November 12 2004

Crystal Palace

We should have beaten the champions. I never, ever thought I would be close to uttering those words after leaving Selhurst Park on Saturday evening.

For all the talk of Arsenal being in the middle of a slump and Palace going into the fixture as the in-form side most of us would have just taken a competent performance going into the game.

The amount of possession Arsenal had in the first half followed by the inevitable Thierry Henry opening goal had me fearing the worst.

But Aki Riihilahti punished me in the best possible way for doubting Palace.

Iain Dowie's Friday afternoon showing of Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman's legendary Rumble in the Jungle proved inspirational, the Eagles striking back after hitting the canvas.

How it must have hurt the likes of Alan Hansen and co to admit that our boys have turned it around, proving that we can now compete with the cream of English football.

Arsenal fans may resent losing pole position courtesy of their London neighbours, but as Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger so graciously said after the game: "Crystal Palace do it their way but they do it well. They are a respectable team and difficult to beat at the moment, for everybody."