By Myles Palmer
_____________________
Newcastle 1 Arsenal 1
_____________________
Edu 14, Robert 53
_________________
Arsene’s teamsheet put Newcastle 1-0 up in the dressing room before the kick-off !
There were four selection shocks:Pires,Bergkamp and
Seaman were on the bench.Rested for the Deportivo game on Tuesday night.
And Ljungberg started after not playing a reserve game.
There was even talk,in Newcastle this afternoon, of Sol
Campbell being rested as well, with Tavlaridis playing!
The 4-4-2 team was Wright-Dixon Stepanovs Campbell Lauren-Ljungberg Grimandi Vieira Edu – Kanu Wiltord.
When I heard the team I thought the performance would be a shambles.
With Kanu playing like a plank, and Ljungberg well off the pace, as you would expect, Arsenal were playing with nine men in the first half. They conceded ten corners in the first 45 minutes, which might be a record stat.
But they had their moments.
Just before Edu scored, Vieira made a majestic surge from inside his own half but should have had a shot. Instead he stopped, turned and tried a pass, which was cut out.
Vieira then fed Wiltord on the right and he crossed low to the near post where Edu got in front of Dabizas to stab home from five yards.
The gritty Greek must hate the Gunners – he has been the man beaten on each of the three goals they have scored at St James’s Park this season : Bergkamp, Campbell, Edu.
Over the 90 minutes Arsenal were comprehensively outplayed.And how often have we said that in the last six years? Even when they have lost?
After 53 minutes, Lauren Robert zoomed onto Shearer’s flick-on and smacked a 20-yard right foot shot past Richard Wright.
Newcastle dominated the game and after 68 minutes they had enjoyed 68% of possession!
Pires had replaced Ljungberg after 58, but even he could not transform the game.
If Carl Cort had got half a dozen games under his belt the Geordies would have won.
As it was, Stepanovs defended stubbornly, and the busy Wright made some good stops.
Kanu was so useless that the substitution of Bergkamp for Edu after 60 minutes was inexplicable. Was Arsene saving Edu for Tuesday night?
The replay is on Saturday March 23rd, with the West Ham game being rescheduled.
The kick-off time may be noon. Or 5.30 pm
This FA Cup replay means that Thierry Henry will miss only ONE Premiership game.
9th March 2002.
PS SUNDAY MORNING
Went back to my Tai Chi class after missing six weeks with a knee injury.
It was a bit like Freddie Ljungberg yesterday. Rusty, but it felt great to be back.
Arsene has said that Pires has a suspect hamstring and Bergkamp needed a rest.
Fair enough. He could have played Pires in this fast and furious FA Cup tie, got him injured, lost the game, and lost his main creator for the Deportivo match on Tuesday night.
Arsene will have to make some very difficult calls from now on as the fixtures pile up.