FA PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4:FOR A supposed football visionary Arsene Wenger can sometimes fail to see the big picture. No one expected Arsenal's manager to be ecstatic after watching his side make Premier League history by forfeiting a 4-0 lead but few imagined his infamous myopia and lack of generosity towards opponents would prove quite so pronounced.
As Wenger implied it was all the referee Phil Dowd’s fault, someone attempted to introduce a touch of perspective by suggesting we had just witnessed a peerless advertisement for the English game. The Frenchman frowned. “It will not be a great advert internationally; people who see that will not agree with what happened,” he said.
It is true that Dowd, and his assistants, contributed a few contentious decisions – including disallowing a clearly onside home goal – but their input paled by comparison with the visceral, almost elemental, power of an extraordinary second-half renaissance culminating in Cheik Tiote’s volleyed equaliser.
It came at the end of a week which had begun with Andy Carroll’s €41m sale to Liverpool. If Newcastle were psychologically disadvantaged, their visitors crackled with creative energy as the sweet-passing Cesc Fabregas once again demonstrated why his manager keeps indulging a sometimes less attractive off-field persona.
By the 26th minute goals from Theo Walcott and Johan Djourou followed by two from Robin van Persie had built a seemingly insurmountable lead that Arsenal probably should have extended before the break. During it Pardew told his players they were a disgrace and advised pressuring Arsenal into errors. Suitably stung, Joey Barton raised his game appreciably, emblematically winning a tough but fair tackle on Abou Diaby, on whom the red mist descended, as did a red card.
“I don’t understand Diaby’s reaction. I went in one-footed, cleanly took the ball and my momentum carried me into him,” Barton said. “I think it was stupid from him. They were 4-0 up, there was no need for him to react the way he reacted. For me it wasn’t an issue. If the Arsenal players don’t like being tackled, they should go and play basketball or netball or one of the other games.”
Arsenal, unwisely, opted to protect that apparently unassailable lead, thereby inviting Newcastle into their area. When Leon Best was hauled down inside it, Barton converted the penalty. Best then saw an onside strike harshly chalked off only to score shortly afterwards, before a perceived foul on Mike Williamson prefaced Barton converting a softly awarded second penalty. The latter’s semi-cleared dead-ball kick prompted Tiote’s stunning denouement leaving Wenger to claim Barton’s tackle on Diaby warranted a red card. Less risibly he also inferred Kevin Nolan should have seen red for a hefty shove on Wojciech Szczesny after the first penalty.
“Ask the referee,” replied Arsenal’s manager when questioned about Nolan’s indiscretion. Once the inquiry was repeated Wenger really bridled. “Do you think I’m stupid? Respect what I told you.”
Yet again the Frenchman had, like Diaby, succumbed to the self-destructive streak that so often undoes his side’s trophy quests.
For Pardew, meanwhile, the second half had been a redemption after a first half during which a prematurely departing Newcastle fan paused behind his dug-out to unleash a barrage of vitriolic abuse.
“Generally the crowd were astonishingly supportive but, if I was a fan, I’d have been questioning the preparation of the team,” he acknowledged. “We were a disgrace. I was questioning myself. At 4-2 down I honestly thought we could win. It’s been a tough, tough week; on a personal level there’s been a lot of criticism but it’s ended brilliantly for everyone here.”
In time even Wenger might concede it was fully deserved.
* Guardian Service
