relief. But overall if we had been really sharp we would have won this game by three or four goals.
I was happy with Theo Walcott because he came off the bench to make his debut in a tricky situation when the team were 1-0 down. I know there is a lot expected from him. But he played with freshness and almost straight away he became dangerous on the left flank. He was involved in the goal we scored as well so I must say that overall his performance was very positive.
After Saturday's game I was asked about Ashley Cole's current situation. I could have put him in the squad for the match and then he could have been sold on Friday. I did not want to be confronted with that situation. But I will play him this week if I judge him fit enough to play. Everybody says Chelsea are interested in buying Ashley but they have had three months to buy him. Now we are at the beginning of a new season and, if nothing happens, I believe he will stay.
Finally, a word about Emirates Stadium itself. Saturday's game was the first competitive fixture at the Stadium after all. I honestly think it will take 10 games for us to settle at this ground. But that doesn't worry me too much.
On Saturday, the pitch was great, the fans were great and the atmosphere was great. All we need now is for the team to be great. We are working on it.
Manchester Cityの敗戦の弁です。
ぶっちゃけ、何度もW杯出場選手云々と言ってるけども、
お隣のLampardだって変な訛りのRooneyだって得点してます。
もー、頑張ってよー!!!
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Saturday's defeat was a difficult one to swallow. We created a lot of chances but, as you could see, we found it difficult to finish off those chances. There was a lot of disappointment in the dressing room after the game.
Clearly we are not completely fit yet. With so many players at the World Cup we knew we could suffer at the start of the season, especially with the extra games we had to play in the Champions League.
It means we have had a disappointing start but there are still many positives to take, particularly with the way we play and approach the game. We have to push that through and be strong enough mentally to continue with the way that we play. It won't be long before we win these sorts of games.
Our lack of sharpness was evident in our finishing. We are lacking a little bit in that department at the moment and you could see that against Manchester City. You could say that we over-elaborated a little bit and sometimes I think we could take our chances earlier and quicker.
That was also the case against Aston Villa and Dinamo Zagreb and it can happen when you do not score early. However, I know that we have the quality to score goals as we have done in the past.
City went for long balls to Corradi and Sinclair and looked to target Justin Hoyte at left back. He had a couple of misjudgements on long balls but overall I thought he had quite a good game.
Justin's challenge led to the penalty and I cannot argue with the decision. Mind you, there was a foul on Fabregas just before that incident which should have been a free-kick. Robin van Persie had a valid penalty appeal turned down - I have seen it on the tape and feel we should have got the decision.
We are eight points behind Manchester United but, of course, it is very early. If the media wants to nominate a champion after three games then that is up to them, but we have only played twice. We will come back into the title race, don't worry about that.
Saturday's game against Middlesbrough was similar to our first two Premiership games of the season against Aston Villa and Manchester City. Once again we had the ball for most of the game and once again we put ourselves in trouble by conceding the first goal.
Once we had gone behind it was clear that Middlesbrough would refuse to come out and play. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb by making a defensive mistake and, from that point onwards, it was the same situation as before - we always had the ball, they were a bit lucky and their goalkeeper played well.
I think we lacked a little bit of sharpness because so many of our players were away on international duty but, overall, there are probably three reasons to explain our poor start and why we cannot finish teams off at the moment.
One reason - the main reason - is that we lack a little bit of physical power at the moment. The second reason is that we give the other teams confidence by going one goal down. And the third reason is that we are not completely used to how to use our pitch, which is larger than Highbury.
William Gallas made his debut for us on Saturday and I thought he did well overall. You could see that sometimes he was in trouble but he used his experience to get out of any difficult situations.
I think centre back would suit him better because physically he lacks a few games and sometimes he hesitated to cross the ball with his left foot. But overall I was pleased with his performance and I am sure he will get better and better for us.
I was proud of my players on Sunday. A loss at Old Trafford could have been decisive but our 1-0 win against Manchester United reinforces the belief that we are a very strong side.
I never thought our title challenge would have been over if we had lost at the weekend but psychologically it might have been difficult for the players. Now, instead of being 13 points behind United, we are seven behind with a game in hand.
What our victory showed was that the team has great belief. I can keep telling the players they are great but if the words are not backed up by points, it is bound to have a subconscious effect on the players.
I believe they have been very quick to draw their conclusions but, equally, I am not stupid enough to think nothing can happen to us. I have seen very good teams suddenly look average when doubt creeps in.
Given those circumstances, and the authority with which we played, this has to be my best win over United at Old Trafford and one that sends out the right signals to everyone.
The word 'transition' has been used to describe Arsenal recently but I have never believed that we are a team in transition. Yes, we are a young team but I have great belief in these players.
We are a big club, we are very ambitious and I believe we can win the title this season. To read the papers recently you would think we would be in the Championship next season!
The history books will say we beat Sheffield United 3-0 on Saturday but anyone who saw the game will know that it was not as easy as the scoreline suggests.
Sheffield United defended well and played well. I felt that we started the game well but you could see the fact that we had not yet won at Emirates Stadium played on the minds of the players when we didn't score an early goal.
Because of that we played what I describe as 'approximate football' in our passing. At half time we realised that we had to continue to do things well - defend well, attack well. Then we put them under pressure and the goal came from William Gallas. It was a big relief and you could see that.
Overall I felt that the goal would eventually come as long as we did not make a mistake at the back and let United in, as we did against Aston Villa and Middlesbrough. In the first half we gave them a few glimpses which we should have avoided, but in the second half we were much tighter.
When the players came in at half time with the score still at 0-0, I told them that we seemed too nervous and by being too nervous we were rushing a little bit when we had the ball. We were not clean enough technically and we were giving them confidence by giving the ball away too much.
We did not play very well in the last 20 minutes of the first half but we came back with quicker passing, quicker defending and more determination. When we lost the ball after the break we put them under pressure, something we didn't do enough in the first half.
I rested Alexander Hleb after last weekend's win at Old Trafford because I wanted to give Thierry Henry a game and I wanted to keep the freedom of playing with two strikers. The 4-5-1 worked last week but - with no disrespect to Sheffield United - it is difficult to do that at home in front of 60,000 fans.
The system we used at Old Trafford is not forever, it has to be adapted. And when you are at home against a team who want to defend, you have to keep an offensive formula in place.
Our Premiership form is improving and now we turn to the Champions League. Porto are our opponents on Tuesday night and it will be a difficult game - there are not many English teams who have beaten Porto, or Benfica for that matter.
We have a big challenge in front of us. What I expect from Porto is a very good technical level in the middle of the park. They keep the ball well. Winning the game is very important for us because it will leave us in a very, very strong position to qualify for the knockout stages.
Our victory at The Valley will be remembered for Robin van Persie's winning goal. It was outstanding, quite unbelievable and something which nobody was expecting.
Emmanuel Eboue got forward well on the right but when he crossed the ball I couldn't see anybody in the box. Then suddenly Robin arrived and, technically, his volley was perfect. It had power and pace and finished in the top corner. It was the goal of a lifetime.
Was it the best I have seen during my 10 years at Arsenal? Well, I must check because I have seen plenty of good ones, but it is certainly in the top five.
Robin was booked in the first half and, just after that incident, I waited a bit to see how he responded. That is football - if I had substituted him, people would have said I did the right thing, if he got sent off after the first incident people would have said I was stupid.
That shows that, as a manager, you need luck as well because I kept Robin on and he went on to score two goals, including his fantastic winner.
Overall, I think Robin has matured. He clearly has the talent and when you can adjust to the right attitude then you can become a great player. But first you need the talent. He has that and the attitude you can work on. He is getting better and better.
As Robin has shown, he can score goals. He has that quick, spontaneous movement that tells you he has class. His first goal was less spectacular but if you examine it you can see he did not need much time. He controlled the ball instantly and then it was in the net.
As for the game itself, I felt that Charlton fought very hard. When you go away after a Champions League game and then go 1-0 down, you need some quality to win. We could have finished it off a few times, but Charlton could also have come back with a few minutes to go.
Their best chance was Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink's late header. When I saw the ball going to him I thought it would be 2-2 but, luckily for us, he missed. Hasselbaink did set up their goal, of course. I thought it looked offside but the replay showed it wasn't. Maybe Kolo Toure played him onside.
We have found some momentum now. We have won twice away from home ? Charlton and Manchester United - and two Champions League games. So it is five games on the trot, but the negative thing is the interruption now for international duty.
When the players come back from international games they do not have the same focus on club football as they do before they go. We will have to get our attitude right though because we have a Champions League game in Moscow in the week after the international break.