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Emirates Cup: Arsenal 3 Rangers 0 (Highlights)

By on August 3, 2009

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.856592&w=437&h=270&fv=]Arsenal completely outclassed Rangers, 3-nil, and won their second Emirates Cup in three years on the back of two marvelous performances by Jack Wilshere and Andrei Arshavin.

The youngster opened the scoring only two minutes in when Fabregas played a short ball into the box to Arshavin. Arshavin’s flick back to Fabregas failed as he was brought down but Wilshere stepped right up and fired home the opener. The second goal came less than ten minutes later when a long ball was headed back by Andrei Arshavin right into the path of Fran Merida who found Eduardo’s run into the box. You know what happened next… that’s right, the usual… a clinical finish by Eduardo. Wilshere scored the third in the 73rd minute when Sanchez Watt won the ball back in the box. It fell to Ramsey who chipped to the far post to meet a surging run by Wilshere.

Jack WilshereBut perhaps his most impressive moment came during the most impudent series of moves you will likely ever see by a 17-year old. Looking as calm and cool as can be, Wilshere’s trickery allowed him to elude two Rangers before launching a deft chip that McGregor just barely turned over the bar. Being the only English player on the pitch in the last two days can’t help but make one think that England manager, Fabio Capello, may have been there to see what all the hype was about. He will now know that it is not hype. Jack Wilshere is the real deal.

I could spend three pages spilling superlative after superlative about the kid but, in the end, it is unnecessary. Anyone who has seen him play knows what he is about and what his potential may be. Without using the word “is,” as Arsene is desperate to guard against unrealistic expectations, I will say, unhesitatingly, that Jack Wilshere CAN be the future of the Arsenal and of England, as well. That, my friends, is not superlative but simple fact. The boy has the potential and there is no one better to make sure he reaches that potential than Arsene Wenger.

For his part, Arshavin was instrumental in the first two goals yesterday as well as scoring two in the first match. Arsenal have now won five matches in a row following the opening draw with Barnet and will leave for Spain where they face Valencia in their final pre-season fixture before opening at Goodison Park in two weeks’ time.

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