Pardew elation as Gunners self-destruct

ARSENE WENGER was in a grumpy mood.

The Arsenal manager did not believe his team’s involvement in the greatest-ever Premier League comeback was worth celebrating, but his counterpart at Newcastle United was certainly relishing the occasion.

St James’ Park was a special place to be when Alan Pardew’s half-time team talk brought incredible rewards as more than 51,000 witnessed a recovery from four-goals down that snatched a point.

When Cheik Tiote, the Ivorian midfielder signed in the summer from FC Twente, volleyed in a spectacular equaliser with two minutes remaining, it sparked scenes more akin to dramatic title triumphs.

After a week in which the Magpies had infuriated supporters by selling Andy Carroll before failing to replace him and then drew a blank at Fulham, it is safe to assume Pardew was a relieved man at the final whistle. “I’m actually going in to town for the first time since I’ve been here and I don’t know whether people are going to buy me a drink or throw them at me,” said Pardew. “That’s the sort of week it’s been.

“I certainly hope they don’t throw their drinks at me. It’s been a tough week to be a football manager here — a tough, tough week and the toughest I’ve had here, as you can imagine. But at the end of it, I’m elated. It’s just a weird feeling.”

Elated was the furthest feeling from his mind 45 minutes earlier. Arsenal had comprehensively outplayed their hosts with the sort of attacking display that warranted a place in the top-flight’s top two.

Newcastle, who Pardew revealed afterwards didn’t “seem right” in the build up, were incapable of stopping an Arsenal team looking every inch title contenders as they scored all four of their goals in a scintillating opening 26 minutes.

Theo Walcott’s side-footed finish after just 42 seconds got things rolling, when he latched on to Andrey Arshavin’s clever first-time pass through the heart of the Newcastle defence.

Then with just 170 seconds gone, Arshavin’s free-kick from the left flank was headed powerfully beyond Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper by Swiss centre-back Johan Djourou.

In the 10th minute Walcott teed up Robin van Persie for his first and then the Dutch striker nodded in the fourth from Bacary Sagna’s centre 16 minutes later.

A few Newcastle supporters started to direct criticism towards Pardew, given the shocking manner in which his team had been more Sunday league than Premier.

“At half-time it was a very angry dressing room,” revealed Tiote.

“The manager was furious, shouting. He said this is not Newcastle United. He said it was up to us to put it right, to give something back to the fans.”

And, somewhat magically, they did. It all started when Arsenal’s Abou Diaby lost his head. He was rightly red-carded for pushing both Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan to the floor off the ball after the former’s crunching challenge went unpunished.

Barton said: “I actually don’t know what he did. He has taken a bad touch and I have to go and win it. If I don’t go for the ball my manager and my team-mates and obviously the fans are going to nail me and I have gone in one-footed to win the ball.

“I have had a look at it again and I just don’t understand the guy’s reaction. He is going to probably cop a couple of weeks’ fine off Wenger for that because it has probably cost them from going on and winning comfortably.

“But football is a game where you have to take advantage of situations and we still had a lot of work to do after Diaby got sent off.”

Even then, though, there was no hint of what was to follow.

But when Laurent Koscielny was adjudged to have tripped Leon Best in the box with 22 minutes remaining, Barton made no mistake from the spot to offer a glint of hope.

When Ireland striker Best somehow turned Jose Enrique’s delivery over the line at the second attempt with 15 minutes remaining, there was still a mountain to climb for Newcastle.

But then Koscielny was harshly deemed to have pulled down Mike Williamson near the endline and Barton converted his second penalty of the afternoon, despite the best efforts of keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

And with two minutes remaining, a Barton cross in to the Arsenal box was half cleared to the edge of the area by Gael Clichy.

Without taking a touch Tiote struck the sweetest of volleys with his weaker left foot that flew beyond Szczesny’s outstretched right hand and found the corner of the net.

Even then there were chances for either side to snatch all three points.

First, Nolan picked up a knockdown from Best and struck a first-time shot that curled a foot wide of the post.

Then, Van Persie was found by a delightful floated pass from Cesc Fabregas. The Dutchman’s first touch killed the ball and his second sent it looping past Harper into the back of the net. His and Arsenal’s celebrations were cut short, however, as the assistant had ruled him offside by the narrowest of narrow margins.

As it was, Newcastle’s comeback was complete and only time will tell what damage this fixture might have done to Arsenal’s title hopes.

Wenger, whose side remain unbeaten in 2011, said: “What does it say about my team? It says that we have played 12 games since January 1 and they have played outstandingly well.

“But to go down to 10 men had a psychological impact and certainly a physical one as well. But in the second half you must say that we were really unlucky with some decisions.

“How do we go about repairing the psychological damage? By focusing on our next game. That is all we can do. We can take a lot of encouragement from this game as well.”