TAKE A BOW, SON

A great goal deserves a great commentary. It’s a marriage that isn’t always consummated, but at Villa Park on 17 March 2002, Andy Gray and Martin Tyler ensured it was.

With peak Robert Pires unfolding before them, the duo somehow found the words to soundtrack a moment of magic that left everyone else stunned.

As the Frenchman turned George Boateng inside out and deftly lobbed beat Peter Schmeichel, Gray dispensed with any formalities.

He groaned his satisfaction, clapped his hands and began:

"Oh sorry, I'm applauding, that's genius. That. Is. Genius. You don't buy them. They don't come in packets.

"His teammates are back on the halfway line just standing and applauding there.

"To get around Boateng was impressive enough but to have the cheek, the audacity, and the ability to finish it off like this, take a bow son, that's brilliant.”

Tyler picked up the baton:

"That is why Robert Pires is being tipped to pick up individual honours, Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, he's certainly in the frame.

"That just adds to the growing reputation in the Premiership of a player who struggled in his first season and is now dominating it."

Five days later, Pires suffered an ACL injury that curtailed his involvement in Arsenal’s run to the Double and forced him to miss the World Cup in Japan.

Had he stayed fit, he may well have won the awards mentioned by Tyler. As it happened, the man who played the ball to him at Villa Park - Freddie Ljungberg - won the former, while Ruud van Nistelrooy picked up the latter.

He wasn’t totally overlooked at the end of season galas, Bobby was deservedly named Player of the Year award by the Football Writers’ Association.