Arsenal v Newcastle – May 2nd, 2021
Here is a post game accounting of Arsenal’s first ever League game which was played at Manor Field, Plumstead,127 years ago.
Date: Saturday 2 September 1893
Competition: Football League Division Two
Location: Manor Field, Plumstead
Attendance: 10,000
2 September 1893 Woolwich Arsenal v Newcastle United
Line-ups:
Woolwich Arsenal: C Williams, J Powell, W Jeffery, D Devine, B Buist, D Howat, D Gemmell, J Henderson, W Shaw, A Elliott, C Booth.
Newcastle United: A Ramsay, H Jeffrey, J Miller, R Crielly, W Graham, J McKane, J Bowman, T Crate, W Thompson, J Sorley, J Wallace.
Post-match comments:
Arsenal captain Joe Powell gave his opinion after the game: “We couldn’t have expected anything much better, and though at the time of leading by two goals to none we slackened down a little, it was the first goal of United that gave them heart to go and get another.”
When asked to single out individuals from his own team, Powell said: “We all did our fair share. Williams was fine, the halves rocks, and Elliott and Booth the pick of the front rank. Considering that Charlie Booth has to run four miles every morning to get down his flesh, the speed he gets up is a miracle.”
Of the new ground he said: “It’s a splendid place, and when we get all our terraces settled in place of those primitive erections, the public will agree with me.”
- William Graham the Newcastle captain, when it was commented that he looked “done up”, replied: “so would you be if you’d been travelling all night in a confounded train!”
He also spoke out against Arsenal’s second goal: “We were terribly unlucky to draw. The second goal of Arsenal was a fraud… our fellows appealed for offside and stood still.”
However, he was also complimentary of the Arsenal team when asked his opinion of them: “Spanking good, indeed”. They gave us as hard a game as we’ve ever had. Yet I think that when we get them up North we shall prove at least four goals their superior Williams is a perfect treasure, while I have seldom seen a better left wing than Elliott and Booth.”
Facts about linked to the match or players:
The crowd was entertained by the band of the 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers.
Joe Powell would go on to die in tragic circumstances. Complications set in having broken his arm in a game in 1896. He died a few days later from tetanus. His funeral was attended by several thousand fans as well as representatives from Woolwich Arsenal and other football teams. A collection was organised for his wife and children, and the money raised was used to buy a tobacconist shop to provide ongoing income for his family.
William Graham wasn’t wrong with his prediction as Newcastle won the reverse fixture 6-0 later that month. However, in this game a number of Woolwich Arsenal players, including Charlie Booth, were struck by stones thrown from the crowd. The Newcastle committee apologised for the conduct of the home crowd to Arsenal director Fred Beardsley whilst the team were at the railway station making their way home.
Arthur Elliott has the distinction of being the first Arsenal player known to have been sent off during a game. He received his marching orders on 23 November 1892 against Ipswich Town for persistent foul play.
| EPL Away Games v Newcastle | |||||
| Date | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 07-May-94 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 19-Mar-95 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 02-Jan-96 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 30-Nov-96 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 06-Dec-97 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 28-Feb-99 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 14-May-00 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 15-May-01 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 02-Mar-02 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 09-Feb-03 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 11-Apr-04 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29-Dec-04 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 10-Dec-05 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 09-Apr-07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 05-Dec-07 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 21-Mar-09 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 05-Feb-11 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 13-Aug-11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19-May-13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 29-Dec-13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 21-Mar-15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 29-Aug-15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 15-Apr-18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 15-Sep-18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 11-Aug-19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total : | 10 | 8 | 6 | 26 | 23 |
| ALL Away Games v Newcastle | |||||
| W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Divison 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 17 |
| Divison 1 | 13 | 11 | 31 | 67 | 103 |
| Premier | 10 | 8 | 6 | 26 | 23 |
| Total : | 24 | 19 | 41 | 99 | 143 |
The result on Thursday left Arteta with a very difficult choice of who to play against Newcastle, my hope is that he rests the majority of our key players and risks sacrificing the game in favour of getting a posivtive result next Thursday.
GunnerN5
TA’s preferred lineup:
This is a game in which we should save the legs of players who are absolutely critical on Thursday and work the legs of those players who really need a game. Ryan could do with a game and the same goes for Luiz, Gabriel, Soares and Bellerin. Partey, ESR and Saka need a break.. and so does Granit but we need him for leadership and structure reasons. Upfront, Auba, Ode and Martinelli could really do with a start. I have also picked Pepe but would be happy if Nelson would get a game tomorrow. COYGs! With a bit of luck, Tierney gets 30 minutes or so.
Bergkampesque 
Great stuff, GN5. Loved ““Spanking good, indeed”. What a sad end to the captain; it must have been a shock to all the players.
This should be a good practice game for Thursday’s all important home game against the Yellow Submarine. COYGs.
What a great post GN5, especially the quotes of the players afterwards, I love all that historical stuff.
The picture, a favourite of mine, was taken in 1895 as it’s written on the ball and is the line up of a few years later and in the middle of the team, if I’m not mistaken, is Ceasar Jenkyns (what a great name) who was a Welsh international and was the first Arsenal player to win a full international cap. He stayed only one year I think but behind him is Harry Storer (I think) another great player for Arsenal and one of many excellent goalkeepers to stand guard of the Gunners goal down the years…
Great times.
Yes Total, today really is an opportunity to rest and rotate players, I would be amazed and quite disappointed if Arteta didn’t take this chance to protect some of our clearly fatigued looking 1st choice players. But who can predict anything with our team these days?
When I was but a boy of 13, I regularly played table football or Table soccer as it was called here, with a school mate, Simon Crisp. He was a Geordie, a fanatical Newcastle United fan, who had, along with his family emigrated to New Zealand. We were great mates attending concerts at the Auckland Town Hall, The Sweet, Gary Glitter, The Hollies… The friendship came to a grinding halt when we paid 333,000 quid for his hero Malcolm MacDonald. Super Mac was worth it, I just found someone else to go to concerts with.
After a series of disappointment (enervate performance and eventual loss against Villarreal, losing out from the U18 FA Youth Cup, U23 losing the penultimate game of the season at home and still in danger of relegation) this great preview and the subsequent preferred line-up started to elevate my mood. And while I’m quite sure that Arteta won’t even consider making 8 changes – I might be still a bit ‘glass kind of empty’ guy today – the boys can make my day.
I would definitely start Ceballos. On one hand he doesn’t have to rest for Thursday (nor could he be tired as he didn’t play 95 minutes), but more importantly this could be his last stand to convince the board to make his loan permanent. And even though he may have plenty of reasons to prefer playing for Real Madrid next season; his claims for a starting role at the Bernabeu would be significantly better if his loan club would insist to sigh him, than if even a mid-table PL team wouldn’t want him in their squad.
9/11 TA. Only the Pepe-Willian and the Soares-Ceballos swap didn’t materialize, and Xhaka still plays left back.
Nevertheless it is a stong, yet highly rotated line-up.
On the bench, there is nothing exciting, Leno, Saka, Thomas, Pepe and ESR are all there, as well as Chambers and Mari.
The confirmed Line-up and formation:
–––––––Aubameyang–––––––
Martinelli–Odegaard––Willian–
––––Ceballos––––Elneny––––
Xhaka–Gabriel––Luiz––Bellerin
––––––––––Ryan––––––––––
Odegaard, Xhaka (or course) and Ceballos keep their places otherwise it’s 8 changes and no Tierney or Lacazette.
Ryan in goal, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Xhaka, Elneny, Odegaard, Ceballos, Willian, Martinelli and Auba.
No Balogun again and three defenders on the bench, do we really need three?
To be honest there is one important game left, possibly two, that really matters now in this season, on Thursday and on May 26th in Danzig fingers crossed, touch wood, black cat crossing my path… 🤞
Great goal finished by Aubameyang, simple but effective pass from Odegaard, beautiful cross by Martinelli and a clam finish by Aubameyang.
I’ve gotta say I’m quite warming to Mat Ryan, it’s a small sample but he looks very safe and I think our defenders look comfortable with him behind them….
All agreed, Kev.
A nice win in prep for Thursday’s game. Thought Elneny was good and yes a fine team goal for the second one. ⚽⚽🎯🎯
Elneny was good indeed, suprisingly good. Though he didn’t make many forward passes; but we have already accepted – and still love him – for being our only central/defensive midfielder to have more goals (3) than assists (0). (Thomas: 0/3, Xhaka: 1/2, Ceballos: 0/3)
Mo was tidy in possession with 98.2% passing accuracy (fun fact: Aubameyang had 100% with his 22 passes) and was full of energy as expected. He made a good case to start against Villarreal – which could impair our attacking build-ups, but apparently would provide a threat from distance.
Great to hear Elneny played that well. I had to watch on my hand held device as I was in transit, and just got into Toronto, looking ahead to a 3 nights hotel isolation before being allowed in to be with my family.
The result is good for morale and it was even more so that Auba got minutes and scored a goal. As TA and a few posters here wished, Saka, ESR, Thomas and Pepe got well deserved rests. We can look forward to the game against Villareal with real hope now. On another note, the likes of Xhaka, Ryan, Gabriel, Martinelli and Auba have not done their chances of featuring on Thursday any harm at all. Ryan, for one, inspires in me more confid nice than Leno does, especially on crosses and command of the box. Let’s see how Arteta picks his 11.
…..confidence**
Not sure what’s happened with my wordpress posting environment, as the “leave a reply” box seems to be constricted and requiring me to enter full details each time. Is it just me or a general glitch?
I actually watched yesterday’s game with the sound up for the first time in ages, I usually turn the volume off as I can’t stand the fake crowd noise and also the commentary is usually so biased and brain dead, but I listened today and all I heard was 90 minutes of snide, anti Arsenal invective from the appalling Don Goodman and the dummy sitting next to him. Really, is that the extent to where Sky want to go, no wonder so many people go on dodgy streams, if I didn’t get the matches via my sons package I really would not bother, it’s just so lowbrow and amateurish.
@kev, funny you mention about volume and I did the same after a long time. Offcourse didn’t pay much attention what the commentators said though as I was involved in discussion with my 13 yr old watching with me. Yeah I agree with the commentary which is dross. My favourite will always be Martin Tyler and Andy gray. You could sense the excitement in Andy Gray’s voice when he used to describe key moments. Martin what can I say , his baritone is synonymous for me with watching football. Miss them both really.
Kev, Eris, I fully agree on Ryan.
He may not have such insane reflexes as Leno – but to be fair, not many has – so when it comes to goal line reflex saves and possible multiple stops we are well equipped, but I admire Ryan constantly hunting for crosses, leaving his box to prevent long balls, and being available for the defenders when pressed, etc. He can become the long-term heir to Martinez if we sign him.
I’m not sure he should take over the EL games ahead of Leno, but if he does, he won’t be a liability.
That’s a lovely image you paint Madhu watching the game with your son, I really wish that when crowds return that there was an option on the broadcast to mute the commentator but keep the crowd. No doubt the commentators union, if they have one, would be against it. Imagine football fans watching the game without some megamouth telling you the obvious and what you can see, that would never do old chap!
I think the BBC experimented with that option but it didn’t last, in a way I enjoy watching, or I did, a moody stream with an Arabic commentator, of course I don’t speak Arabic but I find the commentary really enjoyable as the excitement grows and from time to time they say Allah, or that’s how it appears to my uneducated western ears. 🙂
Occasionally Madhu I do get to watch a game with either of my sons and the commentator is irrelevant as we discuss the game and elements of it and the players. Those times are just like the ‘old days’ when we went as a trio to games, home and away.
Madhu, excuse me for asking, are you based in India and if so how is it going over there, some of the news reports we’re getting here in the UK are quite upsetting…
Good point Pete, I think it might be a little late in the day to drop Leno for Ryan this season but I actually think he commands his box better than the German and isn’t afraid to venture from his line again unlike the German. Like you Peter I’d be quite happy to see us sign him in the summer, hopefully the loan deal came with an agreed fee so that Brighton don’t try to be unrealistic with the fee?
I certainly wouldn’t have any qualms if Arteta stuck with the Aussie for the rest of this campaign but that would be a major decision and would accelerate the departure of Leno in the summer.
I too hope that we sign Ryan. We need proper competition in all positions and right now Leno would not automatically be my #1.
Is there something wrong with Cedric? With the game won, I would have thought that Xhaka could have been given a break and if Tierney may not be fit next Thursday Cedric needs a run out in case he is needed.
That’s what I asked from myself, Oxfordshiremusiclover.
We have a backup left back and not a bad one either.
I can understand that Xhaka would play ahead of him due to his long range passing skills (and because he used to play contingency-LB anyway when Tierney got stuck up front and had to defend against a swift counterattack from the opponent), but he could have deserved a 25 minute break – more than Odegaard – when we were 2 goals ahead and faced a quite impotent Newcastle side. So unless Mikel thought that Partey’s muscles need 9 minutes warm-up otherwise would become rigid, I also would have brought on Soares. And probably Nketiah/Balogun instead of Pepe (to replace Auba), as Nico’s 15 minute cameo didn’t make much sense to me.
The whole team worked their socks off and we could have scored more in the first half, but we did not.
We needed the win but i can say that we are still not there defensively.
Thanks for the fine comments chaps and ladies. I have been a bit busy in recent days so I appreciate the likes of PB, Kev, Madhu, Eris and co still commenting on BK.
New Post 🙂