by kibaxx7 on Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:04 am
Newcastle United FC - 1 (0)
---- Harper; Geremi, Beye, Caçapa, N'Zogbia; Ameobi, Butt, Emre, Milner; Martins, Smith :: 4-4-2
---- 29'
Beye; 33'
Beye; 59'
Viduka
Martins; 83'
Ameobi (1-2)
Arsenal FC - 2 (1)
---- Almunia; Hoyte, Touré, Gallas, Clichy; Hleb, Gilberto Silva, Fabregas, Rosický; van Persie, Adebayor :: 4-4-2
---- 13'
Rosický; 25'
Hleb (1-0); 55'
Walcott
Rosický; 66'
van Persie (2-0); 70'
Eduardo
Adebayor; 84'
Senderos
Clichy
NEWCASTLE, August 15 -- Robin van Persie found the net again in his side's win as Arsenal moved into the Barclays Premiership top places with a 2-1 win over Newcastle United.
The Dutchman took his season tally to 3 in 2 games as the Gunners moved into second place with only Portsmouth above, who also won both games but are in first place on goal difference. Shola Ameobi pulled a late goal back for Newcastle but it could not prevent the home side from suffering a defeat. Alexander Hleb scored the first as he broke Newcastle defence's offside trap in the 25th minute and with only Stephen Harper to beat.
A dangerous Arsenal attack was only half-cleared by home full-back Claudio Caçapa as far as Emmanuel Adebayor and, although the Togo international's well-struck shot looked to be heading wide, Hleb showed good reactions to divert it past Harper from inside the area; Kevin Keegan's side knew they needed a quick response or risk suffering a setback in front of their own fans. Obafemi Martins almost provided it in the 27th minute after robbing Justin Hoyte of the ball, but his shot flew across the face of goal and the chance was lost.
Two minutes later, as Adebayor was approaching the area, Habib Beye took him down and he earned his first yellow. Newcastle only played with 11 players four more minutes as Beye then took down Tomás Rosický and the referee showed him the red card. No much more happened in the first half, only an opportunity for the Magpies; Alan Smith cleverly worked himself some space on the edge of the box before firing in a shot was heading for the top corner until William Gallas got his head in the way and deflected it behind.
Keegan's men looked more lively at the start of the second half, and Martins came close to pulling a goal back in the 59th minute. That was the Nigeria international last action of the match, as he was immediately replaced by Mark Viduka. Viduka could do little to get Newcastle back into the game, and at the other end only a superb block by Harper denied Adebayor his goal. Three minutes after that, Theo Walcott - who replaced Rosický - had an opportunity for the hosts after being slipped in by Francesc Fabregas, but his low left-footed shot was saved by the feet of Harper.
At the 66th minute, the in-form van Persie was so profligate with his chance as he put Arsène Wenger's team ahead with a superb free-kick: a foul on Fabregas just outside the Toon area to the right of centre gave the Dutchman his opportunity, and the former Feyenoord striker took full advantage by curling a shot over the wall and into the near top corner of Harper's net. Harper continued to be the busier of the goalkeepers and with 15 minutes remaining he had to tip over a rising Adebayor shot, while from the resulting corner Kolo Toure's header was cleared off the line by Geremi.
Just as the game looked to be drifting to a predictable close, Magpies pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute when the unmarked Ameobi tapped home at the far post after James Milner had volleyed Nicky Butt's corner goalwards. However, there was not much time left after that for Newcastle to build on the goal, and they are now just three points on two games.
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Last edited by
kibaxx7 on Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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