Newcastle completed one of the Premier League's most sensational comebacks to claim an incredible 4-4 draw against Arsenal.
|||Newcastle – Newcastle completed one of the Premier League's most sensational comebacks to claim an incredible 4-4 draw against Arsenal at St James' Park on Saturday.
The Gunners, who started the day five points adrift of leaders Manchester United, had produced a first-half masterclass and were so superior that hundreds of Newcastle fans left at the interval.
But with Arsene Wenger's side leading 4-0, French midfielder Abou Diaby was sent off five minutes after the restart for pushing both Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan to the floor.
That gave Newcastle – trailing to goals from Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and a double from Robin van Persie – the incentive to start the most amazing recovery.
After Leon Best had found the net in between two Barton penalties, the Magpies drove forward in search of a late equaliser.
And, courtesy of a sensational left foot 20-yard volley from Cheik Tiote, the dramatic equaliser arrived with two minutes remaining to leave a shell-shocked Arsenal four points behind United, who face Wolves later on Saturday.
Arsenal could never have imagined how their afternoon would eventually turn sour as they went three up inside ten minutes.
The first was extremely well worked and provided an indication of what was to follow. When Diaby played the ball in to Andrey Arshavin's feet, the Russian's first time pass tore through the heart of Newcastle's defence.
Walcott, whose burst of speed got him ahead of Fabricio Coloccini, then stylishly slotted low in to goalkeeper Steve Harper's bottom right corner to put Arsenal ahead with just 42
seconds on the digital clock in the corner.
And when it stated two minutes and 50 seconds, Arsenal made it two. This time Arshavin's free-kick from the left flank was left for the charging figure of Djourou to head over the line.
Newcastle were horrendous at this stage and they conceded a third less than eight minutes later.
Walcott found space down the right before he rolled towards the six yard box and van Persie did not need a second invitation to turn beyond Harper to put Arsenal three up.
It was no surprise when the rampant Gunners added a fourth in the 26th minute.
This time Bacary Sagna was the man to pop up on the right touchline. With Mike Williamson showing no desire to move from his position, van Persie ran across his marker and headed the France full-back's precise centre through Harper's hands.
After the restart, Diaby's stupidity helped spark Newcastle into life.
When Barton challenged him in the Arsenal half, the Arsenal midfielder opted to take matters in to his own hands with a rash reaction that helped raise Newcastle's tempo.
Polish goalkeeper Wojiech Szczesny was alert to deny Danny Simpson but then Best was barged to the floor by defender Laurent Koscielny inside the area.
Referee Phil Dowd awarded a penalty and Barton drilled his spot-kick to the right of Szczesny.
When Best was on hand to turn Jose Enrique's cross over the line at the second time of asking with quarter of an hour remaining, the St James' Park crowd started to think about the seemingly impossible.
And then the stage was set for the most unlikely comeback when Barton powered in a second penalty when Koscielny was harshly deemed to have pulled down Williamson near the line.
There was still six minutes remaining and, somehow, the leveller arrived. A free-kick was cleared to the edge of the area and Tiote volleyed perfectly in to the bottom left.
Even then, with five minutes of added time, Newcastle could have won it. But Nolan's low drive missed by inches. – Sapa-AFP
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/newcastle-blitz-stuns-arsenal-1.1021909
The Ashes Luis Moreno-Ocampo World Cup 2018 St Lucia Madagascar Gender
No comments:
Post a Comment