The Gooner perspective on the 4-4 Newcastle draw

Saturday night’s 4-4 draw between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St. James’ Park provided some high octane action. Here is the Arsenal perspective on the two points squandered on Tyneside.

• The 1st half Arsenal played sublime football and scored 4 very good goals. Theo Walcott and RVP were on song and were rarely trouble by a hapless Newcastle defence.
• It was all undone in the 2nd half.
• It all started with the Djourou injury. He has been very influential in the recent clean sheets Arsenal has managed in the league.
• Abou Diaby’s paranoia expressed itself in a different form. What ever you may say, he has been at the end of some horrific tackles, one of them shattered his ankle very early on English shore.
• After conceding four, there has been clear instruction from the Newcastle dressing room to go hard and not chicken out.
• There was even a target for such an action chalked out. It looked like there has been some instruction to go for Diaby.
• Barton’s challenge was a horror one. It flipped Diaby. He shouldn’t have. Should have feigned an injury and got the attention of the referee.
• Arsenal’s rhythm and flow got disrupted with the numerical disadvantage.
• Enter Phil Dowd. Two dubious penalties.

As Newcastle celebrate their comeback, the nerves are palpable on Arsenal faces

• Arsenal got shaken up, the whole wooden foundation were devoured by termites. It looked like a controlled demolition!
• A Tiote long range shot slalomed in to our net.
• I heard pundits talk about the end of a title challenge, that’s all but tosh. Arsenal are very much in it. Only four points separate Arsenal from Manchester United
• Arsene Wenger talked about the mental blow. He needs to charge up his wards and get them get over it with a solid home display against Wolves and then comes Barca. This is not the time to be down with self pity.
• Injuries are slowly mounting up after the patch-up where we had almost everyone except Diaby and Vermaelen available.
• The home crowd will have a massive impact on the team now. Wonder how the supporters will be in the next match against wolves. I hope they get behind the team than slagging them off.