After survival the previous season, the aim for Roy Keane’s team this campaign was to build on their steady first season and consolidate in the league. It would have been clear that part of their new season aims would surely have included trying to beat one of the traditional ‘Top Four’ teams.
In the previous season, Sunderland failed to take a single point from any of their matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea, despite some decent performances across that season.
On this
day in 2008, Arsenal arrived at a wet Stadium of Light to take on Keane’s men. In comparison to the previous season, Sunderland had brought in the likes of Djibril Cissé, Pascal Chimbonda, and Anton Ferdinand into the team, who all had high-level experience.
For this game, Keane brought Dwight Yorke back into the squad and starting eleven for the first time all season. At the twilight of his career, Yorke lacked the pace and fitness to be able to play but still had much to offer in terms of leadership and also his in-game intelligence, where he was played in a holding-midfield role.
The game started at a quick pace, where Sunderland pressed high and forced the Arsenal defence into mistakes at the back. Cissé worked tirelessly throughout the first half and also had some decent chances from long range, where he forced Manuel Almunia into a decent save.
The game started at a quick pace, where Sunderland pressed high and forced the Arsenal defence into mistakes at the back. Cissé worked tirelessly throughout the first half and also had some decent chances from long range, where he forced Manuel Almunia into a decent save.
Truthfully, Arsenal were flat throughout the first half, where the link-up play between Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor was not clean enough to cause trouble. Their only efforts were an off-target header from Alex Song, who was starting in place of Samir Nasri, and long-range shots from Denilson, Theo Walcott, and Cesc Fàbregas.
In the second half, Arsenal upped the ante and thought they had opened the scoring, but Van Persie’s effort was ruled out as Walcott’s cross was judged to have gone out of play for a goal kick. Adebayor had a shot that Gordon spilled, but the danger was quickly cleared, while at the other end, Kieran Richardson shot straight at Almunia, and Andy Reid did the same with a free-kick.
In the final five minutes, the game sprang into life, where Sunderland substitute Grant Leadbitter had a huge impact on the game with a magnificent long-range goal. Leadbitter picked up the ball just outside the box and struck a magnificent shot into the top corner, in off the underside of the bar, which left the local lad in tears as he galloped to the spot where his father’s ashes were spread on the Stadium of Light pitch.
This poignant moment was worthy of winning any match, but Cesc Fàbregas had other ideas as the game crept into added time. As a corner kick was played into the home side’s box, Fàbregas – the smallest person on the pitch – somehow got his head on the ball to level the game late into added time.
Upon looking at replays, much can be said about the Sunderland defending and goalkeeping, where Craig Gordon raced off his line and appeared to cause more trouble rather than assisting his defenders.
Despite this, Keane cut a satisfied figure after the game as he expressed his happiness with the performance, despite Arsène Wenger labelling the game ‘backs against forwards’.
“I am pretty sure if I had different players available, we might have been a bit more attack-minded.
“But I have to look at the squad of players I have available to me and for today, that was a good option for us. We have to get the balance right.
“The bottom line for any of these top teams, they will tell you, part of the game is breaking down the opposition.”
Sunderland: Gordon, Chimbonda, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Malbranque (Chopra 87), Whitehead, Yorke (Leadbitter 84), Reid, Richardson, Cisse (Murphy 88).
Subs Not Used: Fulop, Bardsley, Diouf, Healy.
Booked: Whitehead, Richardson, Yorke. Goals: Leadbitter 86.
Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott (Bendtner 66), Denilson (Nasri 73), Fabregas, Song Billong (Vela 87), Van Persie, Adebayor.
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Silvestre, Djourou, Eboue.
Booked: Clichy, Toure, Adebayor, Bendtner. Goals: Fabregas 90. Att: 40,199 Ref: Lee Mason (Lancashire).
