Match Centre

      By Oliver Sparrow, writing from London

What a fantastic game of football - I think I’ve just about managed to recover my breath. The beautiful game doesn’t get much better than this. I can’t recall having watched a better match than this in any league, cup competition or major final.

In a way, this was a match that very much suited the English football fan’s mentality. Arsenal are the ‘baddies’ – if you will. They’ve got the players and the skill to play Newcastle off the park. Placing the starting line-ups side by side only serves to juxtapose the gulf in quality between the two squads. On the other hand we have Newcastle – the ‘goodies’. They might not have the same silky refinement and glorious guile that their Southern opponents possess, but they’ve got strength, passion and an impenetrable Northern resilience. You can’t teach character; that needs to come from the heart. Newcastle are the very epitome of the English underdog. This was David versus Goliath.

And so, true to form, Arsenal burst out of the gates like a greyhound frothing at the mouth. A mere forty seconds had passed before Theo Walcott hared past the last line of defence and slid the ball neatly into the gaping Newcastle net. It was a terrible start for the Geordies. Arsenal were all over Newcastle like a bad rash, and it wasn’t long before it was two. A weakly-marked Johann Djourou leapt above his marker to head in an Arshavin free-kick, and Newcastle’s woes had doubled before the four-minute mark had been reached.

The match had already started to resemble a training exercise and Arsenal were scything through Newcastle at will. It was a sad sight to see, but the Gooners were hungry for more. Silence had fallen upon the St. James’ Park faithful, but the Highbury hordes were baying for blood. Just like the inevitable passing of time, the third goal went in. Walcott teased his way to the bye-line and cut it back for an unmarked Van Persie to slam home. Less than ten minutes had elapsed. Wave after wave of the red sea battered at the Tyneside gates and it was Van Persie who netted again before the half-time whistle. Just as before, he wandered care-free into the Newcastle box to head in from three yards. Newcastle were in disarray, and some fans were already starting to file out of the stadium, disgusted with what they had witnessed.

But more fool them. The real Geordies who had stayed true to the cause were to witness one of the greatest comebacks that football has ever seen. The difference in outlook of the Newcastle team between the two halves was akin to night and day. The main catalyst was Joey Barton, who set the comeback in motion by putting in a crunching challenge on Abou Diaby. It was a firm but fair tackle, yet Diaby saw it differently. A push on Barton followed by another on Nolan in the aftermath was enough to send the Frenchman for an early bath.

The next Arsenal player to put a chink in their own armour was the uninspiring Koscielny, who gave away a penalty after a clumsy challenge on Leon Best inside the box. Barton stepped up to roll the ball into the corner of the Arsenal net, and the comeback was on. He rushed to collect the ball from an un-obliging Szczesny and his belief was starting to rub off on his teammates. Leon Best was then wrongly disallowed a goal for offside when he was clearly being played on by an out-of-position Tomas Rosicky. The Arsenal boat was starting to rock in the choppy waters of the Tyne.

Best was to score again, though. The ball perhaps fortuitously falling at his feet after his header rebounded off Clichy, but he coolly took his chance. Now the fans were starting to believe. An enormous roar rang round St James’ Park, and the panning camera shot of the crowd picked out Geordie fans turning to each other as if to say “Howay the lads! We can do this!” Howay indeed. All but the Arsenal fans were starting to feel that little bit of football magic deep inside their stomachs. The underdogs are coming – watch out!

Perhaps the referee had got caught up in the excitement, as the penalty he then gave for what he deemed a push inside the area should never have stood. The crowd didn’t care, though, and neither did Joey Barton who pushed his penalty straight down the middle. Cue screams of delight all around Newcastle, and an unrestrained “Come on!” and fist-pump from my lounge in St Albans. This was really happening, and I was jumping on for the ride.

Newcastle had seven minutes of normal time in which to fashion an equaliser, and nearly every football fan in the country was behind them. Even the most optimistic of football daydreamers couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular equaliser. Barton swung in a free-kick from the right, but it was easily headed out of the area. Hearts sank momentarily, but there was Cheick Tiote to meet the ball on the volley, and send a dipping thunderbolt into the bottom-left corner.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Deafening roars, mental dancing around my lounge, disbelief in the Arsenal ranks. It was a goal of epic proportions and couldn’t have had a more fitting scorer. Tiote has been magnificent for Newcastle at times this season, and he showed everyone that he isn’t just about hard work and athleticism with a truly stunning finish.

There were still five minutes of extra time to play, and Nolan went close, but it didn’t matter. This was the best football comeback I had ever seen and even a fifth goal for Newcastle couldn’t have heightened my delirium much more. A victory for the English underdog as Goliath was brought to his knees. Now that’s what I call a bit of football magic.