Arsenal vs Newcastle United. 23/03/96

Arsenal (2) 2 - 0 (0) Newcastle United

Highbury, Saturday 23rd March 1996

FA Carling Premiership

Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Linighan, Marshall, Winterburn, Platt, 
         Merson, Bergkamp, Hartson, Wright
         Subs: Parlour (Wright 41), Helder (Winterburn 89), Hillier 

Newcastle: Srnicek; Barton, Howey, Albert, Beresford; Beardsley, Batty, 
           Lee, Ginola; Ferdinand, Asprilla
           Subs: Watson (Barton 59), Peacock, Gillespie

Result : Arsenal               (2) 2   Newcastle United         0 (0)
Scorers: Marshall 3, Wright 17

Bookings: Bergkamp, Keown              Batty, Barton, Albert, 
                                       Beresford, Beardsley
      
Att     : 38271
Referee : P A Durkin (Portland)

Another pretty satisfactory 2-0 victory against Newcastle on Saturday, only marginally offset by help it gives to Moan Utd. The curiously unmotivated Magpies only rarely threatened the two goal lead Arsenal established from a lively attacking start to the game. Even when the Gunners lost Ian Wright through injury and thereafter seemed content to sit back, Newcastle only occasionally managed to trouble the home defence.

Arsenal were unchanged from the team that started the previous match, which meant that Bruce Rioch stuck with the 3-4-1-2 formation with an attacking trio of Bergkamp, Hartson and Wright, and Parlour left on the bench. Newcastle were also unchanged from their win against West Ham, which meant Gillespie was also left warming the bench.

The Gunners got just the start they wanted, with an early goal which has inevitably been characterised as classic Arsenal. After a delay of a couple of minutes while Winterburn received treatment after being clattered by Beardsley, Wright showed an early hint of the right mood by winning a corner down the left. Merson's near post kick was perfectly flicked on (in classic Bould fashion) by Linighan, and met on the run (in classic Adams fashion) by Marshall, and his header crashed into the net off Beardsley on the line.

For the next 15 minutes Arsenal surged forward with some enterprising attacking which consistently had the Newcastle defence back pedalling. Bergkamp had a left foot shot from just outside the area which was well hit but straight at Srnicek, and then Platt played a lovely ball over the defence for Bergkamp to run clear onto down the right. He pulled the ball back into the middle almost perfectly for Hartson. It was perhaps slightly behind him, but he had time to set himself for the volley so there was a roar of anguish from the crowd as he blasted it a couple of feet over the bar.

At the other end Asprilla gave the first hint of his dangerous potential as he got past Marshall and into the box before crossing into the middle where Ferdinand just failed to get to the ball. However, it was Arsenal who scored soon after that, as Warren Barton blundered to gift Winterburn the opportunity to set up Wright. The most expensive fullback in the country delayed a pass out of defence to allow Nutty to block, and the rebound fell his way. Taking it on he then had a simple ball to play into the area to find WWW who was ahead of the Newcastle defence but behind Winterburn and therefore clearly onside. Wrighty scored with the cutest of chips dinked over the keeper with his left foot.

Hartson then went close with a looping header which might have gone into the top corner had Srnicek not leapt across to catch the ball, before Seaman eventually had some work to do, making a superb save from Marshall. Keown stretched to head a cross into the air, and the young centre back's attempt to head back to Seaman had a little too much on it and Spunky had to leap to palm the ball aside for a corner.

Newcastle now began to press forward more, and with Wright having to go off for treatment to a back injury, Arsenal were having to do more in defence. Winterburn had to produce a well timed tackle in the area to deny Beardsley before Wright returned to the game and almost scored again in what was his final significant contribution. Hartson played a ball into him from the right, and WWW whipped in a superb shot at the near post which Srnicek was equal to, turning the ball round the post for a corner.

Wrighty had to go off for more treatment, and from the corner Hartson nodded down to Keown who was lurking at the near post. Keown's goal bound volley was blocked by Beresford, possibly with an arm, though if it was deliberate it was through self-preservation rather than any premeditated intent. Soon after that the North Bank were again claiming a penalty for handball when Howey appeared to use arm to stop a flick through by Bergkamp on the edge of the area.

Wrighty eventually went off five minutes from half time, and Newcastle proceeded to have probably their best spell of the match. Asprilla should have scored when Ferdinand nodded a cross forward to him. He seemed clearly offside, but with everyone stopping and the linesman's flag staying down, he had only Seaman to beat from about 8 yards. He blasted a shot goalwards, only to see a superb reaction from the keeper as he deflected it over the bar.

Asprilla then turned beautifully in midfield, leaving Marshall and Keown tackling each other, and carried on to fire in a shot from the edge of the box which Seaman reacted sharply to, turning it round the post. Moments later the Colombian again went close, cheekily backheeling a mishit shot from Batty just wide of the far post. Ferdinand then went close, running into the area down the right and having his attempted pull back deflected onto the roof of the net by Winterburn.

There was less incident in the second half, probably because Arsenal were more or less content to sit on their lead, and Newcastle failed to find sufficient inspiration to unlock the Gunners' back line. Early on the one real mixup in the home defence, between Seaman and Keown almost let in Ferdinand and resulted in a wild shot from Ginola. Beardsley also went close with a long range shot, but otherwise it wasn't till late in the game that Newcastle again seriously threatened a goal.

Meanwhile at the other end, it was Arsenal who made the best chance of the half. Bergkamp produced a lovely flick to allow Parlour to beat the offside trap, and he carried on down the right before crossing low towards Platt in the middle. The former England captain had a simple sidefoot from about 10 yards, but sliced it a few agonising inches wide of the far post.

Platt later almost profitted from another lovely move between Bergkamp and Merson. The Dutch master's return pass to Merse released him into the area wide on the left, and his flick back into the middle was cleared at full stretch by Howey just ahead of Platt. Merson also put Winterburn through wide down the left, and Nutty tried a bender with the outside of his left foot from an acute angle which wasn't too far wide of the opposite angle.

In the final five minutes another piece of Asprilla skill almost got Newcastle a consolation goal. He turned superbly in the right side of the area and whacked in a shot from an angle which smacked against the base of the far post and out to safety. Newcastle's final effort was a 20 yarder from Batty which Seaman saved comfortably.

Overall, a fairly satisfying performance from the Gunners, though Newcastle were very disappointing. Having seen both them and Man U over the last week, if I was to judge purely over the two performances, then the Moaners are going to walk the championship. Hope I'm wrong though.

Anyway, once again the three centre backs all put in solid performances, Keown again outstanding. Winterburn had what I thought was one of his best games of the season, and Dixon again kept Ginola quiet, this time less spectacularly. Platt had one of his better games and Merson also did pretty well, playing in 3 different positions during the game. He moved up from midfield to play alongside Bergkamp and behind Hartson when Wright went off, and then briefly took Winterburn's place when he had to go off with concussion just before the end of the match, following a collision (which I think was accidental) with Batty.

While he was on, Wrighty looked rather more lively than in most recent games, Hartson perhaps slightly less so. Bergkamp was less spectacularly involved than recently, possibly because Arsenal spent the last hour or so more intent on defending, but I thought he still had a pretty good game. He was booked for what looked to me a pretty innocuous challenge, but then so were the other six players, in what was a remarkably unheated encounter, contrary to some prematch billings.

In the interview he gave on MotD, Wrighty seemed to be leaving the way open for himself to stay at Arsenal, saying that he still hoped to beat Bastin's record. Certainly the most optimistic note I've heard from him. Rioch also seemed to be trying to give off a conciliatory air during the match, first of all solicitously helping Gary Lewin when he was treating WWW's back, and then giving him a congratulatory pat when he came off.

report by Derek Brownjohn

ArseWeb is NOT the official Arsenal site. The (excellent) official site is here