Half-Time Report: Farcical goal leaves Sunderland trailing to Arsenal

A Wes Brown mistake has gifted Arsenal a goal which has left Sunderland trailing 1-0 to the Gunners at half time in today's Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light.

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The hosts started brightly as James Buckley weaved past Calum Chambers on the left flank before lashing a cross into the Gunners box, but Jack Rodwell was unable to connect properly with the ball.

Arsene Wenger's charges, however, were soon able to impose themselves into the game, Alexis Sanchez blasting a speculative long-range shot wide in the eighth minute, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain forced Black Cats goalkeeper Vito Mannone into a nervous spill minutes later.

On the quarter-hour mark, Danny Welbeck worked himself some room on the edge of the box before firing towards the top corner, but the ball ended up dipping just over the crossbar with Mannone well beaten.

The deadlock was broken by Arsenal in farcical fashion on the half-hour mark when Brown played the ball back to his keeper, but the pass proved far too short, with Sanchez running onto it and lashing a chip over Mannone.