SUNDERLAND 1 – 1 ARSENAL

1 – 0 Leadbitter (86)
1 – 1 Fabregas (90)

Apologies for the absence of a post yesterday but Mrs YW had a birthday. Apparently. Although she keeps telling us that she wants to forget them from now on.

So to Saturday’s game. It was a point at the end of the day and as Arsene said afterwards,

Is it a good point or a bad point? I don’t know

The latter it certainly is given that seven minutes before Cesc Fabregas popped up with his equaliser, there was no point there at all. Grant Leadbitter struck an astonishing strike – the odds are starting to shorten on Arsenal being on the receiving end of the top three goals of the season – beating Almunia comprehensively via the underside of the crossbar. That the response came from a corner is proof that the delivery is key, van Persie’s setpiece of a far higher quality than much that has come from Arsenal this season in this department.

The key for Arsene is ‘Walcott-gate’. Did the whole of the ball cross the line? The Assistant who gave the decision did so on instinct and therefore got the decision wrong, for he could not have seen the moment due to the shape and position of Walcott’s body, masking the flight of the ball. The use of video technology would perhaps have resolved the issue in that there was stronger evidence to suggest that the ball was, at least partially, in play when Theo crossed.

Rafa Benitez’s response when questioned about Steven Gerrard’s disallowed goal against Stoke is the correct answer to Saturday. We should not have to rely upon poor officiating as the excuse for failing to beat Sunderland. Arsene got caught cold by Roy Keane tactically. The Arsenal team was set to counter-attack and battle, as they had done successfully at Bolton and Blackburn with little reason not to believe that this would be the case in the North East. Sunderland though set to do the same and simply sat back, inviting Arsenal to come forward. It was not how Arsene envisaged and the team enjoyed the ball but at times, lacked the guile to break them down.

Little doubt that this was aided by the absence of the usual speed of passing. That aspect was stunted by the quartet in midfield, Song’s defensive play the result of sacrificing Nasri. Personally, it was why I suggested the Frenchman and Eboue be included yesterday, the former’s dribbling, the latter’s directness in attack and defensive cover should have been more than enough to counter Sunderland. It is, however, easy to pontificate after the event.

Weather conditions were poor but that is of little comfort. Quite simply, they were out-thought on the pitch. Sunderland defended deeply and for the most part well, whilst using the ball effectively in attack. Kolo Toure made an excellent tackle in the area, once more, suggesting that thoughts of his demise may be misplaced. Cisse was a thorn in the Arsenal side all afternoon and may have been rewarded for his efforts had his finishing not been so profligate or selfish, ignoring better placed colleagues on a couple of occasions. Almunia saved well when Walcott’s wayward defending set the Frenchman free.

One aspect Arsene seemed to get wrong was the order of the substitutions. It made little outward sense to withdraw Walcott for Bendtner, the play becoming narrower, acknowledged by the manager with the introduction of Nasri for Denilson several minutes later. If Porto was the response that the manager wanted after Hull, this probably was not. Chances went begging, Gordon denying van Persie; Denilson, Song and Fabregas went close(ish) but it seemed to be ‘one of those afternoons’ before Fabregas struck.

Inevitably, there are questions over Gallas’ leadership in the media, spawned from Arsene’s comments about Cesc being a ‘great winner’. Undeniably, this is why a story appears in yesterday’s ‘Mail on Sunday‘ about Gallas ‘borrowing’ the cashpoint card of former colleague, Jerome Rothen, some fifteen years ago and helping himself to £250. Gallas is less than happy at the tale appearing in Rothen’s new book, ashamed of his actions. For the press, it is another nail to hammer into the lid of his captaincy-coffin. It is reminding me of the death-throes of many a political career; constant drip-feeding of ‘bad’ news eventually accounting for chop when it happens. That Arsene will not change horses mid-race seems beyond their capacity to comprehend, egos rampaging so wildly and bloated that they believe they have the right to dictate who wears the armband.

’til Tomorrow.