Arsenal fail to capitalise on Robert’s sending off

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 1

Frenchman Laurent Robert’s third goal of the season was enough to clinch a draw for Bobby Robson’s men and, although it ended a run of 11 successive league victories at St James’ Park, it eased them back into third place, still eight points adrift of the Gunners and five behind second-placed Manchester United with a game in hand.

But Arsene Wenger’s side, who took the lead 10 minutes before the break through Thierry Henry’s 24th strike of the campaign, will feel they should have made more of Robert’s dismissal for two bookable offences within two minutes of his goal and with more than half an hour still to play.

That they did not was testament to the tireless efforts of Robson’s 10 men, who had to endure long periods under the cosh even when at full strength, but were good value for their point on an afternoon when keeper Shay Given made a stunning reaction save from his own defender Titus Bramble and Nolberto Solano cleared a Patrick Vieira header off the line.

Having earlier seen Manchester United drop two points to arch-rivals Manchester City, the league leaders arrived on Tyneside safe in the knowledge that another three points would stretch their lead at the top of the table to five and put them firmly in the driving seat.

It always promised to be an entertaining encounter and a noisy crowd was not to be disappointed as both teams went for it from the off.

David Seaman was called upon with just four minutes gone after Alan Shearer got his toe to Robert’s teasing cross ahead of Sol Campbell, getting his hand to the ball before it crept inside his left post.

Dennis Bergkamp whistled a low drive just wide a minute later, but it was Vieira who came closest to opening the scoring in the early stages, seeing his goal-bound header blocked on the line by Solano before Robert Pires headed the rebound over.

Shearer tested Seaman again with a well-executed volley from Solano’s cross and Pires kept Given on his toes with a first-time shot after good work by Patrick Vieira and Sylvain Wiltord.

The Republic of Ireland international excelled himself with a superb reaction save 13 minutes before the break when he headed over his own crossbar after Bramble had got his toe to Henry’s cross.

The breakthrough finally arrived three minutes later when Wiltord split a United rearguard which had until then done well to keep the dangermen at bay, and Henry skipped past Given before firing into the empty net.

And thereafter, it was largely one-way traffic as the shell-shocked home side were pinned back inside their own half.

Robson was forced to change things at half time when Solano made way with a thigh strain, but his side was far from weakened by the return of Gary Speed after surgery on a hernia.

The response from his players was encouraging as Craig Bellamy shot just over the top after 52 minutes, although Given had to save well again from Wiltord seconds later.

The equaliser arrived with 53 minutes gone after Robert reproduced a glimpse of the form which made him such a favourite during his first season in England. Picking the ball up in a central position, he stepped inside marker Lauren before curling a left-foot shot around Seaman’s outstretched arm into the bottom corner.

But the Frenchman’s joy turned to misery soon afterwards when, after being booked for an untidy challenge on Lauren, he then fouled Bergkamp and blocked his attempt to take the free-kick quickly, earning himself a second yellow card and the inevitable red.

With Bellamy dropping back into midfield to help out, United continued to take the game to their opponents, although it took a brave block by Andy O’Brien to deny Bergkamp after 65 minutes when Pires, Henry and Wiltord had combined to set him up 15 yards out.

United had a scare with nine minutes remaining when Sol Campbell headed down a Pires corner for Vieira to control on his chest, but the Frenchman drove his shot straight at Given.

Wenger threw on Francis Jeffers, Ray Parlour and Giovanni van Bronckhorst as time ran down, but it was Newcastle who looked the more likely to snatch victory when Bellamy’s deflected cross was only just tipped over by the back-pedalling Seaman in injury time.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, O’Brien, Bramble, Bernard, Solano (Speed 45), Jenas, Dyer, Robert, Bellamy, Shearer (Ameobi 90).

ARSENAL: Seaman, Lauren, Keown, Campbell, Cole, Wiltord (van Bronckhorst 85), Silva (Parlour 85), Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp (Jeffers 78), Henry.

Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).