Showing posts with label Wojciech Szczęsny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wojciech Szczęsny. Show all posts

Monday, February 5, 2018

5 February 2011 - I've Always Said A 4-Goal Lead Is The Most Dangerous One

On 5 February 2011, Newcastle earned a dramatic point against Arsenal, coming back from a 4-goal deficit to draw 4-4.

Newcastle were in their first season back in the Premier League after a one-season spell in the Championship and had already beaten Arsenal away in the league, 0-1. But in the return fixture at St. James's Park, the visitors from London took a quick lead with a strike from Theo Walcott in the first minute.

Nine minutes later, Arsenal were up 0-3 with additional goals from Johan Djourou (3') and Robin van Persie (10'). Van Persie scored again in the 26th minute and, to all appearances, a rout was on. Down 0-4 at the break, Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton later commented that the hosts were just hoping to "avoid a cricket score."

The momentum shifted in the second half, however, as Djourou left the game with an injury in the 48th minute. Two minutes later, they were down to ten men as referee Phil Dowd ejected midfielder Abou Diaby after an incident with Barton.

Barton went on to score twice from the penalty spot (68', 83'), with his brace sandwiched around a 75th-minute goal from Leon Best. Cheik Tiote (pictured) then completed the comeback with an 87th-minute blast from the edge of the box that beat Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczęsny and landed in the bottom corner of the net.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

5 February 2011 - I've Always Said A 4-Goal Lead Is The Most Dangerous Lead

On 5 February 2011, Newcastle earned a dramatic point against Arsenal, coming back from a 4-goal deficit to draw 4-4.

Newcastle were in their first season back in the Premier League after a one-season spell in the Championship and had already beaten Arsenal away in the league, 0-1. But in the return fixture at St. James's Park, the visitors from London took a quick lead with a strike from Theo Walcott in the first minute.

Nine minutes later, Arsenal were up 0-3 with additional goals from Johan Djourou (3') and Robin van Persie (10'). Van Persie scored again in the 26th minute and, to all appearances, a rout was on. Down 0-4 at the break, Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton later commented that the hosts were just hoping to "avoid a cricket score."

The momentum shifted in the second half, however, as Djourou left the game with an injury in the 48th minute. Two minutes later, they were down to ten men as referee Phil Dowd ejected midfielder Abou Diaby after an incident with Barton.

Barton went on to score twice from the penalty spot (68', 83'), with his brace sandwiched around a 75th-minute goal from Leon Best. Cheik Tiote (pictured) then completed the comeback with an 87th-minute blast from the edge of the box that beat Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczęsny and landed in the bottom corner of the net.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

19 February 2008 - Who You Gonna Call?

On 19 February 2008, the Daily Mail reported that Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia believed his house was haunted.

Almunia, who joined the Gunners in 2004 from Celta Vigo, purchased a house in the Hertsfordshire village of Abbots Langley, close to Arsenal's Shenley Training Center. According to the Daily Mail, the house may have been built on the site of Leavesden Hospital, a mental hospital that closed sometime during the 1990s.

The goalkeeper claimed that his wife, Ana, had seen "a monk-like figure with a candle in his hand at the end of the bed." Almunia himself had not seen the ghost, but heard chains rattling, saw stereos turn on at full volume, and was, in his own words "s***-scared." The situation had gotten so bad that Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger granted permission for Almunia to go home for lunch so that his wife would not be there alone.

Arsenal's starting keeper since 2008, Almunia has recently fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal and is now behind Lukasz Fabianski and 20-year old rising star Wojciech Szczęsny, making only eight appearances this season.