Steve Ogrizovic, Coventry City's 42-year-old goalkeeper, was cruelly submerged
in slick Arsenal's relentless second half blitz after he threatened to frustrate
Arsene Wenger's UEFA Cup heroes in their race for another Champions' League place
next season.
Ogrizovic, making his 505th senior appearance for the Sky Blues, but his first
for nearly two years in place of the injured Swedish international Magnus
Hedman, erected a one-man barrier against a savage bombardment, pulling off half
a dozen breathtaking saves.
But Coventry's thick blue wall finally disintegrated in the face of the
Gunners non-stop barrage after the break.
Oggy, the oldest League goalkeeper since John Burridge turned out for
Manchester City in 1995, was finally beaten by Thierry Henry's thunderbolt
finish for the Frenchman's 18th goal of the season - and seventh in eight
matches - five minutes into the second period.
And although he continued to defy Arsenal's shoot-on-sight strikers, further
goals by defender Gilles Grimandi and substitute Kanu in the last 12 minutes
amounted almost to a case of cruelty to the aged.
Amazingly, Ogrizovic, the former Worcestershire cricketer was barely tested in
the first 30 minutes.
Then he made a splendid stop from Arsenal's Ukrainian centre-back Oleg Luzhny
and dived bravely to smother the ball at the feet of Ray Parlour.
But it was largely the Coventry defenders in front of him who took the
plaudits and gave him marvellously dedicated protection.
Gary McAllister's 25-yard blast for Coventry, followed soon after by Dennis
Bergkamp's attempt from similar distance - both were narrowly of target - was
all there was to commend the opening 25 minutes.
Arsenal, though, looked amazed when referee Barry Knight waved play on after
Sky Blues defender Richard Shaw seemed to knock down Parlour's return pass to
Bergkamp with his arm in the box in the 18th minute.
Coventry, with only Belgian Cedric Roussel as a designated striker, swamped
Arsenal's attempts at creativity and cohesion by filling up the midfield and
defending deep.
And Ogrizovic was having a quiet afternoon until he had to keep out Luzhny and
then thwart midweek UEFA Cup hat-trick hero Parlour who went in hot pursuit of
Henry's piercing through ball.
It was easy to see why Coventry, despite being without an away win in the
League all season, had not conceded a goal in their previous two matches. Former
Blackburn and Rangers star Colin Hendry was a rock at the centre of their
rearguard.
And Arsenal, looking for the win that would put them back into fourth place in
the Premiership and closer to second-placed Leeds after David O'Leary's side
suffered a shock setback at Leicester, were reduced to long-range pot-shots
until the second half.
What a contrast the second half brought. Ogrizovic superbly denied Marc
Overmars on the edge of the box after Bergkamp sprung the offside trap and
although Henry's spectacular strike from Vieira's perfect assist finally made
the breakthrough, Ogrizovic just kept keeping them out.
In quick succession he defied Overmars twice with plunging acrobatics, watched
in relief as Emmanuel Petit's cracking shot struck a post and then launched
himself to turn away the pony-tailed midfielder's wickedly-curling free-kick.
But it could not last. And after Kanu replaced the tiring Bergkamp, the
floodgates were flung wide open.
Lee Dixon's low, drilled free-kick from the right after a foul on Parlour was
only half-cleared in the 78th minute and centre-back Grimandi cooly controlled
the loose ball before hooking home.
There was still time for another remarkable Oggy save from Overmars before
Kanu delivered the coup de grace two minutes later, dancing onto Petit's pass
and throwing more dummies than in a tailor's shop window before sliding it past
the heroic keeper.
Teams:
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Luzhny, Grimandi, Winterburn, Parlour,
Vieira, Petit, Overmars (Suker 80), Bergkamp (Kanu 68),Henry (Ljungberg 75).
Subs Not Used: Manninger, Silvinho.
Booked: Vieira.
Goals: Henry 50, Grimandi 79, Kanu 80.
Coventry: Ogrizovic, Shaw, Gustafsson (Telfer 63), Hendry,
Chippo, McAllister, Eustace, Froggatt, Hadji (Normann 71),Whelan, Roussel.
Subs Not Used: Breen, Quinn, Kirkland.
Booked: Gustafsson, Chippo.
Att: 38,027
Ref: B Knight (Orpington).
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