Le Tissier: impressed by Fabregas

For Arsenal to go on and win the Premier League title they'll have to beat - not just draw - they'll have to beat the likes of Mancester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Matt Le Tissier
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Sunderland 1-1 Arsenal
Soccer Saturday analysis

Matt Le Tissier was stunned to see Cesc Fabregas pop up with a headed equaliser for Arsenal, but felt they deserved a share of the points.

Grant Leadbitter thought he had given Sunderland a famous win with a 20-yard thunderbolt on 86 minutes at the Stadium of Light, but Fabregas nodded home a Robin van Persie corner in injury time to salvage a vital point for the Gunners.

Le Tissier was watching the game on Soccer Saturday and while he was surprised by the manner of the goal he felt it provided a good example of the professionalism of the young Spaniard.

"I don't remember Fabregas scoring a header before," Le Tissier said.

"It was from a Van Persie inswinging corner, I saw the ball go in the net and I saw him wheeling away and thought surely it couldn't have been him.

"But it was. He got up and was brave and just showed the attitude and the mentality that he's got, he didn't want to lose that game and over the 90 minutes Arsenal didn't deserve to lose the game.

"Yes, Sunderland's tactics were very good. They camped 10 men behind the ball, left Cisse isolated up front and just pumped the ball up to him hoping he'd get something out of nothing.

"In the last 20 minutes when it was still 0-0 Roy Keane felt he could throw a few more men forward. He put Grant Leadbitter on for Dwight Yorke and within 60 seconds of coming on he'd hit a magnificent shot from 20 yards, it hit the underside of the bar, bounced down and into the roof of the net - it always looks spectacular when it does that.

"They really thought they had the three points in the bag at that point."

Aware

While Le Tissier felt Arsenal were worthy of a draw, he was eager to praise Sunderland for their tactical awareness and their work-rate in denying The Gunners the opportunity to play their normal game.

"Arsenal didn't play particularly well, but it was very difficult because it was so many Sunderland players just congregating around the edge of the box," he continued.

"There was no room to play little passes through and from that point of view Roy Keane got his tactics spot on.

"Arsenal really could have done with keeping the width in the game. They took Walcott off after about an hour and the only way you could see them scoring was from a crossed delivery because there was no room for them to play their pretty little passes in and around the box.

"You've got to give credit to Roy Keane. We all tipped Arsenal at the start of the show but they got their tactics spot on.

"They worked their socks off, they closed Arsenal down, they harried them, they kept their shape brilliantly well and they really restricted Arsenal.

"Apart from one Van Persie chance, there were no clear-cut opportunities in the first 90 minutes of the game, which is pretty impressive. "

Following defeats to Fulham and Hull, this draw does not bode well for Arsenal in the title race and Le Tissier concluded that it will now be much more difficult for them to become champions next May.

"When you look at those kind of results you'd have to say that for Arsenal to go on and win the Premier League title they'll have to beat - not just draw - they'll have to beat the likes of Mancester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

"They can't afford to just pick up a point here and there."