Arsenal v Sheff Weds 16/09/96 8.00Arsenal (0) 4 Sheff Weds (1) 1 FT Platt 57 Booth 25 Wright 61 (pen),78,89 Ian Wright scored an FA Carling Premiership hat-trick to complete 100 league goals and become Arsenal's top post-war scorer as the Gunners came from behind to triumph in another night of macabre drama at Highbury. On the day Frenchman Arsene Wenger was finally confirmed as their new manager - he will take over on September 30 - Aresenal had a power cut and then a power surge to defeat the luckless Sheffield Wednesday side who were reduced to 10 men when centre-back Des Walker was sent off in the 62nd minute - for his second yellow card offence, giving away the penalty from which Wright put Arsenal 2-1 ahead. David Platt had equalised five minutes earlier to wipe out Wednesday's 25th-minute lead from Andy Booth. And Wright wrapped up the proceedings with two close-range tap-ins in the last 10 minutes after John Hartson and Paul Merson had both been denied at close range. 
The game, shown live on Sky TV, started 27 minutes late after a power failure in Highbury's east stand prevented the turnstiles opening and fans had to be trickled in through the main gates. And all the uncertainty of the most amazing few weeks in Arsenal's recent history clearly seemed to affect the Gunners at the start. Booth ran onto Ian Nolan's through pass to shoot neatly beyond goalkeeper David Seaman for his third goal in five games after 25 minutes of Wednesday dominance. They should have been much further in command by then with Guy Whittingham passing up two good chances and David Hirst's volley coming back off the underside of Arsenal's crossbar. But Pat Rice, Arsenal's second temporary manager of the season and in charge until Wenger arrives at the end of the month, turned the game with a bold substitution - sending on £3.5million Frenchman Patrick Vieira for his debut in place of Ray Parlour. Arsenal were transformed by the tall midfielder's elegant touches and shining energy. They would have equalised before half-time but for a Wayne Collins clearance off the goal line from Martin Keown's header. But it was a Collins header which put Arsenal back in the game in the 57th minute. He allowed Hartson to beat him in the penalty box when a routine clearance looked on the cards and the big Welshman pulled the ball back for Platt to strike home an unstoppable drive. 
There was little doubt about Arsenal's eventual victory from that moment on. It was practically confirmed when Walker, already booked, brought down Merson in the box and Wright despatched the penalty. Vieira was denied a deserved goal soon afterwards as Wednesday players launched themselves at his shot and blocked it on the goal line. Platt was twice close to adding to the lead before Wright, who had brushed the bar with a shot from an outrageous angle, slotted home after Merson helped on a Lee Dixon cross. And, right at the death, Wright confirmed Wednesday's latest defeat at Highbury - they have not won there in the league for 34 years - when he put away another close-range chance. 
Arsenal: (3-4-1-2) Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Bould, Platt, Wright, Merson, Linighan, Keown, Parlour (Vieira, 28), Hartson. Subs not used: Morrow, Lukic, Shaw, Rose. Booked: Keown, Bould, Hartson. Sheff Weds: (4-4-2) Pressman, Atherton, Nolan, Pembridge, Walker, Whittingham (Trustfull, 69), Hirst, Booth, Blinker (Oakes, 77), Stefanovic (Nicol, 50), Collins. Subs not used: Clarke, Humphreys. Booked: Walker. Attendance: 33,461. Referee: M Reed (Birmingham). |
