FOOTBALL: REAL MADRID 0-1 ARSENAL

First of all, I just want to say which players are playing well tonight.

Ljungberg, Henry, Fabregas, Reyes and Robinho, Lehmann, Casillas.

Who are the players who are playing really badly tonight?

Ronaldo, Beckham, Ramos and even Zidane.

Now, the analysis. Real Madrid were giving too much space to Henry, Ljungberg, Reyes and Fabregas to run. It was not surprising that Henry got into the scoreline with at least 3 good chances given to him alone. In fact, Real Madrid should be thankful they lose the game 0-1 and not 0-3. I can easily see 5 clear chances as a whole. Beckham wasted 1 million chances, some with the goalkeeper down. I wonder why he is still on the field? Well, Teg gave me a good answer for that.

Woodgate? I don't know about it because I woke up in the middle of the 1st half. I have no idea how bad or crucial is the injury. Zidane and particularly Ramos gave away tonnes of passes. Ronaldo with all his untimely speech regarding the home fans is totally silent for the whole match through. Cicinho should be glad he is still on the field with all those dangerous challenges.

Therefore, the substitutions of Robinho and Gravesen are totally beyond the logic. Beckham and Ronaldo should be the ones substituted. In fact, I see Robinho as the most dangerous and effective Real Madrid player of the night. Sometimes, you just have to keep quiet with the incredible decisions of the coach, which I guessed comes from the pressures of the money minded president.

The only discontentment is Reyes with his funny injury where he crawled back to the field. That is the first time I ever saw an incident like that. Someone being injured outside the field coming in to stop the match. Apart from that, I don't see a point to introduce Raul and not Cassano. Raul still being unfit and totally slow to give any danger to the opposition.

All I have to say is that Real lost because they gave too much space to Arsenal, depending too much on lousy crosses and expecting some Crouch-like players to score through headers, sending long inaccuracy passes and playing ineffective players to the end of the match for the sake of who knows what apart from publicity appearance fees.

I was in the MSN chat with Teg who is in a real fiery mood, hehe! I can imagine him with his Arsenal bandana/bandanna on his head and with an Arsenal flag on his shoulders as he jumps up and down his sofa set in front of his plasma tv. Hehe! Congratulations to Arsenal and particularly Henry. They could be the Liverpool of this season. Real Madrid need to play really effectively in Highbury if they are thinking of advancing.

This match is a gentle reminder of what Henry is capable of and how catastrophic it will be if he is to go to FC Barcelona.