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| December 20, 2001 | Thursday | Shawwal 4, 1422 |
Newcastle end winless run in controversial fashion
LONDON, Dec 19: Newcastle United ended their four-year, 29-game winless run in London in controversial but spectacular fashion on Tuesday as they beat Arsenal 3-1 at Highbury to go top of the premier league.
In a game littered with disputed decisions, both teams had a man sent off and the game turned on a penalty award against Arsenal’s Sol Campbell four minutes from time that allowed Alan Shearer to put Newcastle 2-1 up.
Robert Pires had given Arsenal a deserved first-half lead but the hosts then had Ray Parlour sent off just before the break.
Newcastle equalised with an Andy O’Brien header after an hour before they too had a man sent off, Craig Bellamy seeing red in the 72nd minute.
After Shearer’s penalty, Laurent Robert completed the shock victory in injury time to send Newcastle top on 33 points, above Liverpool on goals scored. Arsenal stay third on 30.
Leeds United, who play Everton on Wednesday, have 29 with Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa all on 27.
Newcastle’s last win in London came against Crystal Palace in November 1997 — a run that included two FA Cup finals — and that streak looked likely to continue as they were on the defensive throughout the first half.
Arsenal, as so often this season, started like a train and Kanu should have put them ahead after 15 minutes but kicked the ball over an open net from six metres out.
The home team made the breakthrough five minutes later when great skill by Thierry Henry, who again looked supreme, set up Pires for a simple tap-in.
Newcastle barely threatened in the opening period but saw a chink of light just before the break when Parlour, who scored a hat-trick when Arsenal won the corresponding fixture 5-0 last season, was sent off for his second booking — a late challenge on Shearer. It was the 39th red card of Arsene Wenger’s five-year reign.
Newcastle looked more dangerous in the second half with Bellamy and Kieron Dyer, making his first start since February, making good ground.
The equaliser, after an hour, was a soft one as defender O’Brien was left unmarked in the six yard box for a Lomano Lua Lua corner and scored with a simple near-post header.
Bellamy was then sent off after a clash with Ashley Cole in the 72nd minute and, after Arsenal regained the initiative, Shay Given saved well from Dennis Bergkamp and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Newcastle, however, took the lead four minutes from time when England defender Campbell was adjudged to have brought down substitute Robert, leaving the unflappable Shearer to blast in the penalty.
Arsenal were handed a lifeline when the referee added six minutes of injury time but it was the visitors who took advantage, breaking quickly for Robert to tuck in the third and send his team top.
Arsenal’s players were less impressed and only some some determined interventions by the backroom staff prevented a furious Henry from getting himself in serious trouble as he tried to get to referee Graham Poll.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Tuesday’s results
Arsenal 1 Newcastle United 3
Played on Monday
Aston Villa 2 Ipswich Town 1
Played on Sunday:
Chelsea 4 Liverpool 0
Leeds United 2 Leicester City 2
Played on Saturday:
Bolton Wanderers 0 Charlton Athletic 0
Everton 1 Derby County 0
Middlesbrough 0 Manchester United 1
Newcastle United 2 Blackburn Rovers 1
Southampton 2 Sunderland 0
Tottenham Hotspur 4 Fulham 0
West Ham United 1 Arsenal 1
FRENCH FIRST DIVISION
RC Lens 3 Nantes 0
Girondins Bordeaux 0 Marseille 0
KING’S CUP
Fourth round, second leg (Roman numerals indicate division of non-first division teams):
Real Madrid 4 Gimnastic Tarragona (II) 2
(Real win 4-3 on aggregate). —Reuters
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