Newcastle Utd 0 Arsenal 0

NEWCASTLE UTD: Given (Harper 25), Solano, Onyewu, Taylor, Carr,Milner, Butt, Emre (Luque 88), Duff, Martins,Dyer (N'Zogbia 52).
Subs Not Used: Bramble, Ramage.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy,Hleb (Julio Baptista 61), Fabregas, Silva, Diaby, Ljungberg,Adebayor (Aliadiere 71).
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Senderos, Denilson.

Att: 52,293

The Gunners, were back to the days of "Boring Boring Arsenal" as they looked a pale shadow of what we have come to expect from them. And they might have taken a FOURTH consecutive beating had James Milner's 46th-minute shot not come back off the crossbar on an afternoon when Newcastle were a match for everything their opponents put their way.

Arsene Wenger's side created few opportunities of any note until a late flurry which brought the best out of stand-in skipper Nobby Solano, who pulled off two fabulous saves in a matter of seconds to keep the game goaless.

We can call Arsenal for being negative (because we expect more from them), but the Magpies' approach was just as bad. But if anything, they had the clear openings with winger Damien Duff twice going close at the end of a first half during which defender Oguchi Onyewu had forced a good save from keeper Jens Lehmann.

However, a point apiece was fair, but it was an afternoon when 22 players didn't play bad - but the game cried out for someone to be special, and no-one stepped forward to drag the game out of a stalemate.

Saturday's dismal 1-0 defeat by Manchester City had the supporters on edge, not wanting to tolerate a repeat of that performance. However, neither side rarely looked likely to break sweat, never mind score.

Goalkeeper Shay Given had only one real save to make when he got down well to keep out Alexander Hleb's fifth-minute shot, although his afternoon came to a premature conclusion when he was caught in a challenge with striker Emmanuel Adebayor and for the fourth time this season, had to leave the pitch.

His replacement Steve Harper was no busier.

Nicky Butt looked the pick of the bunch and Damien Duff might have made the breakthrough twice within three minutes at the end of the half. First, he saw a right-foot shot blocked at the near post after Butt had pulled the ball back from the goal-line, and he then stabbed an effort across goal as panic set in at the back for the Gunners amid an untidy scramble.

Milner fired the ball in from the right and saw it curl beyond the stranded Lehmann only to come back off the crossbar.

Glenn Roeder had to change the shape of his side on 52 minutes when Kieron Dyer limped off and was replaced by Charles N'Zogbia, who went straight into central midfield and Emre moved up to support lone striker Martins, who hardly had a kick all game.

Solano cleared Giberto's 84th-minute effort off the line and then blocking Aliadiere's follow-up, heading over the bar when United were really struggling.

There was controversy at the death when referee Howard Webb, who had a shocking match, allowed a rugby tackle on defender Onyewu when the ball came in from a dead-ball situation. A penalty as plane as day, but Webb bottled it.