Arsenal Fans: Henry was fouled. World: No he wasn’t.

It’s really cute how Arsenal fans are saying that we should ‘move on’ and ‘stop living in the past’.

These be the same fans who took their frustrations out on Barca players for several days after the Champions League Final? These be the same fans who scowl, spit and swear the moment they hear the name of a Barca player? The fans who kept complaining and complaining about Ruud’s knee-high tackle and Rooney’s ‘dive’?

In that case folks, I think these same Arsenal fans are due for some more truth.

You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to try and prove that Henry did not dive. I’ll try to prove that indeed, this is a foul, and a serious one at that.

Let’s look at the evidence.

Exhibit A

Rooney is blocked off by two Ecuador defenders in England’s second-round 1-0 win. The incident happened in / near the opposition penalty area where Rooney pushed the ball passed the defenders and was bodychecked as he tried to get through them. Rooney fell to the ground, then got back up immediately when he saw that the ref hadn’t given the foul (not before shouting at the ref though).

Rooney gets bodychecked by two men in front of him, and there’s no foul.

Exhibit B

A video of the foul by Puyol on Henry. Surely this must prove Henry right – that he is not a diver, and that this truly was a serious foul.

Puyol’s foul on Henry (courtesy of CaughtOffside.com)

Please see the video for yourself.

Verdict

You have GOT to be kidding me. Of course Henry was fouled. Why? Because Puyol is a fkn cheat. Right? Ok, what about this one: Henry was fouled by Puyol because Puyol ‘flung’ his elbow into Henry’s chest?

Look at the bloody video again. It’s Puyol trying to prevent Henry from crossing him. Yes, there is body contact, just as there is when Henry decides to shoulder barge opposition players off the ball. No foul then, is there, even when the player is thrown off balance and goes to the ground?

It was obvious the first time I saw it on TV (in realtime) that Henry had gone down too easily. You dont get thrown backwards or stop and just fall to the ground if you run into someone from behind who is also running in the same direction as you.

There would have been no whistle blown and no foul called if Henry had not gone down.

Message for Arsenal Fans

I just have one thing to say to you guys…

Now that your holier-than-thou legend, god, master, whatever has shown himself to be as human as the rest of us, drop the ‘we’re so better than the rest of you all’ act as well. You guys have always used Henry as an excuse for your dominance, now we know how you got to the top – on the same path as Barca, Chelsea and yes, even United, have followed.

So stop calling a black spot grey, and then we can move on.

Update

This was just too good to leave out.

Exhibit C

Henry and Puyol collide while going for the ball. Is it a foul? Really? REALLY?