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Everton's teenage sensation Wayne Rooney smashed a late winner to finally end Arsenal's record unbeaten run. Rooney, who will not be 17 until Thursday when he will sign a �10,000-a-week contract, produced a quite amazing 30-yard strike which soared over David Seaman and dipped and crashed into the net off the underside of the bar. It ended Arsenal's unbeaten league record this season, was the Gunners' first Premiership defeat of 2002 and also did for their astonishing run of 30 league games since they last lost. Rooney's first league goal left another question mark over Seaman, who was a few feet further advanced off his line than perhaps he should have been. Rooney, who became the youngest ever Premiership scorer, had been on as a substitute for only 10 minutes before he shattered Arsenal with just a couple of minutes to go. Rooney's winner followed an opening goal from Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberg in the eighth minute and a first-half leveller from Tomasz Radzinski. Seaman, cheered by both sets of supporters as he warmed up before kick-off, was tested in the first minute when Thomas Gravesen chose to shoot low from 25 yards rather than pass. Seaman collected calmly. But the under-fire England goalkeeper was not quite as assured after that. Arsenal oozed confidence and were ahead with their first genuine attack, stretching their record of scoring in consecutive matches to 49. Thierry Henry's ball in from the left saw David Weir slip and Kanu take possession. His shot was blocked, Li Tie and David Unsworth failed to clear - and after Kolo Toure had intervened, Ljungberg steamed in to glance his shot past Richard Wright. Seaman fluffed a Mark Pembridge corner but was saved from further embarrassment when referee Uriah Rennie blew for a foul by Weir. Gravesen was the next to test Seaman with an inswinging corner - and again the veteran goalkeeper was none to sure, this time palming it on but not clearing decisively. Everton were beginning to pile on some pressure. But when the Gunners did break it was electric. Henry ran past four men; Toure had a searching run stopped by Unsworth, and Arsenal were looking their potent self. But Everton have energy and pace and they soon produced a goal as good as anything the Gunners could muster. Gravesen fought his way from left to right and found Lee Carsley racing in to crash his shot against a post. The ball bounced way outside the box, and Radzinski ran into the box before smashing a rising drive into the net from 15 yards. Everton could easily have had a second when Tony Hibbert played Radzinski down the left, and the Canadian international raced to the byline to pull back a cross which was hacked off Pembridge's toes by Lauren. Arsenal's response to Everton's equaliser saw Henry jinking one way then the other to find space for a low drive which Wright needed to turn round the post at full stretch. Then Gravesen held off Gilberto and Lauren to reach the edge of the box and force Seaman into a tip-over save with a searing drive. A minute from the break the pace of Radzinski took him past Ashley Cole. When the two clashed in the corner of the box the Everton man went crashing down, but nothing was given apart from a yellow card as Pembridge made a forceful point to the referee. Arsenal should have been ahead on 60 minutes when Toure's neat touch created space for a ball across the box to the unmarked Henry, who failed to connect properly from eight yards. Everton responded with a Radzinski ball in for Pembridge, who found Gravesen. The Dane drove in a firm shot from just outside the box, but Seaman dived full length to his right to palm the ball wide. Arsenal produced the more flowing football, but Everton made up for their lack of finesse with bucket loads of sweat and toil. Francis Jeffers came on for Kanu on 71 minutes and received a none too pleasant but hugely predictable welcome from his former fans. Then Everton brought on Rooney for the flagging Radzinski - and what an impact he made. The stadium erupted to his late winner, and Rooney was engulfed by his delighted team mates. Then after the final whistle it was his former youth team pal Jeffers and Henry who took time to seek him out and shake his hand. Teams: Everton: Wright, Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Unsworth, Carsley (Stubbs 90), Gravesen, Tie Li (Linderoth 55), Pembridge, Radzinski (Rooney 80), Campbell. Subs Not Used: Alexandersson, Gerrard. Booked: Weir, Pembridge, Linderoth. Goals: Radzinski 22, Rooney 90. Arsenal: Seaman, Lauren, Campbell, Cygan, Cole, Ljungberg (Edu 85), Silva, Vieira, Toure (Wiltord 64), Henry, Kanu (Jeffers 71). Subs Not Used: Luzhny, Shaaban. Booked: Edu. Goals: Ljungberg 8. Attendance: 39,038 Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire). |