Sunderland 1 Arsenal 0

Nov 22 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

DARREN BENT completed his personal Grand Slam as he gunned down Arsenal at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland’s £10m record buy scored the only goal of the game against the Gunners, and his strike means he has now scored against each of the Premier League’s so-called Big Four this season after previously netting against Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Equally impressively, Sunderland have picked up seven points from those four games, having taken maximum points against the Merseysiders and drawn at Man U.

Bent’s winner was the latest twist in an incredible fortnight for the frontman.

It started two weeks ago when he missed a penalty against his old club Spurs on his return to White Hart Lane in front of England boss Fabio Capello and continued as he was included in the England squad and started the disappointing friendly defeat against Brazil.

He was then denied a ninth goal of the season in midweek when the Dubious Goals Committee decided to credit Sunderland’s final goal in their 5-2 win over Wolves in September as an own-goal.

But he didn’t wait long to clock up number nine, however, scoring the winner against second-placed Arsenal, which ended the Londoners’ 13-match unbeaten run and gave Sunderland their first league win against the Gunners since the opening day of the 2000-01 season.

Just as at Spurs, Bent was employed as a lone frontman as boss Steve Bruce opted for a five-man midfield.

But Bruce made three changes – two of which were forced upon him – to the side that started at Spurs.

Hungary international Marton Fülöp came in to replace Craig Gordon in goal, after the Scot broke his arm at White Hart Lane, while John Mensah came in at centre-back in place of Michael Turner, who was serving a one-match ban for accumulating five yellow cards this season.

On-loan Lyon man Mensah was making his first appearance after being sidelined with a calf injury for almost two months, and he partnered Paolo Da Silva at the heart of defence.

The third change saw skipper Lorik Cana return to the side after missing the Spurs game through suspension and he took the place of Fraizer Campbell.

Bruce stuck with the five-man midfield he employed against Spurs, with Cana playing in the middle and Steed Malbranque reverting to his usual role on the right, filling the gap left by Campbell on the right.

Sunderland made a nervy start while Arsenal settled down straight away and could have gone in front inside five minutes.

The ball was crossed in from the right and Cesc Fabregas kept it in at the far post, hooking it back into the path of Tomas Rosicky who hit a first-time shot from 12 yards which Fülöp managed to get his boot to and divert it behind for a corner.