Saturday Dec 10th 2005
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 ARSENAL 0
NEWCASTLE: Given, Ramage, Boumsong, Bramble, Elliott, Solano, Faye, Parker (Bowyer 74), Ameobi, Shearer, Owen (Chopra 90).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Luque, Brittain.
ARSENAL: Lehmann, Toure, Senderos, Campbell, Lauren, Ljungberg, Fabregas (Pires 86), Silva, Hleb (Flamini 63), Van Persie (Owusu-Abeyie 85), Henry.
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Eboue.
Att: 52,297
For once this was a game that took the pressure off Graeme Souness. United were not expected to win, so it was a special one-off where the manager knew the chairman would not pull the plug on his job, even if they lost. Some could say it was a "win-win" situation the ex-Rangers boss has rarely had during his stay on Tyneside. But did anyone expect us to actually WIN?
Nobby Solano chose the perfect moment to score his first goal since returning to Newcastle to condemn 10-man Arsenal to a second successive Premiership defeat and lift the doom and gloom that has hung over St James' Park all season. The Toon Army needed some Christmas cheer, and the Peruvian struck with just eight minutes remaining to hand them something their undoubted loyalty deserves.