SOBS V GOONERS

The Lads welcomed the table-topping Gunners to Wearside for the first time in ages, went ahead, went behind, and grabbed yet another point from a losing position - and in doing so became the first side to put two past the Arsenal this season. A terrific game of football that once again outlined our credentials - we dine at the top table, and we deserve to. With caviar.

A late kickoff, so we headed through at the usual time, and it appeared that most others had as well - the town was bouncing, as was the new bridge. The Remembrance display was very impressive, the silence immaculately observed, giving us time to think. If grandad hadn't ducked on the Somme, I wouldn't be writing this.

As is now the norm, we faced north, and the side was unchanged:

Roefs

Hume Ballard Mukiele Geertruida Reinildo 

Xhaka (c) Sadiki 

Traore Le Fee

Isidor 

... and a bench of Patterson, Mayenda, Brobbey, Adingra, Neil, Masuaku, O'Nien, Rigg, and Talbi.

With the visitors in their dark blue away kit, we kicked off and the quality on display -from both sides - quickly became apparent. Big Dan made the first of several decisive defensive headers, catching Merino in the process and thus necessitating a lengthy period of patching-up for the Arsenal man.

A lack of concentration by Enzo just outside our box presented Eze with a shooting chance which he curled over, and Roefs pushed away a Rice free-kick, then came a chance for Issy but the angle was against him and the shot flashed across and wide from the left. Twenty minutes gone, and we were matching our illustrious opponents in terms of output.

Another quarter hour of to-ing and fro-ing followed before the crucial moment. A foul in our half on Issy gave our keeper the chance to pump it forward and Ballard headed on from the edge of the box. His defensive marra Nordi headed it back to him, he drove past Rice then smacked it home. A beautiful goal. Boom!

While Arsenal might have had the majority of possession, as expected, and they matched us in the closing down business (AKA "the press") but we started to win more of the tackles as the half wore on. Another bang on the head (Timber, I think) meant another stoppage and helped create the nine added minutes, in which Xhaka was (in my biased opinion, unfairly) booked. Probably for shouting"gerrup, yer soft get!" at the stricken opponent.

A goal up at the break, and no more than we deserved as we'd done what nobody else had in restricting the Gunners' scoring opportunities.

No changes for the second half, apart from Arsenal's attitude - which was much more in our faces and positive. However, we nearly undid them four minutes in before being forced back. Enzo was caught in two (or even three) minds in the middle of our half on 53 and was dispossessed with Arsenal laying it to Saka steaming in from the right and he did what he usually does, firing low and in to our keeper's left.

Damn, but with the amount of pressure they'd applied since the break, hardly a surprise. There was nearly a second when Roefs punched it to the edge of the box and Zubimendi fired it off the bar. Sharp intake of breath as we blocked the follow-up. Too close for comfort.

Just after the hour, on came Brobbey, Adingra, and Talbi for Traore, Le Fee, and Issy as we looked to stretch the visiting defence. Which we did, but they soaked it up for ten minutes.  before Reinildo was harshly pulled up for a foul and even more harshly booked. That allowed a spot of Arsenal pressure, but not much looked on when Trossard picked it up in the inside left position - aye, right. He shuffled this way and that to get a yard from Sadiki and unleashed a belter high to the right of Roefs and in.

Double damn, but as with the first - it's Arsenal, it's what they do and why they're top.

Ah, but... we're Sunderland, watch what we do. Our heads didn't drop, and urged on by Xhaka, we battled on. Brobbey nearly got us level but it was saved - offside anyway. A Hume through ball found Reinildo arriving on the edge, and he knocked it to Brobbey but Raya was down quickly to save. Ha'way Lads, it's coming... Gerty made way for Mayenda as we went for broke, the crowd continued the noise that had been booming out since half five, seven added minutes were announced and in went another curler from Hume. Up went Big Dan to head it on and there was Brobbey with an acrobatic right-footed hook - and it was 2-2. No more than we deserved and yet another 94th minute goal.

Arsenal were straight back at us, but there was Ballard to fling himself into the path of the shot. If ever a draw felt like a win, this was it. A late equaliser, that block by Ballard - it epitomised us under Regis. Never say die, 'til the end, gerrinterthem!

Man of the Match? Some outstanding effort all over the pitch, but you can't look any further than Big Dan. Goal, assist, block - everything.