Pressure eases on Sam

Taylor: Smart finish

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• Arsenal
• Newcastle United

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• Emmanuel Adebayor
• Steven Taylor

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Steven Taylor's second-half strike secured a point for Newcastle United as Sam Allardyce's men came from a goal behind to draw 1-1 with Arsenal.

The Gunners started brightly and took the lead early on through Emmanuel Adebayor, but Newcastle drew level when Taylor netted on 60 minutes.

Arsene Wenger's men went ahead after just four minutes when Adebayor finished beautifully from Emmanuel Eboue's deep cross.

The Magpies were full of fight though, and eventually got what they deserved when Taylor finished smartly in off the post.

Both sides continued to battle hard and push for a winner, but an enthralling 90 minutes ended even.

Stunned

The home fans were stunned early on when Adebayor smashed in a breathtaking finish.

The Togo striker controlled Emmanuel Eboue's cross on his chest before thumping an unstoppable volley past Shay Given.

It was just what Allardyce and his players did not need, but to their credit they fought back.

Skipper Geremi saw a looping header fall just wide with Manuel Almunia beaten seconds after Adebayor's strike, and then sent the keeper full-stretch to keep out his 28th-minute free-kick.

Almunia just managed to get a hand to Taylor's goal-bound header 10 minutes before the break and Obafemi Martins saw a gilt-edged opportunity pass him by when Smith's 40th-minute flick-on skidded across goal without the Nigerian getting a touch.

Stinging effort

Newcastle started brightly once again as Charles N'Zogbia warmed Almunia's hands with a rising left-foot strike from distance which might have caused him real problems had it been set off a yard to his right.

But the threat posed by the visitors was reinforced on 50 minutes when Tomas Rosicky effortlessly made space for himself to play in Eboue down the right, although the full-back wastefully picked out only Given at his near post.

Gilberto threw himself into the path of Geremi's 53rd-minute shot, but it took some fine recovery work from Rozehnal and Barton at the other end seconds later after Adebayor had flicked the ball around the Czech defender and launched a lightning break with Rosicky.

However, Newcastle got their reward on the hour when Smith flicked on Habib Beye's cross and Martins dummied it for Taylor to fire home off the foot of the post.

Arsenal were clearly rattled as the Magpies sensed the tide had turned, but as time ran down, they started to find their feet once again.

However, although they continued to play with a swagger as the final whistle approached, it was the home side who came closest to winning it at the death.