Oh Rocky, Rocky. A tribute to the late David Rocastle 2 May 1967 - 31 March 2001

IT seems hard to believe that it is now 16 years since we lost David Rocastle. The words 'legend' and 'superstar' are branded about far too easily these days, especially at people who have not truly earned it. But someone who certainly did deserve those accolades was the man simply known as Rocky.

So what made him so special? Well at his peak he was quiet simply the best footballer I have ever seen. Back in the late 1980's people talked about Glenn Hoddle or Paul Gascoigne, and Arsenal fans would always mention Liam Brady. But for me Rocky topped the lot.

He had everything; strength, pace, skill, vision. He could run, tackle, pass, shoot, and score goals. Wonderful, wonderful goals. But above all else he was just a down-to-earth guy who never forgot where he came from, who he represented, and how lucky he was to playing football for a living.

Rocky was born on a tough council estate in Lewisham, South-East London, on May 2 1967, and was brought up by his mother following the death of his father in 1972. After leaving school in 1983, Rocky joined Arsenal as an apprentice and I first heard about him through his exploits in the youth and reserve teams.

It was therefore no real surprise when he made his Arsenal debut in September 1985 against Newcastle United at Highbury. It was not a particularly memorable match (it finished 0-0) and it was not a particularly memorable season (we finished 7th) but Rocky shone like a beacon through the mediocrity and he became an instant hero of mine. And he was only a year older than me.

The following season saw a then 19-year-old Rocky really establish himself in the Arsenal side under new manager George Graham. He was a regular in the No. 7 shirt on the right wing as we won the Littlewoods Cup at Wembley, and he became a true Gooner legend when he scored the injury time winner in the semi final replay at White Hart Lane.

Over the next two-and-half years Rocky became one of the best young players in the country as Graham plotted the downfall of Liverpool. He was ever-present in the 1988-89 title winning season and gave us many more great memories; a wonder-strike against Middlesbrough where the ball seemed permanently stuck to his right foot as he slalomed past challenge after challenge; a 30 yard chip at Villa Park, and a great goal at Liverpool in the Littlewoods Cup. And lets not forget it was Rocky who won the free kick that led to our all-important first goal in the title decider at Anfield that May. He was voted Young Player of the Year and became a regular in the England squad.

It was a shame that injury and illness began to affect his performances just as he was reaching his peak. I recall an article in the match day programme by Graham in early 1990 saying how Rocky was out of the team as he had been suffering with breathing problems, perhaps the start of the ill health that would ultimately cost him his young life.

Following an incident at Millwall in 1989 when he swallowed his tongue, Rocky suffered a difficult 18 months and played just 16 times in the 1990-91 title winning season. Many were writing him off as it appeared his best days were already behind him, incredible when you think he was still only 24.

However the signing in September 1991 of his childhood friend, Ian Wright (the pair had grown up together on that same council estate in Lewisham), seemed to re-invigorate his career and he enjoyed a fine 1991-92 season, missing just four games. The highlight was a wonderful solo goal at Old Trafford where he chipped Peter Schmeichal from 25 yards after out-muscling both Paul Ince and Bryan Robson.

But that proved to be his last season at the club. I will never forget when I heard the news he had been sold to champions Leeds United for what seems an incredibly low fee of just £2million. Rocky WAS Arsenal and it seemed unbelievable that he would no longer be playing for us. I heard he cried when Graham told him they had accepted Leeds' offer and that tells you all you need to know about the man. He loved Arsenal; it was his club and he showed it every time he pulled on the shirt.

Unfortunately his career rapidly went downhill after that. Following two largely unsuccessful years at Elland Road, Rocky played half a season at Manchester City, where he helped them avoid relegation, before returning to London with Chelsea in 1994. His time there was blighted by injury and the highlight was helping them reach the semi final of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1995, which had they won would have seen him face former club Arsenal in the final. In the end he made less then 30 appearances in his four years at Stamford Bridge, where he also spent loan periods with both Norwich City and Hull City.

He ended his playing career in 2000 in Malaysia with a club called Sabah where he was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the immune system. I did not even know he had been ill when the news of his death broke on the morning of a North-London derby on March 31 2001. He was just 33. It was the most emotional match I have been to and even though we beat Spurs 2-0, it meant nothing. We had lost a legend and I had lost my first football idol. The chants of 'Oh Rocky, Rocky...' were sang through tear-stained eyes that day...

I was actually lucky enough to meet Rocky once in the early 1990's. He was out of the side injured at the time and I was at the ground picking up a ticket when he emerged from the main entrance with David Hillier. Through my work in the media, I have met and spoken to many footballers over the years but this was different, this was Rocky. Although I was around 23-years-old at the time, I felt like a lost little boy as he approached me and smiled. I really wanted to say something but I was, for the first and so far only time in my life, completely star-stuck.

In the end I managed to utter some nonsense about his injury but he was only too happy to stop and chat, telling me he was on the mend and would be fit in a week or two. He then shook my hand, signed my ticket stub and he was off. Of course I now wish I had spoken to him in more depth and told him how much I idolised him but I was just a quivering wreck who could barely manage a smile and a thanks! Unfortunately this was in the days before camera-phones so I have no pictorial evidence of our meeting, but that is the moment I always look back on whenever I think of him.

Of course I am not a member of his family, I was not a personal friend of his and, apart from that one brief encounter, I never knew the man. Yet I feel a part of me died that day 16 years ago. He had been a big part of my life and contributed to so many of the greatest moments I had ever experienced.

Football may have moved on and many players have come and gone since, but Rocky will never be forgotten. We have won many trophies and enjoyed many great times but rarely does a day go by that I do not think about the great man in the No. 7 shirt.

He was from a different time; a time when players played for a love of the club and not the pay cheque. In fact he would probably have played for Arsenal for nothing. He was one of us yet one of a kind. He was simply our Rocky. RIP to a real legend.

GIROUD'S LATE GOAL SEALS ARSENAL COMEBACK

PRESTON NORTH END 1 ARSENAL 2

By Ricky Butler at Deepdale

ANOTHER LATE GOAL FROM OLIVIER GIROUD COMPLETED A DRAMATIC SECOND HALF ARSENAL COMEBACK AT DEEPDALE LAST NIGHT TO BREAK PRESTON NORTH END HEARTS.

Olivier Giroud celebrates another late goal at Deepdale last night

After dominating the first half, Simon Grayson's Championship side, ahead through Callum Robinson's early goal, were left to rue a succession of missed opportunities as the Gunners finally turned the tie around.

Aaron Ramsey's equaliser right at the start of the second half, his first goal of the season, kick started a much improved Arsenal performance, although they once again left it late.

There was just a minute of normal time remaining when Giroud, scorer of a stoppage time equaliser in midweek at Bournemouth, finished from close range after a lovely back heel from Lucas Perez.

Preston manager, Grayson, was rightly proud of his team. He said: “We have got mixed emotions tonight. I am very proud of how hard they worked and the quality against a top, top team.

“We will draw the positives as much as possible and hopefully in the future we will be on the end of a victory, not a defeat.

"We stopped them playing and got on the front foot. We just didn't quite take the opportunities when they came. We have had good chances, but you need a second or third goal against a team like Arsenal.

"We warned the players to start the game quickly in the second half but we let Ramsey have room that we didn't in the first half. It was a kick in the teeth when the goal went in at the end."

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, on the other hand, was just relieved to have seen off the potential banana skin. He said: “Someone reminded me yesterday that I have never been out in the third round in 21 years, but tonight, in the first half, it was close. Preston played with enthusiasm and quality in the first half, they were quicker than us all over.

"Maybe subconsciously we thought that it would be easier and at half-time we knew we could have been out.

"I believe that we have a togetherness and fighting spirit and that is why we have these comebacks. It was a typical cup tie with English enthusiasm and the crowd cheering on their team."

Wenger, a winner of this famous old trophy a record six times, selected a strong side even in the absence of Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez. But it was the Lilywhites, sitting 11^th in the Championship, who should have had the tie wrapped up in a stunning first half display.

Boosted by Robinson's early goal, created by a lovely pirouette from Aiden McGeady, Preston could have been three or four up by the break. Robinson saw a close range header blocked by Skrodran Mustafi, while Darren Hugill was just millimetres away from turning into an empty net Robinson's low cross.

Arsenal perhaps began to feel it may be their night after all when just before half time Robinson had a goal disallowed following minimal contact from Paul Huntington on David Ospina.

Indeed it took Wenger's men just 50 seconds after the restart to draw level. Alex Iwobi, playing in Ozil's No. 10 role, did well on the edge of the penalty area before teeing up Ramsey to drill home from 18 yards; the Welshman's first goal since last summer's Euros.

That proved to be the turning point as Arsenal dominated the second half. Giroud had a goal rightly disallowed for offside, before Mustafi brought a fine save Preston goalkeeper, Chris Maxwell, following Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's low corner.

With a replay looking more and more likely, Wenger threw on Danny Welbeck for his first appearance since a serious knee injury last May, although it was the front two who started the game that combined for the late winner.

Giroud, captain for the day in the absence of Koscielny, flicked on a long ball and Perez was first to react. His back heel from right on the goal-line was sublime and the Frenchman, a scorer in the last three matches, just managed to squeeze the ball past Maxwell at the near post via a slight deflection off substitute, Aaron Browne.

So in the battle of the Invincibles it was Arsenal who survived to fight another FA Cup day. But Preston can take a lot of positives from this performance as they bid to get back among the elite for the first time since 1961.

PRESTON NORTH END: Maxwell, Vermijl, Clarke, Huntington, Cunningham, Gallagher, Pearson, Johnson, McGeady, Hugill, Robinson. SUBS: Browne, Makienok, Horgan.

ARSENAL: Ospina, Maitland-Niles, Garbiel, Mustafi, Xhaka, Ramsey, Iwobi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Perez, Giroud. SUBS: Welbeck, Holding, Reine-Adelaide.

REFEREE: Robert Madeley

ATTENDANCE: 22,185

1-0 to The Arsenal, part 7,049

BURNLEY 0 ARSENAL 1

By Ricky Butler at Turf Moor

THERE IS NO FEELING QUITE LIKE SCORING A LAST MINUTE WINNER AWAY FROM HOME. AND WHEN IT COMES IN A MATCH THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO WIN IT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE SWEETER.

Laurent Koscielny has developed a habit of scoring important goals for us in recent years. He grabbed crucial winners on the final day in both 2012 and 2013 to secure Champions League football, as well as the equaliser in the 2014 FA Cup Final.

But while this late scrambled effort at Turf Moor was not as significant as any of those it could prove to be the catalysis that propels our mounting title challenge.

With City losing earlier in the day at Spurs, we had a great chance to close the gap to a very manageable two points.

I was not that surprised by City's demise at White Hart Lane. I have said all along that they look vulnerable and they would come unstuck against a decent side. They were fortunate to win at United in August and conceded three at Celtic in midweek, so this was very much on the cards.

But after suffering 92 minutes of shear frustration at the hands of Burnley's massed defence it appeared that we had once again flattered to deceive. The great work in beating Chelsea last Saturday and the stylish midweek demolition of Basel had raised expectations, and they were being brought back down to earth with the usual thump.

You could see the headlines already: 'Arsenal lack the bottle for a title fight'.

But they could not have been further from the truth. We will not face many more physical encounters all season, and after a really tough week this was perhaps the last thing we needed. However, despite being dead on our feet we somehow managed to raise ourselves in the final ten minutes for a late push that ultimately brought its dramatic reward.

There may have been a hint of offside about the goal (later proved to be incorrect) and a definite hint of handball (later proved correct) but it was hard to deny Arsene Wenger a win on his special day. The reception he received when he came out at the start, not just from the away end but the whole stadium, was very emotional. For all the stick he has been given I have always supported him and will be eternally grateful for all the wonderful memories he has given us.

It was somehow fitting that back in October 1996 we had played just up the road at Blackburn in Wenger's first match. Two Ian Wright goals that day secured a 2-0 victory and in many ways this was a return to the old days.

Burnley are almost the polar opposite of Arsenal in terms of style and philosophy. Sean Dyche has his side well organised, disciplined and has made them very hard to break down. Often they had ten men behind the ball and the fact they only touched the ball ten times in our penalty area in the entire 90 minutes shows what their intentions were. They reminded me a little of us in the latter years of George Graham.

But despite this, Burnley still offered a threat. Petr Cech was forced to tip a header around the post before they later hit the bar with another header, this time from the impressive Michael Keane.

At this point I think it worth giving a mention to Shkodran Mustafi. The German was apparently a panic buy but is already looking very much the real deal. Adding a physical edge to our back four, he also has pace to burn and is very strong in the air.

His partnership with Koscielny is fast developing into one of the best in the Premier League and I would go as far as to say that at the moment we appear to have the best defensive unit in the league. Since that opening day disaster against Liverpool, we have conceded just three goals in six games, with one of those a penalty and another an own goal.

But the focus was very much at the other end of the pitch as we peppered the Burnley goal in the second half, with Alexis Sanchez twice going close. First he produced a fine save from Tom Heaton down to his left before then scraping the outside of the post with a volley that had Heaton rooted to the spot.

After getting up a head of steam in the final ten minutes we appeared to have run out of ideas as the clock ticked down towards the 90 minute mark. When the 4^th official held up the board we were all expecting at least five to be added on due to the amount of time Heaton had wasted on goal kicks. In fact referee, Craig Pawson, had twice warned him about it.

But two it was and when second of those minutes was up, Santi Cazorla's speculative shot from 20 yards was deflected wide for one last corner. Indeed Pawson indicated that this would be the last action of the match. So it was now or never.

It was therefore somehow poetic justice that we not only scored in time added on to the time added on due to their time wasting, but that we scored a very un-Wenger like goal. A short corner, flicked on at the near post and turned home by our captain. Koscielny, it seems, is developing more in common with his predecessor, Tony Adams, than just his shirt number.

How many times did we see that under George Graham in the 1980s and 90s? Of course the irony was lost on many around me, all far too young to remember anything before Wenger. Yes, he really has been at the club so long that a whole generation of fans only know him as our manager!

The celebrations were far better than such a scrappy goal deserved but last minute winners are like that. And we have had a few to celebrate down the years.

I did feel a little sympathy for Burnley. They are nice club with a rich history and every single one of their players gave all they had. But sentiment goes out of the window when you have a title to win. Plus, any team who's only ambition is not to lose probably deserves all it gets.

But it isn't the 3-0 wins over Chelsea that win you the title. No. It is the scrappy 1-0's away from home when you are not at your best. That is the mark of a true champion. Of course we are only seven games into a 38 game marathon but the signs are good.

We have a different mentality this season, a toughness missing in recent years. The squad has the right balance and depth. Players such as Mesut Ozil, Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Koscielny, Nacho Monreal and Cazorla are all at their peak. Young players like Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi have emerged, and the new signings look to have settled in quickly.

Of course I will not carried away just yet. It is February when we usually fall apart. But something inside me tells it will be different this time.

I remember in the early part of the 1988-89 season when we hadn't won the title for 18 years. I had that same feeling then. That season ended with us winning the league in the final seconds of the final match.

It could be that close again. Three weeks ago we scrapped a win over Southampton with a very dodgy stoppage time penalty. Once is lucky, perhaps, but twice shows character and spirit. This is a team of winners. They just have another 31 games to prove it!

New season, same old problems?

ARSENAL 3 LIVERPOOL 4

By Ricky Butler from the Emirates

SO A NEW SEASON BUT THE SAME OLD ARSENAL. OR IS IT?

Another summer of inactivity in the transfer market, an opening day defeat; the third in the last four seasons, and yet more unrest from the fans, it would be easy to think that nothing much has changed at the Emirates.

But apart from an awful 15 minute spell just after half time, this was by no means a bad Arsenal performance. Going forward the Gunners always looked dangerous and they certainly showed some courage to fight back from 4-1 down.

While that is nowhere near good enough for a club with title ambitions, it is certainly not the crisis it has been portrayed to be either.

In fact the first half saw Arsenal play some good football against the much-fancied Merseysiders, and they should have been at least two goals clear at the break.

Theo Walcott has suffered a lack of confidence in recent months so it did seem strange when he stepped up to take the 28^th minute penalty, won by Walcott himself after a clumsy challenge from the simply dreadful Alberto Moreno.

To be fair it was not the worst penalty in the world, and was a decent save from Simon Mignolet, but surely Alexis Sanchez or Aaron Ramsey would have been a better option?

Credit the England winger for the quality of his finish just two minutes later, however, with a goal that epitomised all that was good about Arsenal's sharp first half display. A crisp tackle from Francis Coquelin, a lovely through ball from Alex Iwobi and a lovely low finish from Walcott.

But in first half stoppage time, the whole complexion of the match changed.

Yes it was a superb free kick from Philippe Coutinho that flew into the top right-hand corner of the net, but it was the inexperience of young Premier League debutant, Rob Holding, which gave the Brazilian the opportunity to beat Petr Cech from 25 yards.

The former Bolton youngster was too eager, too hasty and needlessly pulled Courinho to the floor. But no one could have foreseen what was to come in the opening period of the second half.

With a centre back pairing with a combined age of just 41 while the leader of the back four rested his weary limbs in the stand, Arsenal simply fell apart.

The quality of the goals from Adam Lallana, Coutinho and Saido Mane should not disguise what would have been poor defending had it been seen on Hackney Marshes on a Sunday morning.

4-1 could easily have 5 or 6 as Liverpool sliced through the inexperienced Arsenal back line at will. But with the home fans turning on their team, the Gunners, inspired by the introduction from the bench of Santi Cazorla, surprisingly recovered to set up a grandstand finale.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had performed well in pre-season and perhaps deserved a start here, scored a marvellous solo effort before Calum Chambers, who had been at fault for at least two of the Liverpool goals, glanced home a free kick from Cazorla.

Three Englishmen on the score-sheet for Arsenal? A rare event indeed.

With the best part of 15 minutes still to play, the Gunners had plenty of time to salvage something from what had been another difficult opening day. But a fifth Liverpool goal looked far more likely in the end as Arsene Wenger's men left massive gaps at the back.

Wenger, approaching 20 years in the hot seat, must have been feeling the heat at the final whistle as the boos rang out around the half empty stadium. To later admit that his team were not prepared for the opening Premier League match will not sit well with supporters who have long been calling for his head.

Liverpool certainly looked prepared as did many of the other title challengers over the first weekend.

So while other clubs have spent millions on reinforcements this summer, Wenger has only brought in teenager Holding and Swiss international, Granit Xhaka, who looked unremarkable from the bench here.

But with key players like Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscienly, Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere all set to return it is far too early to right off Arsenal just yet.

They showed enough here to suggest that with a more experienced back four a title challenge is not beyond them. And history tends to suggest that defeat in the opening home match is often the recipe for success here in N5.

Five times from the last seven that Arsenal have lost their opening home match they have gone on to lift a trophy, including two league titles.

Not many at the Emirates yesterday would bet on a repeat come May, but as Leicester showed last season; anything is possible.

Same old Arsenal? Perhaps. But only time will tell.

It happened again...another trophy-less season but optimism for the future?

SO FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW WE FINISHED THE SEASON WITH A 4-0 WIN OVER ASTON VILLA.

But while last year it saw us lift the FA Cup at Wembley for the second year in a row, this time it merely secured second-place in the Premier League.

The difference between second and third is negligible. Both qualify directly for the group stage of the Champions League. But when the difference is finishing above or below your greatest rivals it means so much more.

This season more than any other, Spurs really believed this was their year. Until just over a week before the end of the season they still harbored ambitions of winning the title. So finishing above us for the first time in 21 years was a given, especially with us in apparent crisis. So much so that they had already been celebrating for the previous two months.

But we have been here before. When Spurs fall it is usually spectacularly. With four games to go they were five points above us. They had a comfortable looking run in as well with home games against mid-table WBA and Southampton, coupled with trips to Chelsea and Newcastle.

With a far superior goal difference they only needed six points to guarantee them the holy grail of finishing above us, and that was assuming we won all our games, which I didn't expect that we would.

But after drawing with WBA and Chelsea, and then losing at home to Southampton; Spurs having led in all three games, we managed to close the gap to just two points going into the final day. We faced already-relegated Aston Villa while they travelled to already-relegated Newcastle.

In a repeat of 2006, Spurs only needed a draw. That was the day of Lasagne-gate at West Ham, although in reality it was simply a bug that had ravaged the squad. They lost 2-1 and we pinched fourth place by beating Wigan in the final game at Highbury.

Then three years ago we were at St. James's Park on the final day needing to equal Spurs' result at home to Sunderland to pip them to the final Champions League spot. We won 1-0. It had happened again. Third time lucky? To be honest I fully expected Spurs to get the point they needed and had long resigned myself to the fact that we would finish third.

But to lose 5-1 against a side that was already relegated and were reduced to ten men with more than half an hour still to play, that is taking bottling to a whole new level.

To be honest we were less than impressive against Villa, hanging on to an early 1-0 lead for long spells. You wouldn't have been surprised if we'd conceded a late equaliser, like we had recently against Palace, and let Spurs off the hook. But once the news began to filter through that it was 3-1 to Newcastle, then 4-1 and 5-1, we could relax and the goals flowed. 4-0. Again. Lovely.

Many fans still feel it has been a disappointing season and in many ways it has been. But back in August we would have been more than happy finishing above City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs. But Leicester had the season of a lifetime and no one could compete with that. In the end we came the closest.

The biggest disappointment, for me, was the FA Cup. With a very average United side beating a very poor Palace side in the final this was a real opportunity to create history. Three in a row.

The quarter final defeat at the hands of Watford was easily the worst result of the season, especially as it was so avoidable. Even after going 2-0 down we had more than enough chances to have turned it around.

So in the end our season came down a Danny Welbeck miss in stoppage time. If that had gone in we would have won the replay, beaten Palace in the semis and you'd have had to fancy our chances against United in the final.

The League Cup was once again a source of frustration. With a half decent side out against Sheffield Wednesday instead of the bunch of kids selected, we would have won and who knows where it may have taken us? I would have certainly backed us to beat either City or Liverpool so that was another opportunity missed.

I'm not even going to talk about the Champions League. English clubs are not on the same level as the big four in Europe at the moment so we were never going to win it. At least we could take heart from two decent performances against Barca where poor only defending let us down.

But in the end we finished with a ten match unbeaten run in the league. In fact since getting thumped 4-0 at Southampton on Boxing Day we lost just three times in the league. No one except Leicester lost fewer matches over the same period.

With some transfer business conducted early I am optimistic that we can go one better next season. We need a striker and a centre back to complement our new midfield dynamo and then we'll be set.

City have Pep and United, Jose. Liverpool will be stronger now Klopp has settled in and Spurs will be a force again. But we have nothing to fear. We are not far away. If it is set to be Wenger's last season then it would be fitting that he goes out in style? A fourth Premier League title in a third different decade would be a hell of a way to go.

So instead of spending the season wishing for Wenger to leave lets get behind him one last time. Leicester have shown you can live the dream if you believe in it enough. So do you believe enough? Do you???

GOALLESS AT THE COLLIERY

EBAC NORTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
EASINGTON COLLIERY 0 NORTHALLERTON TOWN 0
By Ricky Butler. Additional reporting from Connor Lamb and Andy Heywood

THERE WERE NO GOALS AND PRECIOUS LITTLE EXCITEMENT AT WELFARE PARK LAST NIGHT AS TWO OF THE DIVISION'S IN-FORM SIDES, EASINGTON COLLIERY AND NORTHALLERTON TOWN, CANCELLED EACH OTHER OUT.

Easington, back in the Ebac Northern League this season after a three year absence, had seen their eight-match unbeaten run brought to an end at struggling Esh Winning over the weekend, while EA Cup finalists Town arrived on the back of a good run of only one defeat in their previous ten matches.

But after a bright start in which Easington's Shaun Smith saw a cross cut out by Town defender, Daniel Jones, the match developed into a dour, midfield battle with chances at either end few and far between.

The hosts did much of the early pressing and in the 15th minute, Luke Page lifted a good ball into the penalty area but Jones headed clear again.

Meanwhile, Town were slowly settling into the match and Aaron Ramsbottom's high ball into the penalty area was well dealt with by home goalkeeper, Kyle Donaldson, under pressure from Elliot McGlade.

Northallerton were now just shading proceedings and they came close to opening the scoring midway through the first half. A free-kick from 25 yards by Ramsbottom curled over the Easington wall but Donaldson punched the ball behind for a corner.

Colliery responded with Stephen Bogie looking to thread the ball through to Joe Kerridge but Town goalkeeper Michael Thackeray rushed out to clear the danger.

Although no real chances were being created, both sides were busy, probing for the breakthrough. A mazy run from Page saw him dart from one edge of the penalty area to the other but his shot was blocked. Then, at the other end, Damon Reaks knocked the ball wide to Ramsbottom, who's low cross was cleared.

That summed up much of the first half where good approach play from both sides was let down by a poor final ball.

Looking to shake things up during the interval, Town manager, Darren Trotter, replaced Reaks with Daniel Ballantyne, but the pattern of the match did not really change in the second half.

Easington however, did begin to look a lot more dangerous and six minutes after the restart they twice came close to edging in front. Firstly, a deep cross from Liam Hodgson fell just wide of the far post, while Page then started a promising Easington move which saw Hodgson tee-up Aidan Heywood, but his curling effort just missed the target.

Approaching the hour-mark the hosts again came close to breaking the deadlock. Reece Kenney hit a long-range drive which forced Thackeray into a diving save but the former Billingham Town goalkeeper could only palm the ball to Kerridge, who saw his effort deflected behind for a corner.

With 64 minutes on the clock, Easington made their first change as Bogie gave way for Bryan Norton, while a minute later, an Easington free-kick led to a game of head tennis inside the Town penalty area before the away side eventually cleared.

Northallerton then made a second change as McGlade was replaced by Jack Dalton, while at the same time, Easington made what turned out to be a final substitution of the night as Peter Jones came on for Kenney.

With eighteen minutes left, Town's Mark Hemingway lifted a free-kick into the penalty area which Donaldson easily claimed, while the Easington goalkeeper then did just enough to deal with Stuart Owens' dangerous set-piece delivery.

The home side had the chance to grab the lead in the 77th minute when Smith played in Kerridge but he could only fire straight at the ‘keeper. Then, less than a minute later, Kerridge found himself in a promising position once again following a pass from Heywood, but despite looking ill-at-ease, the Northallerton defence somehow managed to clear the danger.

With time running out, the visitors made a tactical change as Hemingway and Ballantyne switched wings, and in the final few seconds it almost paid dividends. Donaldson failed to cleanly collect a Ballantyne cross but the Easington goalkeeper quickly recovered to deny Town what would have been a very late winner.

The draw does neither side any favours as Town remain in sixth place, 12 points off a possible promotion place, with Easington one place and two points worse off.

Next up for Town is a trip to Willington on Saturday while Easington host Thornaby. Both games kick off at 3pm.

EASINGTON COLLIERY: Donaldson, Hodgson, Varga, Pearson (c), O’Brien, Kenney, Heywood, Page, Kerridge, Boyle, Smith. Subs: Nesbit, Martin, Maughan, Norton, Jones.

NORTHALLERTON TOWN: Thackeray, Johnson, Hemingway, Keogh, Jones, Knox, Reaks, Owens (c), Ramsbottom, McGlade, McLachlan. Subs: Ballantyne, Calvert, Dalton, Foley, Farrell.

REFEREE: Darren Wylam.

ATTENDANCE: 102

Barca defeat and TV schedules - Reasons to be cheerful (part 54)

By Ricky Butler

SO ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING European exit. Once again we paid the price for a poor first leg result, although there is certainly no shame in losing to this Barcelona side.

At least we showed some character in the Nou Camp. It was actually a decent performance. Yes, Barca, 2-0 up from that first leg at the Emirates, were already on the beach but there was still a lot of positives to take on the night.

Alex Iwobi, 19, proved again that he is set for a big future while Mohamed Elneny had his best game yet in an Arsenal shirt. Arsene Wenger has had his critics in recent months but he has once again unearthed two real gems.

Elsewhere it was a familiar story as we paid the price for some poor defending and a failure to take our chances. We needed to score first and we had several chances to do just that; Alexis Sanchez' header which glanced just wide being the best.

Once we went behind in the 18^th minute to a well taken goal from Neymar, just moments after David Ospina had produced an incredible save to deny Lionel Messi, we played with more freedom and should have had a penalty before the break when Iwobi was clipped by Javier Mascherano. With the Nigerian teenager clean through on goal, a red card may well have followed for the Spaniard.

However, history shows us that English sides never get any big decisions in the Nou Camp so we should not have been surprised when the Russian official waved away our appeals.

Elneny's superb strike early in the second half, which had Messi or Neymar scored would have been talked about for weeks, briefly raised our hopes. Danny Welbeck, again showing what a terrific player he is, had a great chance to bring us to within one goal of going through. But Mascherano, who perhaps should not still have been on the field, got across make to make a crucial block.

The danger was always a Barca counter-attack and midway through the second half that was exactly what happened. Luis Suarez' volley appeared to come off his shin but it flew in off the underside of the crossbar and that was that. Game over.

Sanchez' free kick did force a great save from Marc-Andre de Stegen, who then did well to keep out Olivier Giroud's follow up, and Welbeck hit the crossbar, but on the night that was the difference; Barca took their chances, and in the closing stages they added an undeserved third.

Again our defending left a lot to be desired but it was a tidy finish from an otherwise disappointing Messi. 3-1 on the night, 5-1 on aggregate. We perhaps deserved better over the two legs but with a front three of MSN, Barca are pretty much unstoppable. Last year we went out out a team who we should have beaten, this time we can have very few complaints.

So where now for Wenger? Saturday's trip to Everton is now even more important. Nothing less than victory will do.

Off track slightly but it is great that the TV companies have helped by making it a lunchtime kick off after a Wednesday night away match in Europe. Not that we should be surprised as they never take into the account the players or the fans when it comes to rescheduling games. Unless it is Manchester United or Chelsea. Have either of them ever faced such a schedule at this point in a title race?

Surely from an audience point of view it would have been in BT Sports best interests to have two fresh teams playing. What will inevitably happen now is Arsenal will have to try to get the job done early on, making the second half a non-event. Cue millions of viewers switching off.

But enough of all that. Nothing less than three points will do and the only positive is that we have a very good record at Goodison Park. Everton have their own problems, especially at home, and they will more focused on the FA Cup, so expect a very cagey, error-ridden match.

If we can take the positives from the Nou Camp I still feel we still have a chance to claw back Spurs and Leicester City. A small chance, perhaps, but a chance nonetheless. Despite evidence to the contrary in recent weeks, we do have some very good players and if they can get that spark back maybe we can salvage something from the wreckage of the season.

Wenger has another year left on his contract and I'd like him to see it through regardless or what happens over the final nine matches. The problems are more to do with the ownership of the club, and getting a new manager in would not alter that. The club have to change their whole philosophy or we will have to accept that the top 4 and the odd cup run will be the limit of our ambitions for the foreseeable future.

Of course things could be much, much worse, but we are The Arsenal. We have a rich history and we should be challenging for honours. The frustrating thing is we are so close; maybe just three or four players away from matching the likes of Barca and Bayern Munich.

So a season that promised so much is now just 90 minutes away from being over. Victory at Goodison could ignite a run-in to defy all the odds but I am not convinced it will happen. The Barca match will have taken its toll and I expect a tired Arsenal to limp to defeat, Lukaku perhaps proving the difference.

Ten-men Gunners keep title chances alive

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 ARSENAL 2

by Richard Butler

WHAT A DIFFERENCE a few days makes. They say a week is a long time in politics but in football it is even longer.

After shocking performances over the previous six days against Manchester United and Swansea City which lacked the necessary spirit and character of an Arsenal side, this draw at White Hart Lane epitomised everything that The Arsenal is all about.

1-0 up and cruising at the home of their neighbours, it all looked to be going wrong early in the second half when Francis Coquelin was shown a second yellow card for a nonsensical challenge on Harry Kane. The two Spurs' goal which followed in space of less than two minutes appeared to not only seal this result but also end once and for all the Gunners title challenge.

But from out nowhere this much criticised Arsenal side dug deep to draw level, and in the end they might even have snatched all three points. Football, eh? Bloody hell!!

Wenger was understandably delighted with the point but also disappointed it was not more. He said: “It was vital for us [to get something] today. We come out of the match with regrets as I couldn't see how we would drop points when we were 1-0 up and 11 against 11.

“After the shock of going down to ten men and then down 2-1 and we have shown a great response again to all the people who doubt our character.”

Spurs' boss, Mauricio Pochettino, felt his side had thrown it away. He said: “I think yes it is [a missed opportunity]. We feel disappointed for the last ten or fifteen minutes but we need to recognise too that the effort from our players was fantastic.

“I think we played much better than Arsenal and we created more chances. We tried to push and score the third goal but we took risks and unluckily for us they scored for 2-2.”

This was billed as the biggest North London derby in history and the day the power shift was meant to finally move from N5 to N17.

But Wenger's side had not read the script. Despite a nervy start in which David Ospina, in for the injured Petr Cech for his first Premier League appearance of the season, produced a smart save to deny Eric Lamela, Arsenal grew into the match.

And just before half time, they grabbed an unlikely lead with a goal of real beauty. Danny Welbeck did well down the left and when his low cross found Hector Bellerin, the Spaniard's pass was neatly back-heeled into the net by Aaron Ramsey.

The Welshman has been criticised in recent weeks for a series of poor performances in a central midfield role, and his selection on the right here ahead of midweek goalscorer, Joel Campbell, was a shock. But he does have goals in him and this moment perfectly illustrated what he brings to this team.

But when Coquelin, impressive up until then, sliced down Kane on the near touchline just ten minutes into the second half to receive a second yellow card from referee Michael Oliver, it looked all over for Wenger's men.

Indeed within five minutes, Toby Alderweireld had fired Spurs level from a corner poorly defended by Arsenal, and when Kane then curled home a delicious second after a mistake from the otherwise outstanding Per Mertersacker, it sent Pochettino's side to the top of the Premier League table.

With so much written about Arsenal's supposed lack of character and spirit there appeared to be no way back. But perhaps aided by a home side who appeared to not quite be able to believe the position they now found themselves in, the ten men drew level with fourteen minutes left.

Again Bellerin created the opportunity with a lovely ball into the area and Alexis Sanchez, another to have been off the boil in recent matches, whipped a first-time shot across Hugo Lloris into the far corner of the net to send the travelling fans behind the goal into ecstasy.

In fact Wenger's men, character and spirit very much to the fore, almost won it in stoppage time. Ramsey, who had covered every blade of grass, made one last lung-bursting run into the penalty area but just as he looked set to fire home, Kevin Wimmer got across to deflect his effort over the top.

So a draw; a result that does not really help either side. Leicester City, who won at Watford, have increased their lead at the top to five points with just nine games remaining. Arsenal are a further three adrift.

Of course nothing is decided yet. In this of all seasons it is impossible to predict what twists and turns lie ahead. But you certainly get the feeling that this was a big chance missed for Spurs. It is over twenty years since they last finished above their neighbours in the Premier League. A win here would have given them a six point advantage. Low on confidence and down to ten men, Arsenal was there for the taking.

This is potentially the best chance either of these two sides will get to win the title but on this evidence neither look capable of doing so.

Spurs' problems seem to be tiredness from a long season, not helped by a small squad and a run in the Europa League, and an over-reliance on Kane. The 22-year old Englishman has undoubted talent: 51 goals in his last 91 appearances demonstrates that.

But he also wastes plenty of opportunities for his team with a shoot on sight policy, often refusing to pass to a better positioned team mate if he thinks there is a minuscule chance of him scoring. When it comes off, as it did spectacularly here, everything appears rosy. But all too often good moves break down with a poor shot from a tight angle when a pass would have been the better option.

Arsenal, on the other hand, can take a lot of encouragement from this spirited comeback. A good result against Spurs often leads to a strong run in, and they will certainly need one if they are to haul back the leaders.

With more attacking options than any of their title rivals, Manchester City excluded, it would be foolish to bet against the Gunners. But they will possibly need seven wins from their last nine matches, a big ask when you consider the fact that they have failed to win more than three in a row since October.

So in a season with not one outstanding side, this title is literally anyone's. Good for the neutral, perhaps, but possibly not good for the game in this country as a whole. Not that either of these two North London rivals will care about that should they lift the trophy in May.  

Another home defeat to Swansea; the point of no return?

ARSENAL 1 SWANSEA CITY 2

By Ricky Butler

WHEN A TEAM is battling for the title the minimum you expect is to see a bit fighting spirit on the pitch. But this meek surrender to a weakened Swansea City side was painful to watch.

You could point to the fact that we hit the woodwork three times. Or that Mesut Ozil was fouled in the build up to the Swans' first goal. Or that Ashley Williams' winner was offside. But none of that can disguise the fact that this performance was nowhere near good enough.

After a bright start which had seen the recalled Joel Campbell give us an early lead, we completely fell apart after the Swansea equaliser. The players seem to lack not only confidence but also direction.

I actually think the problem is that Arsene Wenger has them believing that they are better than they actually are. So when things don't go well and we get turned over by poor sides like Swansea, the players are looking around wondering what the hell is going on.

Aaron Ramsey is case in point. Apart from half a season back at the start of 2013-14, the guy has been poor since his dreadful injury yet Wenger insists on picking him every week. Clearly this sends out the message that he must be doing okay.

Yes, Ramsey has lots of energy and covers an incredible amount of ground. He can make some great, late runs into the box. But he can't do the basics such as pass to a team-mate, tackle or shoot. He wants to play centrally yet when he has done so he looks out of his depth and gives the ball away more than any other player.

We have missed Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere, there is no doubt about that. Both can carry the ball in midfield, drive us forward, something neither Ramsey nor Francis Coquelin are capable of doing. New signing Mohammed Elneny could fulfil that role yet Wenger rarely uses him.

Alexis Sanchez is another to be suffering at the moment. In fact bar a run of five or six games in the autumn, he has been poor all season. This match summed up his recent problems. A simple first half chance and he completely missed his kick. This is a world class player and not for the first time in recent games, he fails to connect with the ball.

Wenger has said he is just coming back from injury and needs time to regain his sharpness, yet he has played several games now and appears to getting progressively worse with each one.

I have always supported the manager despite the evidence piling up against him. But even I am struggling now. The decision to take off Campbell last night, easily our best player, was baffling. Wenger said he was looking tired having not played a for a while. But that's only because you have failed to pick him, Wenger, despite the poor form of Alexis and Theo Walcott.

In his 70 minutes against Swansea, the Costa Rican had more influence on the match than either Sanchez or Walcott have had in the last 10 put together.

Danny Welbeck, a scorer in his two league matches since returning from injury, started on the bench. Why? Surely he needs game time, like Alexis, to get back to full match fitness.

It is just baffling.

The frustrating thing is we were playing so well before Christmas. We had the best record in the calendar year of 2015. Most wins, most points, most goals scored. But the 4-0 defeat at Southampton on Boxing Day seems to have derailed our season, just like the heavy defeat at Liverpool did two years ago.

Our home form has not been great either. From the opening day defeat against West Ham we have rarely hit the heights at Emirates. We have scored just 19 league goals at home, less than Newcastle United. On just two occasions have we scored more than twice in a match at home.

In all fairness we could play this game against Swansea 10 times and we'd win nine. If either Sanchez or Olivier Giroud had scored in the first half instead of hitting the woodwork, we would have won comfortably. But as soon as we conceded the confidence ebbed away.

So when we went 2-1 down with a little over fifteen minutes to play, instead of rising to the challenge and throwing everything at Swansea, we retreated into our shell. Players who earlier in the season where giving their all to ensure we got the result were scared to take a chance.

No balls were put into the box for Giroud to attack. Too many square passes and no movement. This was not the performance of a team who believes they can win the title. It was the performance of a team lacking leadership and direction.

Successful teams, and by successful I mean teams that win titles, roll up their sleeves up when things go against them. Playing poorly we can all accept. But giving up? No way.

And so on to Spurs. Knowing us, we will probably go there and win, giving us all false hope again. But I won't be fooled. I said back in 2013 that I believed this group would win the title by 2016. I honestly thought they would. I felt they were growing together as a squad and with the additions of Ozil, Sanchez and Petr Cech, we had the world class players we had been lacking.

Back-to-back FA Cup wins convinced me even more that this would be our year. The collapse of Chelsea and Manchester City merely strengthened that belief. But I have now conceded defeat. I was wrong. For all their ability, and despite recent performances they do have plenty of ability, they will never have the mental toughness required to win the title. And for that Wenger must take the blame.

So as much as it pains me to say it, it is now time for change. I love Wenger and really hope that he can go out on a high. He deserves that. A record third straight FA Cup win would be a great way to go. 20 years that has seen some unimaginable highs should not end with the whimper of another failed title challenge.

I am old enough to remember the demise of George Graham. This current situation reminds me of that. A team drifting along going nowhere fast. A manager running out of ideas. It was said Graham went due to the 'bung' he received but that was merely an excuse to get rid of a manager who had gone stale.

We were all upset for a while but we supported the club and soon we were rewarded with the genius that was Wenger. We have now come full circle and I have no doubt we will be rewarded again.

Wenger, your players have let you down but you must take responsibility. The same mistakes are being made, week in, week out, season after season. A fresh approach is needed. I'm sorry it has come to this but, bye bye, Arsene, and thanks for the memories. The King is dead, long live the King...

Hope still springs eternal

HOPE. As a football fan this is the worst feeling you can have. After the last gasp win over Leicester City a fortnight ago had given us renewed hope, this defeat at Manchester United has taken it away again.

And the match itself was littered with false hope. Danny Welbeck's goal just before half time to pull it back to 2-1 gave us hope that we would see a second half comeback. Then Mesut Ozil's strike immediately after United had scored their third. With more than twenty minutes still to play, hope was raised for a late comeback. But once again it never materialised.

Overall though it has to be said this was not the performance of potential champions. We rarely produce at Old Trafford at the best of times, last year's FA Cup success being the only recent exception, but I think most of us would have accepted defeat if we had at least shown the heart and desire required at this stage of a title race.

Personally I would have to question some of Arsene Wenger's team selections. For a game of this magnitude you have to start with your best central defensive partnership. After a very good performance against Barcelona in midweek, why was Per Mertersacker left out here? Apart from being our only natural leader on the pitch, the German's understanding with Laurent Koscielny would have been vital in a game like this.

The fact that Mertersacker's replacement, Gabriel, was at fault for the crucial opening goal merely confirmed the error in Wenger's decision. And it was a lack of understanding and communication between the two centre halfs that resulted in United's second goal just a few moments later. Gabriel has his qualities but having just returned from injury was it really wise to throw him straight back in at Old Trafford?

The other poor decision from Wenger was not to start with Olivier Giroud. While his recent goalscoring record has been poor, without a goal in his previous eight appearances, the Frenchman is the pivotal point of our attack. His aerial strength combined with ability to hold the ball up, keep possession and utilise the pace of Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez would have given us an extra option.

Instead Wenger went with the one-dimensional Theo Walcott. I am not sure what has happened to Theo but since returning from injury he has been very poor. Apart from vital goals against Manchester City and Leicester, his contribution has been minimal and he looks shot of all confidence.

I did feel sorry for him here as the service to him was virtually non-existent, which makes his selection over Giroud all the more baffling. If you have a player like Walcott in the side you have to play to his strengths and we just did not do that. Perhaps starting him and Welbeck together, two very similar players in terms of style if not commitment, was the problem, leaving us with a lack of variety in the final third.

It should be pointed out that we came up against a young and hungry United side who were playing with no fear and no pressure. In the relatively unknown Marcus Rashford they have a real star in the making and it was typical of our luck that just like Wayne Rooney a few years ago, he decided to announce himself to the world against us.

We looked jaded and lacking sharpness but we played with the fear that has been evident since the mauling at Southampton on Boxing Day. We look scared to really express ourselves until we have gone a goal up and whenever we fall behind we seem to panic and run out of ideas.

The frustrating thing is that on paper at least we have the squad to win the title. We seem to have the right mix of youth and experience, and we have big players down the spine of the team; Petr Cech, Mertersacker, Francis Coquelin, Ozil and Sanchez. Yet when it really matters we lack leadership on the pitch and perhaps more importantly, in the dugout.

Wenger has never been one for ranting and raving, except towards the officials or opposition managers, and it is perhaps this which has been our undoing. He has always expected the players to take responsibility and when he had the likes of Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Partick Vieira, Thierry Henry etc. that was fine. They knew what was required and they delivered.

But in recent years the players have not had that same winning mentality. They have been able to put it together for the odd game as has been demonstrated by the recent FA Cup successes and the games against Manchester City and Leicester, but when the heat of as title race is on, they continue to come up short. All too often when we reach Spring and the clocks go forward, our title chances go backwards.

How many of this squad can you say are genuine winners? Cech, obviously. Merterascker, perhaps. Ozil, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud? They have all won big trophies in the past. But too many of the others seem to lack the mental strength to finish the job.

But I am not writing us off just yet. We have a tough midweek game against our bogey side, Swansea City, but this is a game I would expect us to win. Then we go to White Hart Lane on Saturday lunchtime in a game where nothing less than three points will do.

For all Leicester's plaudits this season, Spurs are the real threat. As much as it pains me to say it they have been the best side in the league over the last couple of months and have hit form at just the right time. I actually admire the way they have been playing football. They have a vibrant young team and a manager who knows how to get the best out of them. I feel dirty for saying it but if we can't win the title then I would rather they did. Better than the plastic money of Manchester City or the physical, long ball approach of Leicester.

But we simply have to beat them. Despite my claims about us lacking bottle, we have tended to win the big games this season. Let's hope this is a run we can continue. Yes, a win would raise those hopes again but after this latest disappointment I will take that chance. After all the clocks don't change for another four weeks!