By Myles Palmer
THE BIG GAME finished 1-1, so I was wrong about there being lots of goals on Sunday.
Already sure that Arsenal would overpower Newcastle, I saw Titus Bramble looking nervous in the tunnel.I was even more convinced.
Big Titus hasn’t played lately and I reckoned he might be taken to the cleaners.
After all, Arsenal had five days or preparation, a luxury Arsene would have enjoyed.
He loves a nicely-calibrated build-up to a game, oiling the machine, tweaking the wheels, fine-tuning the pistons.
I really thought, as the two teams ran out onto the pitch, that Arsenal would win 4-1.
But Shearer almost drew first blood when his studs connected with a cross and Seaman made a good low save by the post after 4 minutes.
Then Vieira’s header from a left wing corner was diverted onto the bar by Solano, and Pires noddeed the rebound over.
Solano picked out Shearer, whose volley was straight at Seaman.
By now I had realised it was not going to be an end-to-end exhibition of open play, with both teams counter-attacking each other and creating unmissable chances.
IT WAS A FIERCE BATTLE, FAST AND FURIOUS WITH LOTS OF HARD TACKLES.
When Henry’s cross deflected off Bramble the ball flew towards the goal, hit Shay Given on the head – and went over the bar.
I was racking my brains to remember whether I had ever seen a keeper head a ball over the bar. Most keepers use their hands, arms,feet and legs to save headers.
After 35 Wiltord cuts inside and plays the ball through for Henry to zoom round Given and stroke in the first goal.
Both teams were now playing in overdrive and Arsenal constructed a classic free-flowing counter-attack with five slick passes, super-stylish stuff.
But it doesn’t bring a second goal.
Today, as so often, Bergkamp is taking one touch and looking to see who is running for his passes.
And they are always running for his passes.So they should be.If they are not running for his passes there would be something seriously wrong, since they are being paid fortunes every week to run for his passes.
Second half starts, Bellamy has a snapshot over the bar.
And I’m thinking : Arsenal need a goal in the next ten minutes or this could go pear-shaped.
Then Ashley Cole plays a silly crossfield ball to Laurent Robert.
He passes, gets it back, Vieira goes to ground too soon and misses the tackle, Robert beats Lauren easily and moves into the D and places his left-foot shot low past the right hand of the diving Seaman for 1-1.
The volatile Frenchman then makes a stupid tackle on Lauren, gets a yellow card.
Then in 57 minutes, he tangles with Bergkamp in midfield. A free-kick is given and Dennis dummies, Robert moves to block, standing a yard away, Dennis plays the ball down the line, Robert blocks again with his leg, then lashes the rebound crazily against Lauren.
Neale Barry gives the silly winger a second yellow, then a red.
THAT SPOILED THE GAME.
WE have seen this so often.The refs fear their assessors more than the managers or the TV replays, so they don’t use common sense.
Today I had Gooner Mitch screaming at me for suggesting that Bergkamp knew exactly what he was doing, that it was calculated gamesmanship.
Mitch howled in fury and said he had watched the replays 20 times.
He said,”I’m not having that!I’m not having that! Dennis did nothing wrong.”
We are both adults, so we agreed to disagree.
I just hope I never see Bergkamp do that again.
He mugged the silly Frenchman, who has, in the final analysis, only himself to blame.
After that the game was all downhill. I expected AW to bring on Jeffers and van Bronckhorst.
He brought on Jeffers for Bergkamp, which meant that Jeffers would not get a kick.
Sure enough,Jeffers didn’t get a kick.
Lauren was poor.Again.
Gilberto was average apart from one good tackle on Dyer.A week in China will not improve his form.
Pires was almost OK, but saving himself for France v Czech Republic.
Henry had one of those games where he scores a goal and does nothing else.
Cole got a yellow card for whacking Aron Hughes, then saw Bellamy’s cross loop up off his foot and arc towards the goal and fall just under the bar.
But Seaman tipped over, a good save.
VERDICT?
Could have been a 90-minute thriller but the red card spoiled it.
Still, Man United, amazingly, drew 1-1 with Man City at Old Trafford.
I had planned to write a preview here last Friday but had to work up North for a couple of days.
Was going to say that Newcastle v Arsenal could be 4-2 either way.
That would have been one of my dimmer predictions. There was too much at stake for that.
Future games between these two clubs will also be tough battles.
Manchester United next Saturday, FA Cup?
After a France game?
How often do Arsenal win on a Saturday after France have played on the Wednesday?
February 11th 2003.