Newcastle United

(0) 0 - 1 (1) Arsenal

St James's Park. Saturday 6th December 1997

FA Carling Premiership

Not many details yet, check out Afci and the other Arsenal sites for reports. More here soon.

Ina Wright got the goal late in the first half. Overmars found Bergkamp with a great pass, and his cross from the goal-line was met with a Wright header back past Hislop.

Parlour was playing, but Vieira still injured. The back four of Dixon Adams Keown and Winterburn did well, but Newcastle had most of the possession. Apparently Wright was showing a bit more of his niggly side than of late - is it coincidence that the same day, he breaks his drought?

Arsenal leapfrog Leeds to go 4th in the table, but wins for Man Utd Chelsea and Blackburn keep us a match off the pace. But it's Blackburn next.

Rupe.

FA Carling Premiership
Newcastle United vs Arsenal                            Sat Dec  6 1997

Result : Newcastle             (0) 0    Arsenal                (1) 1

Scorers:                                Wright 35

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown, Adams; Platt, Petit, 
         Parlour, Overmars; Bergkamp, Wright
         Subs: Hughes, Marshall, Mendez, Upson, Manninger
         Booked: Petit, Adams

Newcastle: Hislop; Watson, Peacock, Pearce, Pistone; Gillespie, Batty,
         Lee, Barnes; Tomasson, Asprilla
         Subs: Albert (Asprilla 62), Ketsbaia (Tomasson 75), 
               Howey, Hamilton, Given

Att: 36751
Ref: S Dunn (Bristol)

A welcome return to some sort of form with this deserved win over an admittedly understrength Newcastle side. Also a welcome return to form for Ian Wright as he scored the winner at St James Park for the 2nd successive year while Arsenal recorded their first 1-0 victory under Wenger in the Premiership.

Parlour returned to the side from injury which meant Arsenal were really just missing Vieira from a full strength side, whereas Newcastle still only had Tomasson and a half-fit Asprilla as their strike force. It was the Gunners who started off more brightly and had the better of possession in the opening 10 minutes. However, it was the home team who had the first significant goal attempt. Pistone turned Dixon on the left to get over a deep cross beyond the far post where Gillespie met it on the volley. He mistimed it slightly and hit the ball into the ground and it bounced just over the bar, though the ref ruled that Seaman had got a touch.

At the other end Bergkamp was keeping Hislop busy with a couple of shots from the edge of the box. First Wright set him up with a half chance which he tried to curl into the top corner, but Hislop was well placed and made a good catch. Then Parlour did well down the right before passing to the Dutchman just outside the area, but he got the ball caught a bit under his feet and Hislop again caught his shot fairly comfortably.

Bergkamp and Wright combined well soon afterwards as the Dutch master broke quickly from the halfway line before threading a pass through to pick out Wright's run across the defence. Wrighty tried a first time chip from 20 yards which cleared the bar by a couple of feet. Meanwhile Newcastle's next serious threat on goal came from a free kick after a Petit foul on Tomasson. Pearce whacked it from 30 yards and the shot took a slight deflection off the wall so Seaman had to make a brilliant reaction save, pushing it over the bar.

I think it was from the following corner that Arsenal broke quickly to create the best chance so far. Winterburn played the ball down the left hand touchline to Wright just inside the Newcastle area. He turned and looked up before picking out Bergkamp's run through the middle with a glorious pass. The Ice Man controlled it well on the volley and strode clear through on goal. He chose to shoot powerfully from the edge of the area, but Hislop had come out well and spread himself to make a superb save.

The goal arrived soon afterwards following another good break. The home fans yelled for a foul by Winterburn on Lee, but the ref waved play on and Nutty played the ball out to Overmars about 15 yards inside his own half. The winger produced a brilliant turn to get away from Batty and raced towards the opposing area before passing to Bergkamp in space on his left. The pass was a bit short which allowed Peacock to get in a challenge on the edge of the area, but the ball broke for Bergkamp and he held off another challenge from Pistone as he got to the byline and dug out a cross with his left foot. It landed perfectly on the head of Wright, unmarked in the middle and from about 10 yards he nodded the ball home, before racing virtually the length of the pitch with his shirt over his head in relieved celebration.

The only other Newcastle chance I can recall in the 1st half came when Lee had a decent effort from outside the area which Seaman couldn't hold. Tomasson slipped chasing the rebound but had been flagged offside anyway.

The second half was mainly characterised by Newcastle having more possession as they tried desperately but unimaginatively to get back into the game. Arsenal were content for the most part to hit back on the break but looked far more likely to score with Overmars looking increasingly dangerous. One of his runs led to a corner, and Petit's kick from the left was flicked on at the near post to Overmars on the edge of the area. His shot was goalbound before being deflected narrowly wide.

An almost identical corner soon afterwards ended with Overmars' shot being deflected again, this time reaching Adams as he stood a few yards out at the near post. The ball came at him quickly and at an awkward height though and he jabbed a volley well wide.

At the other end Newcastle occasionally threatened. Asprilla was almost put through but his lack of match practise showed and Keown easily got back to dispossess him. Then Barnes threaded a pass through to pick out Lee's run into the box, but Adams quickly put him under pressure and he sliced wildly wide. Pistone again made space for himself, fooling Dixon and Keown with a dummy but again Gillespie sliced a volley at the far post from his cross wide.

Parlour meanwhile could have made it two. He went on a strong run from the halfway line, a run from Wrighty took away defenders and gave Parlour an opening to surge into the area. He took the ball round Hislop as the keeper dashed out, but from an acute angle tried a shot and only found the side netting when Wright was all on his own waiting for a pull back into the middle. Overmars also had a similar run all the way into the Newcastle area, but this time Wright's run across seeemed to confuse him and he was crowded out by a defender.

The substitute Albert went close with a 25 yard shot and then caused one final scare in injury time when he was involved in a bit of a scramble in the box which ended with his shot deflecting off Petit and bouncing a yard or two wide of the post with Seaman wrong-footed.

A deserved win for the Gunners and a pretty good hard-working and much improved performance. For the most part the defence looked pretty solid and defended the 1-0 lead fairly comfortably though in truth Newcastle didn't offer much attacking threat. Hopefully, with Vieira fit again, Wrighty back on form, and Bergkamp regaining his touch we go into the Christmas program in more confident and optimistic mood than seemed likely a week ago.

Seaman     7.5  A couple of good saves and catches, otherwise not much 
                to do.

Winterburn 7.5  Typical battling and give everything performance.

Dixon      7.0  Also had a good game, though Newcastle's main threat 
                came when Pistone got past him.

Keown      7.5  The usual strong defending we've come to expect.

Adams      8.0  In top form again.

Petit      7.0  Improved performance, and did a lot of work in midfield.

Platt      6.5  Also got through a lot of work, though gave the ball 
                away needlessly a couple of times.

Parlour    7.5  Kept up his good form this season.

Overmars   7.5  One of his better games I thought, particularly the way
                he kept battling.

Wright     7.5  Much better from the Man. He rather pointedly didn't 
                come over to applaud the away fans at the end but his
                interview on MOTD showed why we all love him.

Bergkamp   7.5  Still not quite back to his pre-suspension form, but 
                signs that he is getting there.

Derek

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