Newcastle Utd 1 Arsenal 1Sam Allardyce and Newcastle United may not be heading for imminent divorce after all. Instead, this gutsy, and increasingly gripping, draw against the Premier League leaders may come to be seen as a watershed in their relationship, the night when Allardyce began to win his battle for the hearts and minds of players and supporters.
Alan Shearer could be made to wait a while until he finally receives an invitation to take charge at St James' Park.
Granted, Newcastle's manager has not presided over a win for six games now and can ill-afford anything less than victory here against Birmingham City on Saturday. But there were encouraging signs that players who have queried his methods and fans who have balked at his playing style may be willing to give Big Sam the benefit of the doubt.
Few, though, would have banked on such an outcome at 7.50pm last night. Allardyce had predicted that this could prove to be a "chess game" and Newcastle would "have to have our pieces in the right places".
Unfortunately, as early as the fourth minute key home players were in the wrong places and Emmanuel Eboue was free to swing in a cross from the right which was adroitly taken on the chest by Emmanuel Adebayor before Arsenal's centre forward beat Shay Given with a stunning volley.
The Newcastle manager, suddenly looking uncomfortable in the seat alongside his chairman, Chris Mort, barely stifled a curse and will surely not care to view too many replays of the ease with which Adebayor bisected the central defensive pairing of David Rozehnal and Steven Taylor.
Newcastle might have equalised almost at once had Geremi's header not flown fractionally wide.
Although much of his passing proved even less accurate, Geremi offered Allardyce his best hope of a first-half goal, later forcing Manuel Almunia into a splendid, diving save when his low free-kick somehow sneaked through the Arsenal wall.
If home frustration had earlier been manifested by Alan Smith's slightly late, impetuous challenge on Almunia, Newcastle's nerves were epitomised by Nicky Butt's indecision in central midfield where, on one startling occasion, Pele's outstanding player of the 2002 World Cup conceded possession to Lassana Diarra in the cheapest of fashions.
Smith, for once deployed in his preferred striking role, and Obafemi Martins were still finding chances hard to conjure. Arsene Wenger is supposedly an admirer of Martins but he will have been relieved to see the Nigerian make a hash of a rare Newcastle opening. After using his pace to bypass William Gallas, Martins should have passed to the on-rushing, unmarked Geremi but tried to work himself into a shooting position and permitted Gallas to thwart him at the second attempt.
Compared with bruising brushes with Allardyce's old Bolton sides, Arsenal must have been finding his Newcastle ensemble surprisingly well-mannered, although Joey Barton earned himself a booking for a challenge on Gilberto.
Still Newcastle had done enough to earn applause as they left at half-time. If that represented a contrast to the toxic abuse which rained down as they surrendered to Liverpool in the last home game here, this was a much feistier display.
Moreover, Newcastle tried at times to play through midfield. While such cameos were not always cohesive or convincing, they did hint at a compromise between Allardyce's beloved percentage game and the passing style which remains many of his current squad's default mode.
Taylor is hardly a natural goalscorer but the centre half breathed fresh life into Allardyce's Newcastle career by equalising on the hour, his crisply struck right-foot shot going in off a post after Eduardo forfeited possession, Habib Beye crossed and Smith flicked on.
Indeed with Newcastle going for the win their fans demanded, Wenger and his side, who clearly missed Cesc Fabregas and Alexander Hleb, looked relieved when the final whistle blew.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Beye, Taylor, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia, Milner, Barton, Butt, Geremi (Viduka 77), Martins, Smith. Subs not used: Harper, Jose Enrique, Emre, Edgar. Booked: Barton, Given, Beye.
ARSENAL: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Diarra, Silva, Rosicky, Adebayor, Eduardo (Bendtner 68). Subs not used: Lehmann, Denilson, Song Billong, Walcott. Booked: Diarra, Sagna.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
