Source: Telegraph
Sunderland 1 Arsenal 0: match report
Sunderland striker Darren Bent bounced back from a miserable international break with England to score the goal that ensured Arsenal lost ground on Premier League pacesetters Chelsea. [LNB]Bent's World Cup credentials were called into question following an uneventful England appearance in the friendly with Brazil a week earlier but he did his best to silence his critics and bolster his international prospects with a second-half goal that condemned lacklustre Arsenal to their first defeat since September. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League actionTelegraph player raterPremier League tablePremier League fixturesSport on televisionBent, who only got 13 touches and lasted 55 minutes in Doha, struck in the 71st minute with a close range-effort that owed much to good fortune against a side who looked out of sorts without Robin van Persie. [LNB]Bent provided the game's decisive touch when he leaped above the Arsenal defence to win Andy Reid's corner. His header lacked purchase and was heading for a throw-in when it bounced off substitute Fraizer Campbell and the former Tottenham striker beat Manual Almunia from inside the six-yard box. [LNB]The goal capped an individual performance from lone-striker Bent that typified Sunderland. His shift was all about hard graft rather than guile and it worked to knock Arsenal out of their aesthetically pleasing game. [LNB]On a ground where Chelsea triumphed 3-1, the tone was set for a frustrating afternoon for Arsenal early on. [LNB]It took all of five minutes for Arsenal to get into their stride and when they did assert themselves Marton Fulop foiled the Czech winger Tomas Rosicky with a fine save after he was teed up by Cesc Fabregas following Bacary Sagna's over-hit cross. [LNB]Fabregas then sent a rising shot soaring just over Fulop's bar as Arsenal dominated the opening exchanges against a side with a new-look back-four thanks to the inclusion of centre-halves John Mensah and Paulo Da Silva. [LNB]Sunderland raised their game thanks to feisty teenage midfielder Jordan Henderson and Steed Malbranque wasted two openings following Andy Reid's sterling efforts down the left wing. [LNB]Steve Bruce's team were unable to maintain the momentum as they ran out of steam a far more fluent Arsenal side regained control of the contest but were unable to apply a finishing touch to neat approach play. [LNB]Eduardo came within inches of opening the scoring on 32 minutes after exchanging passes with the impressive Alexandre Song but he dinked effort beat Fulop and the right-hand post. [LNB]The attack-minded Armand Traoré excelled as Arsène Wenger's third-choice left-back and after out-witting John Mensah to the by-line Aaron Ramsey was invited to try his luck but his shot was comfortably saved by Fulop. [LNB]Only Almunia let Arsenal down and was scolded by William Gallas for hoofing the ball into touch rather than playing an easy pass to Sagna following a aimless clearance from an Sunderland defence that was fighting to keep the scores level. [LNB]Luckily for Sunderland, Fabregas showed he had left his shooting boots at home as he sent a shot well wide from distance in first-half stoppage time. [LNB]That uncharacteristic lack of poise might well have been down to the non-stop harrying of the Spaniard by Henderson. [LNB]Sadly the game started to drift after the break but Reid went close for Sunderland with a long-range free-kick and then he sent a shot wildly over from a favourable position. [LNB]The sooner Arsenal see the results of that radical placenta treatment on Van Persie and his ankle injury the better for Arsenal judging by this result that allowed Chelsea to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table. [LNB]Wenger may have tried to play down his leading scorer's absence but thousands of travelling fans who made the long trip to Wearside would have left for home lamenting the lack of cutting edge the Dutchman has provided and his compatriot Thomas Vermaelen summed that up following Bent's strike by driving a volley straight into the visiting fans before a nerve-jangling finale. [LNB]
