The Offsider

And we're Arsenal
Arsenal FC!
We're by far the greatest team
The world has ever seen!

- Emirates Stadium, on a glorious European night

I've been thinking about it, and maybe Adebayor doesn't understand the definition of offside. He's been offside three or four times now, and he's always just offside by half a body-length. Once or twice, it even looks like he checks and intentionally positions himself offside to receive the ball.

It's not like it's that difficult to get onside. On the 10th minute, Theo received a lovely layoff by Cesc and just ran through the defense. He was marginally onside, and he checked his run to make sure he was. So it's possible to score a goal without being offside for the first four chances.

Then again, maybe Adebayor is fatalistic? Maybe he thinks that he can run wherever he wants, and if it's offside, such is life? It's the infuriating thing about Adebayor. He's got all the prerequisites to become a great striker, but he's really casual. That goal against Villarreal in the first leg was exceptional, but he missed easy chances before that. And yet, he's fast, strong, works like a beast when he wants to, and he scores a lot of goals.

So what the hell is wrong with him?

60th minute, and Adebayor scored. 2-0 to the Arsenal, and the tie's pretty much over. That's the thing about him. He does a lot of bad things in a match, but then he does one decisive thing that secures the game for us. Lovely goal, got the through ball when he was about five metres onside. I think maybe that's the way we've got to play him now - when he's so deep that there's no chance of him getting offside.

And still, you wonder if we'd be better off selling him in the summer and getting someone who's more reliable. Someone who understands what offside means, and who tries in every game. Someone like David Villa.

3-0 to the Arsenal. Walcott was hacked down in the penalty area, Villarreal lost their heads and argued with the ref until they got a man sent off, and van Persie converted the penality.

Semi-final with Man Utd awaits. C'mon the Arsenal.

P.S. You know, I predicted this result. From the post a week ago, Arsenal vs Robert Pires:

"And at least he'll be able to trot out onto Emirates for the first (and last) time next week, and suffer the indignity of a 3-0 thumping."

How good am I?