Once again, Sunderland won the second half. Trouble is, this time they won it by more than we won the first.

Arsenal lined up with a few more first-teamers than in recent years. But the defence was all second-string.

Taylor, Luzhny, Stepanovs, Tavlaridis, Svard, Toure, Pennant, van Bronckhorst, Pires, Kanu, Jeffers.

We took the lead on 12 mins when Kanu won a free-kick on the edge of the box, near the goal-line on the left. Gio played it back to Pires who side-footed it first-time from the corner of the box, sending it flying into the roof of the net.

20 minutes later we got our second on the break. Kanu's played a perfect forward pass for Jeffers who showed his pace taking it on before clipping it very nicely past the outrushing keeper.

Everything went pear-shaped in the second half though, and Howard Wilkinson's team popped up with 3 headers. The first was the worst to concede, a simple near post flick-on from a corner to an unmarked Sunderland shirt on the 6 yard line.

That was 10 mins after the break. With 20 to go, Varga made a superb tackle on Kanu near the centre circle, and some Arsenal players seemed to distract themselves with (unjustified) claims for a free-kick. Sunderland weren't distracted though, and Stewart headed it in from a left wing cross. Very nicely taken header on the turn.

Just 2 minutes later it was Stewart again, this time the cross came from the other side. I'd have to see them again to be sure, but it seemed to me that Stewart's headers were both brilliantly taken, under challenge, and leaving Taylor no chance in the Arsenal goal. So if there is any blame to be attached to those goals, it's probably in allowing such dangerous crosses to come in.