A good all round performance by our chaps, particularly in the second half. Robert had obviously heeded criticism of his apparent lack of commitment - it would have been interesting to see what would have happened had he not been sent off. Atmosphere at game very good also.
Yes, a great game until Robert was sent off. End to end action, good chances at either end, and a bit of luck in each goalkeeper's pocket. No doubt in my mind that momentum was squarely on the shoulders of the Toon when Robert was dismissed, and seeing how pathetic Arsenal looked from that point onwards, I really do feel we would have taken all 3 points had we not been reduced a man. Anyone remember when back in September/October I said that at least for the time being, the experience of Gary Speed is immeasurable on the field against the likes of Arsenal? Note how much the game changed in the second half on his arrival yesterday. Very disappointed in Solano in this match. Invisible. Ineffective. Where is the Nobby of yesteryear? Aside from the odd deflection of Given's face, I thought Bramble looked the best he has in a Toon performance this year. Hopefully the kid gains some confidence from this match and goes from there. Who woulda thunk that a back four with an average age of 24 would have held the Arse to a single goal -- especially being down a man for 30 minutes. The creme filling here is that they set a great example for Woodgate to follow once he's healthy. Bellamy and Shearer, absolute terrors as usual. Unfortunate that Big Al couldn't find the net, he had two excellent chances. His control with his back to goal on clearances continues to amaze me; he won every ball in to him and always found Bellamy or Dyer. Brilliant. Speaking of Dyer, where has all the excitement gone? He used to be so explosive and could create chances for himself and his teammates every few minutes. Now? Comments on Robert in the other thread.