Post Match Review: Newcastle Vs Arsenal

St James Park, Newcastle

0 - 0

 Arsenal’s last defeat in an away game on the opening day fixture of the season was at the North-West in Sunderland 11 years ago. The club, celebrating 125 years of existence, embossed a new crest on their t-shirts – a blend of old and new.

The gunners were fluidic in the opening minutes of the game, with their newly signed Gervinho showcasing his liveliness. It was his fine work down the right hand side flank, which provided Van Persie with the first opportunity of the match, after the cross fortuitously found the striker, only for his effort to be blocked for the corner. The Gunners enjoyed a superior share in possession during the opening 20 minutes, although they failed to crave any decent chance. The Magpies, playing very narrow in the middle of the pitch with their wingers converging, weren’t providing enough width to penetrate Arsenal’s defense. Consequently, it was a drab first half with both teams failing to produce any clear-cut opportunity and the goalkeepers had hardly any exercise.

The game needed some serious injection of pace. With Pardew’s introduction of Gabriel Obertan at half time at the expense of Demba Ba, it shifted Barton to a more central role and gave Cabaye the license to push further up the pitch, made Magpies even with Arsenal’s midfield, at the same provided them with more width. The Arsenal manager was already exasperated with the proceedings and sulked into his chair in the early second half.

If match was deprived of quality, it made up for physicality and controversy. Ten minutes into the second half, notorious Barton was again involved in an incident which could have led to the Arsenal player, Song’s send off. But his stomp on Barton’s calf went unnoticed by the officials. The infuriated Barton desperately pointed this out to the fourth official. The only real threat from either side came at 60^th minute of the game. The two Frenchmen, Obertan and Cabaye combined when Obertan, with his backside to the goal, flicked into ball into his path. The end effort was really tame.

Arsenal’s only sole effort in the second half:  Walcott managed to scoop the ball to find Gibbs on the far post. But the lay-off header couldn’t find the unmarked Van Persie and fell straight into the hands of the goalkeeper, Krul. The confrontation between Gervinho and Barton is what captured the headlines of the morning newspaper. The theatrical dive of Gervinho inside the box in an untouched Tiote’s challenge enraged Barton although the efforts to claim a penalty was waved out by the referee, Peter Walton. The roguish and unprofessional behavior of Barton got him into a brawl with Gervinho, grabbing hold of his t-shirt enticing him for uncalled slap on the face. Therefore, Gervinho was given the marching orders while Barton escaped with a yellow card. The incident echoed the sentiment of England’s manager who described him as irresponsible and dangerous. The honors were shared at the tyneside in what was really a dull game of football. The fans as well as manager looked clueless; the Gunners will need a miracle to survive the opening bombardment of fixtures.