Flamini’s lashed a sumptuous volley into the bottom corner from 20 yards for his second goal of the match to settle the first north London derby of the season. PHOTO: AFP
Flamini was Arsenal’s unlikely hero at White Hart Lane as he scored his first goals since March in his first appearance of the season to earn his side a fourth round tie at second-tier Sheffield on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old, who came close to leaving Arsenal in the last transfer window, punished Tottenham goalkeeper Michel Vorm’s error to open the scoring from close-range in the first half of Wednesday’s fiercely contested third-round tie.
Then Flamini stole the show by lashing a sublime 78th-minute volley past Vorm from 20 yards after Tottenham had equalised through a Calum Chambers own goal.
Wenger revealed he had told Flamini he was free to leave before the start of the season, but he was impressed with the way the veteran decided to stick around and fight for his place in his second spell at the club.
“You do not expect Mathieu Flamini to score two goals, but he was certainly frustrated for a long time, and he went for it. He scored two good goals,” said Wenger. “He had worked very hard recently. He was focused and I wanted him to strengthen our defensive midfield. He is a fighter and a winner as well. I told him at the start of the season it might be difficult to be a starter, but he decided to stay and he has been fighting.”
After successive defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and then Chelsea, Wenger was pleased to see his players’ spirit remains intact.
“Overall we responded well mentally and physically to the challenge we faced,” he added.
Liverpool’s Bogdan saves Rodgers’ blushes
Reds goalkeeper Adam Bogdan says he “got lucky” after his penalty shootout heroics saved manager Brendan Rodgers’ blushes by sending the Merseysiders past fourth tier Carlisle United in the League Cup on Wednesday.
The Northern Irishman’s side, who had failed to win their last five games in all competitions, eventually secured a 3-2 shootout win at Anfield when Bastien Hery’s tame effort for Carlisle was easily saved by Bogdan.
A sixth game without a win would only have increased the pressure on the under-fire Rodgers, on the back of a rising tide of resentment from the Anfield faithful.
“There’s method in the madness,” said the Hungarian. “Sometimes you guess right, sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t. I guessed the right way and got lucky with three shots. Thankfully we went through.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2015.
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