Newcastle, having just sold their best player and leading goal scorer – Andy Carroll – saw themselves trailing to Arsenal 4-0 at halftime. Fans were leaving the stadium 10 minutes into the match. I’m not sure if anyone can blame them for that, it only took Arsenal 2 minutes into the match to score 2 goals. Within 47 seconds of kick-off Walcott made it 1-0, and about 1 minute later Djourou headed in the 2nd. Just 7 minutes later Robin Van Persie put home the 3rd.
The 2nd half was a completely different story. Five minutes in Abou Diaby gets himself sent off for reacting to a Joey Barton tackle by grabbing Barton by the neck and shoving his head towards the ground. As soon as Diaby got sent off, the crowd got back into the game and the Newcastle players looked reenergized. Joey Barton converted a penalty kick in the 69th minute, and the crowd went berserk and the Newcastle players had belief. Six minutes later Leon Best put home Newcastle’s 2nd and now the crowd was really roaring and everyone watching started to believe something special was unfolding before their very eyes. Newcastle continued to create chance after chance leaving fans and spectators alike on the edge of their seat.
In the 83rd minute Newcastle won their second penalty of the half and Joey Barton stepped up to the plate once again and bravely brought his club within 1 goal of completing one of the most epic comebacks in sports history. Merely five minutes later, in the 88th minute, Cheikh Tiote struck a one-time volley from just outside the penalty box, and the sweetest goal you will ever see completed the sweetest comeback you will ever see. Words could not explain the scene after that strike hit the back of the net.
thespecial1
Ancelotti's Eyebrow 