What a difference a year makes. Twelve months on from being booed off the park by his own fans, Emmanuel Eboue, the Arsenal full back,produced an eye-catching display ashis side once againcrept back into the Premier League title race with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium.
Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey After a jaded lookingManchester United slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Everton in Saturdays early kick off, the pre sure was on the Gunners to make amends for their own stumbling form of late, which included a defeat of the same margin to the champions, in a vain attempt to resurrect their faultering title bid.Arsene Wenger made sweeping changes to the team that started Wednesday nights now infamous defeat to Porto in the Champions League, which included the axing of error-prone goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. But it was the much malignedIvorian who shone, with surging runs from full back
Dan Chisena Jersey and sublime combinations with Theo Walcott that menaced George McCartney, the Sunderlandleft back,all afternoon.He combined well with fellow Arsenal scape goat Nicklas Bendtner who contributed an outstanding shift of his own to the put the Gunners ahead in the 27th minute. After outstripping Darren Bent, theSunderland defence allowed Eboue the time and space to supply a low ball for the arriving Bendtner to tap in from close range.The Dane had already rattled the cro sbar of Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon prior to putting his side ahead, as the imposing striker sought to silence critics of his own with a performance that oozed the sort ofmaturity that has perhaps been lacking from the earlier days of his young career.Arsenal began to live dangerously as half time approached whenKenwyne Jones threatened to restore parity after being put through one-on-one with the returning Manuel Almunia. But the Trinidad & Tobagostriker slotted wide of the post from 18-yards out
Jake Bargas Jersey and the Gunners retained a lead ofwhich they were good value for at the break.The Black Cats rarely threatened in the second period, but had a crediblepenalty claim waved away by referee Steve Bennettwhen Mikael Silvestre appeared to tug on the shirt of Darren Bent.Wenger will probably have been more relieved than his fellow Frenchman but only because he would have had to dip into his ever-expandingbag of excuses to justify his sides
Randy Moss Jersey defensive frailties for the second time in the space of four days.With the game nearing its conclusion, nerves began to jangle around the Emirates as Sunderland went on an attack that the hosts scrambled away and broke quickly from, which resulted in skipper Cesc Fabregas being felled in the penalty areaclumsily by Fraizer Campbell.The Spaniard stepped up to convert for his twelfth goal of this Premiership campaign and put the contest beyond any doubt, closing the gap on second-placed Manchester United to just two points.The defeat for Sunderland now leaves Steve Bruces side hovering precariously above the relegation
Parry Nickerson Jersey places, and without a win since their 1-0 triumph in the reverse of this fixture at the Stadium of Light back in November.ARSENAL 2 (Bendtner 27, Fabregas (pen) 90)Team: Almunia, Eboue (Denilson 89), Silvestre, Vermaelen, Clichy, Ramsey, Song, Fabregas, Walcott (Sagna 78), Nasri (Rosicky 72), BendtnerUnused Subs: Fabianski, Campbell, Traore, VelaBooked: FabregasSUNDERLAND 0Team: Gordon, McCartney (Bardsley 85), Turner, Ferdinand, Hutton, Mensah, Richardson (Zenden 76), Cana, Campbell, Jones (Benjani 78), BentUnused Subs: Carson, Da Silva, Kilgallon, MalbranqueBooked: Turner, Ferdinand, Hutton, Cana, Richardson