BENT D ESTROYER

HIGH-FLYING scoring Arsenal succumbed to their third defeat in the Premier League when they went down 0-1 against Sunderland at the Stadium Of Light yesterday with Darrent Bent scoring the winner in the 72nd minute to send the Gunners crashing on a wet slippery pitch.

Arsenal started strongly dominating the early part of the match creating a few good scoring opportunities but fail to find the net. Tomas Rosicky should have given Arsenal the lead but the Sunderland goalkeeper manage to block his powerful volley to safety.

The visitor best chance came in the 32nd minute with Song combines well with Eduardo before setting up for the Croatian but to his dismay his final touch just a few inches wide of target.

Sunderland's too had their chances to take the lead twice from Steve Malbranque but on both occassion the midfielder who was not under pressure balloon the ball sky high with the goal at his mercy.  

In the second-half, the home team began to look more dangerous and far more aggressive than their counterparts who seems lethargic after on international duty during midweek quick  to close down the visitor attacking play successfully and doing numerous counter-attack to unsettle the Arsenal defence and it prove frutile.

From a corner kick the ball struck subsitute Frazier Campbell on his shin in the goalmouth area bounce of perfectly for Bent who wasted no chance to stab home past Almunia for his 9th league goal. With the goal the 25 year old 10 million pound signing from Spurs have score a goal each against all the big four teams.

With 20 minutes left, Arsenal who were desperate searching for the equaliser made three quick subsitutions through Andre Arshavin, Carlos Vela and Theo Walcott but it did not materialise. Arsenal did claim for a penalty late in the match when Mexican's Carlos Vela was hacked down in the box but referee, Alan Wiley refused to respond.