ARSENAL 1 CITY 2
League Division 1
13th November 1971
attendance 47,443
Scorers
City Mellor(71), Bell(84)
Arsenal Nelson(67)
Ref D Corbett
City Corrigan, Book, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Davies, Lee, Mellor – sub Jeffries(88)
Arsenal Wilson, Rice, Nelson, Storey, Roberts, McLintock, Armstrong, George, Radford, Kennedy, Graham
If the Highbury crowd were expecting a classic between the double winners and Malcolm Allison’s entertaining side they were disappointed. Only the complete footballing skills of Colin Bell kept the only interest, at least until the last third of the game.
A performance that was described by Brian Moore in The Times like this “They [City] had the one player on the field who deserved the richest rewards. For again we were treated to a display of abrasive defence, midfield flair, and deadly finishing… His influence on the game was enormous … his legs were pumping and his hair was flowing in all corners of the field.”
But in a City performance that was described by Malcolm Allison as ‘edgy’ It was Arsenal who took the lead with just 23 minute of the game left. From a corner, McLintock found Sammy Nelson and although Joe Corrigan half saved the shot, Nelson forced it home.
City urged on by the brilliant Bell hit back just four minutes later, Alan Oakes played a long ball into the Gunners’ defence which Frank McLintock miss-timed and headed backwards into the path of Ian Mellor, who hit a sweet low shot past Bob Wilson from the edge of the box.
It would be ‘King’ Colin who secured both points for the Blues. Willie Donachie played the ball into the box and Bell won the header to send the ball to Francis Lee on the right of the 18 yard box, Lee sent in a low cross and Bell powered into the six yard box to slide the ball into the net to secure a great away victory.
Wyn Davies goes close
