NEWCASTLE 1 ARSENAL 2
Sissoko 48' Giroud 24' 28'
St James' Park, 21st March 2015
In football there are lots of cliches and this is a game where we can accurately use one of them. This "was a game of two halves" if ever there was one. In the first half, Arsenal were dominant and could have been out of sight. In the second half it was Newcastle's turn to take the wheel but alas for their brilliant fans they could not get that elusive second goal.
It is coming to the point that one can nearly predict
Arsenal’s season before it even begins. Always close to the top but never having
enough to be Champions; knocked out of the Champion’s league in the last 16; challenging
for the League cup or FA cup and putting together a winning run at the end of
the season to ensure qualification for the Champion’s League for the next
season. By this rationale we are into a winning phase for Arsenal as they
continued their recent good run of form in the league with a hard fought victory
over a determined Newcastle side at St James’ Park.
It started off very well for the Gunners. In fact, at times it was too easy for them and John Carver would have felt that his side was not doing him any favours in his quest to be the man in charge of the
Newcastle team come next August. Sitting in 11th position with 35
points this is a team whose players might already be thinking about their
summer plans. From the start Arsenal looked bright, passing the ball around
with purpose, their players always running and looking for an angle and a
return pass. They finally got their reward after 24 minutes when Olivier Giroud was on
hand to instinctively guide Welbeck’s header into the Newcastle goal with his
knee after a good free kick in from Santi Cazorla. That was Giroud’s ninth goal
in his last 11 games and he got his tenth shortly after. On 28 minutes another
good ball in by Cazorla, this time from a corner, and in a battle of strength with Mike
Williamson, Giroud wins the header and is able to direct it past the Newcastle
defender on the post.
 |
| Newcastle pulled one goal back but could not get equaliser. |
Newcastle fans demanded a better response in the second half
from their team and they got it. Looking for the ball now when in the first
half a lot of players went hiding Newcastle soon had pulled a goal back. Remy
Cabella made a strong run breaking down the wing and crossed well over the
heads of the first defenders to Sissoko who expertly took the shot first time guiding
the ball past the diving Ospina into the Arsenal goal. Newcastle were buoyed by
that, as were the fans, and were very unlucky not to be level at 2-2 straight
after that goal with Ayoze Perez inches from bending a shot into the top
corner.
This was a different
game completely now with Newcastle hunting for the equalizer. Arsenal who had
been coasting in the first half seemed unprepared for the change in Newcastle
attitude. Perez and Cabella were particularly effective in terrorizing the
Arsenal backline with their darting runs. Newcastle should have been level
after 64 minutes with Williamson heading straight at Ospina from a corner when
only a couple of yards out. Arsenal suddenly couldn’t get out of their own half
with Newcastle first to every ball and the Gunners had to rely on their defence
with some desperate tackles to keep Newcastle at bay. In fact on 82 minutes
Newcastle had a strong shout for a penalty as Cabella seemed to beat Koscielny
to the ball and the French defender clipping his foot in the follow through. To
the chagrin of the Toon Army the referee, Mike Jones, waved their protestations
away. The Magpies could smell salvation but
to no avail and Arsenal were able to hang on…just
Both teams will take positives from this game. Newcastle will be happy they were able to fight back from a dreadful start while Arsenal will look at their strong attacking display in the first half but more so their determined defensive display in the second half. If Arsenal are to break this Ground hog day season that their fans feel their team is stuck in they will need more of the back bone they showed today.
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