Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal – Özil On Song But Ramsey Steals Show In Dramatic Clash In The North East (Photos & Highlights)

Alan Duffy

15th, September 2013

4 Comments

By Alan Duffy

Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal – Premier League – 14th September 2013

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Sunderland v Arsenal - Stadium of Light

Mezut Özil enjoyed a superb debut for Arsenal on Saturday, superbly setting up Olivier Giroud for Arsenal’s first in a 3-1 win. However, it was Özil’s team-mate Arron Ramsey who would steal the show, courtesy of a match-winning second-half brace. But despite the final score, this was a game which Sunderland will feel they could well have gotten something out of, if only for some dodgy refereeing.

The Gunners started superbly and should have netted a bagful of goals, with Theo Walcott wasteful on a number of occasions. Giroud’s early goal was a classy affair but a rush of blood to the head from the striker’s fellow countryman Laurent Koscielny, who inexplicably felled Adam Johnson in the box just after the break, allowed the Black Cats back into the game, with sub Craig Gardner firing home the subsequent spot-kick.

After that goal it was all Sunderland, but it was the visitors who would score next, courtesy of a superb Aaron Ramsey volley. Soon after, the Black Cats looked to have levelled the scores again, when Jozy Altidore outmuscled Bacary Sagna before firing past Wojciech Szczesny. However, ref Martin Atkinson had already blown his whistle for Sagna’s challenge on Altidore, and so the play was brought back, with Sagna only receiving yellow for the infringement. Paulo Di Canio was. understandably, fuming and was eventually sent to the stands by the ref. To add insult to injury, Ramsey then bagged his second of the game to secure the win.

The hard-fought result sees Arsenal go top of the table, with Ramsey once again the pick of the bunch. As for the Black Cats, they’ll be hoping for a bit more luck next time out.

Photos…

Highlights…

Photos: PA

Highlights: 101gg

Posted in Arsenal, Newsnow, Sunderland, Videos

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4 Comments

  1. Adam says:

    Interestingly, if you watch the replay carefully it was a dive. Kos never touches him. He goes to ground and before he actually fouls him, he pulls out of the challenge (by keeping his legs tucked in) and the Sunderland player flops. It looks like it must be a foul and every ref is going to call it. Just like at Villa when he actually got ball. If Kos goes to ground in the box one more time…

  2. Meldeathor says:

    I’m appalled by the refereeing in the game, Martin Atkinson should take a break from this job I believe. The penalty never looked legit to me, at the very first replay I was sure there was no contact. That would, to some weird extent, ‘justify’ the disallowing of the Altidore goal, but I still think Sunderland have all the right to feel robbed.
    Nevertheless, the Arsenal fan in me makes me feel really great about taking home three points after a bizarre game. Ozil was good for a debut, Ramsey outstanding again. Walcott should put in quite a lot of extra work in front of goal in trainings. Could’ve given Ozil more assists from the game.

  3. Sam says:

    Its clearly a dive but Kos shuouldnt charge like that, the angle is hopeless and if there would be contact he wouldve took him out “by the book” and the pen wouldnt be a controversial one.
    And Atkinson doesnt have any replays to watch right there in the moment, you all know that, so it doesnt matter how things looked the first time you saw the replay. Id guess that 99 out of 100 wouldve blown for pen if you were the ref.

  4. TravisKOP says:

    sunderland should have won this game. shame Ozil went to arsenal, i always fancied him before.

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