Hemed the hero
KIERAN GIBBS returns to the Emirates tonight with Arsene Wenger apparently in smug denial about just how good life can be once a player leaves the club.
Defender Gibbs said following his £5million move to West Brom last month he was a huge fan of Tony Pulis and felt he could improve his game there after 13 years under Wenger at Arsenal.
“Obviously it’s different to what I’ve had before so I feel he can develop areas of my game that may need working on,” said Gibbs.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain took a pay cut because he felt he could improve at Liverpool.
But Wenger scoffed when I expressed concern that players these days felt they could get a better footballing education elsewhere. “Look!” he said, exasperated. “You look at the players who performed here and left. You come back to me after.” So I have done. And those that have left the Emirates since it became the club’s home in the summer of 2006 tend to have done very well.
Nine European trophies and 18 major league titles between them.
Similar honours collected by those that stayed? Not one.
“We think it’s a good deal,” Pulis said of Albion’s purchase of Gibbs. “He’s only 27 so he’s got a lot left in the tank. His focus now should be on trying to improve.”
Wenger remained dismissive that under a technician like Pulis, Gibbs, who has 10 England caps, could become a better defender.
“He will have more to defend maybe; West Brom are a team who focus more on defending. We are a team that go forward.”
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CHRIS HUGHTON insisted revenge was not on his mind despite having once been sacked by Newcastle and then pipped to last season’s Championship title by the Magpies.
It did not need to be. The Brighton manager had far more significant reasons to be satisfied with a victory secured by a 50th-minute strike from Tomer Hemed – Albion’s only fit striker.
The only thing that matters to Hughton and his club is staying in the feel-good factor has not yet gone away.
Hughton’s side had the best home record in the Championship last season and they will need to draw on that particular strength if they are to stay out of the bottom three.
Yesterday it told against a Newcastle side who were handed a reality check after the optimism generated by three successive wins.
It was a game that suggested both teams will have to scrap for every point – and confirmed to both managers the need to boost their firepower in January. But Hemed produced the moment of quality before his team-mates showed the determination needed to survive sustained Newcastle pressure late on.
With a visit to Arsenal next up, there was a real sense Albion needed to get something out of this game if they were to demonstrate they are finding their feet in the top flight.
By contrast, Newcastle’s confidence was evident as early as the third minute when Matt Ritchie’s corner was directed towards Mikel Merino and his volley forced a save from Mat Ryan.
Brighton responded in kind with Hemed quickly drawing a save from Rob Elliot, and from that moment the two sides traded blows in much the same way as they had throughout last season’s Championship title race.
Both managers had cause to be satisfied with their side’s approach play during the first half. Equally, both were left frustrated at the number of good chances that went begging.
It did not help Brighton’s cause that the player who denied their best chance in the opening 45 minutes was wearing a blue-and-