Played
September 18, 2010 5:30 PM BST
Stadium of Light — Sunderland
Referee: P. Dowd
Attendance: 38950
September 18, 2010 5:30 PM BST
Stadium of Light — Sunderland
Referee: P. Dowd
Attendance: 38950
90′
Darren Bent
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| Sunderland | 5.50 | 34.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 | 15.00 |
| Draw | 3.50 | 5.50 | 0.00 | 3.75 | 5.00 |
| Arsenal | 1.61 | 1.17 | 0.00 | 1.62 | 1.16 |
Top of the Match
Titus Bramble
Sunderland
Sunderland
Ahmed El Mohamady
Sunderland
Sunderland
Flop of the Match
Alexandre Song
Arsenal FC
Arsenal FC
Tomas Rosicky
Arsenal FC
Arsenal FC
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal: Last gasp Darren Bent strike steals victory from 10 man Gunners
Black Cats break visitor's hearts with equaliser deep into stoppage time
By Owen Watson
Sunderland escaped defeat to Arsenal with a late Darren Bent equaliser to draw 1-1 at the Stadium of Light.
The below-par Gunners opened the scoring with a complete freak goal as an Anton Ferdinand clearance rebounded off Cesc Fabregas and into the Sunderland goal.
Arsenal were reduced to 10 men as Alex Song was sent off midway through the second half and couldn't hold on for all three points.
Sunderland made the early pressing in the game, with Danny Welbeck pestering Bacary Sagna on the left flank before being brought down by the Arsenal right-back. Jordan Henderson stepped up to float a cross into the penalty area but his execution was disappointing, as it didn’t clear the first man and Arsenal managed to clear.
Henderson had the next meaningful opportunity in the game, as Anton Ferdinand lumped forward a free-kick from just inside the Sunderland half and it was headed out to the edge of the box by an Arsenal defender. Henderson met the clearance with a right foot volley but was distracted by an onrushing player and sliced his shot wide of the target.
Arsenal took the lead moments later with a freak goal. Ferdinand went to launch a clearance forward and was closed down by Fabregas. As the Arsenal captain pressed the centre-back he stuck out a leg and Ferdinand’s clearance ricocheted off the Spaniard and looped over the helpless Simon Mignolet and into the Sunderland goal from 40 yards.
The setback didn’t deter the Black Cats and they continued to push forward in search of an equaliser. They had another chance from a corner as Nedum Onuoha leapt high to meet the cross into the box. The young Englishman was unmarked in the centre and sent his header well over the crossbar from six yards out.
Arsenal were struggling to create their usual flowing passages of play, but Alex Song did combine neatly with Andrey Arshavin to create an opening in the 28th minute. Song dragged back the ball before slipping the Russian into the right-hand side of the area where Arshavin went for goal with a first-time effort. But it was comfortably saved by Mignolet low to his left.
The Gunners weren’t aided in their attempts to impose their fluid style on the game with the withdrawal of Fabregas, who went off injured just before the half hour mark to be replaced by Tomas Rosicky.
Sunderland had an excellent chance to draw level in the 36th minute as Darren Bent did well to chase down and collect possession in the right channel after a ball over the top of the Arsenal defence.
The England striker held up the ball and played it back to Ahmed Elmohamady, who whipped it into the back post where Cristian Riveros had got in front of his marker as he charged onto the cross. The Paraguayan didn’t make clean contact with his diving header, however, and the chance was wasted.
Arsenal came out in the second half looking a lot sharper. They popped passes around in a tight area on the right flank before Rosicky skipped infield, weaving past two Sunderland players in the process. He laid the ball off for Song on the edge of the area, who neatly navigated his marker before sliding in Arshavin on the left-hand side of the box. The Russian accepted the invitation to shoot, and smashed the ball just wide of the left-hand post.
The Gunners sliced through the Sunderland defence with ease moment later, Arshavin combining with Samir Nasri before the French midfielder played a first-time pass into the left-hand side of the box for Marouane Chamakh.
The Moroccan delayed his shot by a fraction, allowing Mignolet to burst off his line to close the angle and the young Belgian did well to deny the Arsenal forward.
Sunderland almost immediately capitalised on the one man advantage as the Black Cats went short on a corner, allowing Henderson to bring the ball inside from the left flank. The youngster played it inside for Bent who hammered a powerful drive wide of the left-hand post.
Arsene Wenger responded to this Sunderland chance by taking off Arshavin and replacing him with Denilson. Sunderland soon made an attacking change, bringing on record signing Asamoah Gyan in place of Riveros.
Sunderland had an attempt cleared off the line in the 66th minute. Henderson launched a corner into the box which was inadvertently flicked goalwards by Denilson. Luckily for Arsenal, Gael Clichy was alert on the far post and headed it clear of danger.
Despite the man disadvantage Arsenal continued to pop the ball around in midfield in an attempt to create openings. Nasri and Rosicky combined well in the 70th minute to allow the Czech Republic midfielder space for a shot on the edge of the box. His strike was clean, but it zipped comfortably wide of Mignolet’s right-hand post.
Arsenal were gifted an opportunity to close out the game when the same two players combined for Arsenal once again. This time Rosicky played Nasri into the right-hand of the penalty area and Elmohamady clipped the heels of the Frenchman, bringing the midfielder down to concede a penalty. Rosicky stepped up to take it and went with power over placement, hammering the ball over the crossbar to waste a golden opportunity to extend Arsenal’s lead.
Steve Bruce’s response was to bring off Onuoha and throw on Bolo Zenden. The change almost inspired Sunderland into an immediate equaliser, as Bent raced through on to a pass in behind the Arsenal defence. Manuel Almunia was alive to the danger, and raced off his line, arriving just ahead of the Sunderland forward to clear the ball with a sliding challenge.
With 80 minutes on the clock Sunderland almost found an equaliser. Malbranque picked the ball up on the left flank and dinked a lofted cross into the front post, where Gyan got ahead of his marker and headed the ball goalwards. Almunia was equal to the effort, plucking the ball out of the air as he dived to his left.
Arsenal almost added a second in injury time as Denilson dribbled through the Sunderland back line, but his shot from outside the box hit the right-hand post and deflected wide of the target.
It proved to be a telling miss, as Sunderland grabbed an equaliser deep into stoppage time. With 94 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock, Arsenal failed to clear a Sunderland attempt on target and Bent pounced for the Black Cats to hammer home from the right-hand side of the box with Almunia flailing.
The result denied Arsenal a place at the top of the Premier League as the two sides shared the points.
The below-par Gunners opened the scoring with a complete freak goal as an Anton Ferdinand clearance rebounded off Cesc Fabregas and into the Sunderland goal.
Arsenal were reduced to 10 men as Alex Song was sent off midway through the second half and couldn't hold on for all three points.
Sunderland made the early pressing in the game, with Danny Welbeck pestering Bacary Sagna on the left flank before being brought down by the Arsenal right-back. Jordan Henderson stepped up to float a cross into the penalty area but his execution was disappointing, as it didn’t clear the first man and Arsenal managed to clear.
Henderson had the next meaningful opportunity in the game, as Anton Ferdinand lumped forward a free-kick from just inside the Sunderland half and it was headed out to the edge of the box by an Arsenal defender. Henderson met the clearance with a right foot volley but was distracted by an onrushing player and sliced his shot wide of the target.
Arsenal took the lead moments later with a freak goal. Ferdinand went to launch a clearance forward and was closed down by Fabregas. As the Arsenal captain pressed the centre-back he stuck out a leg and Ferdinand’s clearance ricocheted off the Spaniard and looped over the helpless Simon Mignolet and into the Sunderland goal from 40 yards.
The setback didn’t deter the Black Cats and they continued to push forward in search of an equaliser. They had another chance from a corner as Nedum Onuoha leapt high to meet the cross into the box. The young Englishman was unmarked in the centre and sent his header well over the crossbar from six yards out.
Arsenal were struggling to create their usual flowing passages of play, but Alex Song did combine neatly with Andrey Arshavin to create an opening in the 28th minute. Song dragged back the ball before slipping the Russian into the right-hand side of the area where Arshavin went for goal with a first-time effort. But it was comfortably saved by Mignolet low to his left.
The Gunners weren’t aided in their attempts to impose their fluid style on the game with the withdrawal of Fabregas, who went off injured just before the half hour mark to be replaced by Tomas Rosicky.
Sunderland had an excellent chance to draw level in the 36th minute as Darren Bent did well to chase down and collect possession in the right channel after a ball over the top of the Arsenal defence.
The England striker held up the ball and played it back to Ahmed Elmohamady, who whipped it into the back post where Cristian Riveros had got in front of his marker as he charged onto the cross. The Paraguayan didn’t make clean contact with his diving header, however, and the chance was wasted.
Arsenal came out in the second half looking a lot sharper. They popped passes around in a tight area on the right flank before Rosicky skipped infield, weaving past two Sunderland players in the process. He laid the ball off for Song on the edge of the area, who neatly navigated his marker before sliding in Arshavin on the left-hand side of the box. The Russian accepted the invitation to shoot, and smashed the ball just wide of the left-hand post.
The Gunners sliced through the Sunderland defence with ease moment later, Arshavin combining with Samir Nasri before the French midfielder played a first-time pass into the left-hand side of the box for Marouane Chamakh.
The Moroccan delayed his shot by a fraction, allowing Mignolet to burst off his line to close the angle and the young Belgian did well to deny the Arsenal forward.
Hot-headed | Song sees two yellows after Malbranque trickery
Sunderland almost immediately capitalised on the one man advantage as the Black Cats went short on a corner, allowing Henderson to bring the ball inside from the left flank. The youngster played it inside for Bent who hammered a powerful drive wide of the left-hand post.
Arsene Wenger responded to this Sunderland chance by taking off Arshavin and replacing him with Denilson. Sunderland soon made an attacking change, bringing on record signing Asamoah Gyan in place of Riveros.
Sunderland had an attempt cleared off the line in the 66th minute. Henderson launched a corner into the box which was inadvertently flicked goalwards by Denilson. Luckily for Arsenal, Gael Clichy was alert on the far post and headed it clear of danger.
Despite the man disadvantage Arsenal continued to pop the ball around in midfield in an attempt to create openings. Nasri and Rosicky combined well in the 70th minute to allow the Czech Republic midfielder space for a shot on the edge of the box. His strike was clean, but it zipped comfortably wide of Mignolet’s right-hand post.
Arsenal were gifted an opportunity to close out the game when the same two players combined for Arsenal once again. This time Rosicky played Nasri into the right-hand of the penalty area and Elmohamady clipped the heels of the Frenchman, bringing the midfielder down to concede a penalty. Rosicky stepped up to take it and went with power over placement, hammering the ball over the crossbar to waste a golden opportunity to extend Arsenal’s lead.
Steve Bruce’s response was to bring off Onuoha and throw on Bolo Zenden. The change almost inspired Sunderland into an immediate equaliser, as Bent raced through on to a pass in behind the Arsenal defence. Manuel Almunia was alive to the danger, and raced off his line, arriving just ahead of the Sunderland forward to clear the ball with a sliding challenge.
With 80 minutes on the clock Sunderland almost found an equaliser. Malbranque picked the ball up on the left flank and dinked a lofted cross into the front post, where Gyan got ahead of his marker and headed the ball goalwards. Almunia was equal to the effort, plucking the ball out of the air as he dived to his left.
Arsenal almost added a second in injury time as Denilson dribbled through the Sunderland back line, but his shot from outside the box hit the right-hand post and deflected wide of the target.
It proved to be a telling miss, as Sunderland grabbed an equaliser deep into stoppage time. With 94 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock, Arsenal failed to clear a Sunderland attempt on target and Bent pounced for the Black Cats to hammer home from the right-hand side of the box with Almunia flailing.
The result denied Arsenal a place at the top of the Premier League as the two sides shared the points.
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Top Scorers
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