- Arsenal dominates with four goals
- Newcastle’s late goal inconsequential
- Arsenal continues title contest strong
This time around, Newcastle and Arsenal orchestrated an outcome that was irrefutable. Particularly after their journey to Portugal in the middle of the week, Mikel Arteta’s squad could not have put forth a more convincing effort, as they continue to dismiss domestic opponents.
During an exceptional first-half performance, they took the lead with an own goal by Sven Botman and a close-range effort by Kai Havertz; additional goals by Bukayo Saka and Jakub Kiwior put Newcastle off.
A late header by Joe Willock never appeared to threaten the outcome, and Arsenal shows no indication of being the underdog in a three-team title contest.
It was not necessary to remind anyone in attendance of the commotion that erupted after Newcastle defeated St. James’ Park by an odd goal in November when Arteta was enraged at the VAR decisions that deemed Anthony Gordon’s victor to be legitimate. Furthermore, they did not need their recollections to be stirred by the spoiler job the Magpies accomplished prior to their meeting here last season. Arsenal, fresh off yet another vexing encounter in Porto three nights prior, were destined to get off to a fast start in an effort to eliminate any lingering doubts.
Arsenal Pressures, Newcastle’s Defense Crumbles
They had secured two corners within one minute, and twice within the initial ten minutes, they forced Loris Karius to make an appearance. Karius, who had been sidelined since his appearance in the Carabao Cup final a year prior, was forced to be substituted, but Martin Dubravka’s illness prevented him from making his first Premier League start since December 2016, when he represented Liverpool against West Ham. Saka gained an early advantage with the deflected shot of Declan Rice, whose angle-shooting effort was more forceful and required a firm parry.
Surprisingly, Karius was defeated when Arsenal launched another attack in an attempt to earn a third corner. Regardless of the form, the goal had been a long time coming: Newcastle had scarcely left their own half for eighteen minutes, and they appeared unprepared for a rearguard action at this moment. Contemporary Arsenal have adopted set pieces as a weapon reminiscent of the George Graham era, but not even their progenitors were able to generate many openers as unkempt as this one.
Arsenal Dominates, Newcastle Falters
Similar to numerous others, Gabriel Magalhães met Saka’s right-sided delivery with a powerful volley, which Karius successfully blocked. Botman made an unsuccessful attempt to clear the ball as it gained momentum; Tino Livramento could only block it as it descended; and although Karius eventually stifled it, it had already crawled across the line.
Eddie Howe was alleviated from a debilitating list of injury absences by the return of Alexander Isak, but Newcastle simply could not provide for him. They were not even faintly involved in the game and quickly conceded again after Arsenal regained possession following the visitors’ most recent aimless clearance.
“Ready to invest smarter? Secure your free Webull shares in the UK now.”
This time, Jorginho lofted a deft pass into the inside-right position, and Gabriel Martinelli, sprinting diagonally from the opposite side while bursting a gut, intercepted it and returned it before it could enter the net. Havertz was present to forcefully convert a six-yard touchdown pass, at which point the outcome appeared to be well within control.
Newcastle were not only being stifled but were also in disarray, with Fabian Schar facilitating Martin Ödegaard’s pocket-picking and Sean Longstaff being thanked for a last-ditch intervention while Havertz was prepared to convert once more. A misdirected Martinelli header and a shrewd save by Karius from Saka prevented further harm to Newcastle, which had been pushed into submission for the most one-sided half of the season, prior to halftime.
Missed Chances and Late Goals
Released after a scything run by Saka and a nudge through by Martinelli, Havertz should have added a third but missed the target within 22 seconds of the resumption. Newcastle at last caught a glimpse of the target almost immediately when Isak attempted to round David Raya but was unsuccessful. They then had their first shot of the day when Gordon’s feeble effort was stifled.
While Howe’s squad had re-emerged more aggressively, they still faced a formidable challenge in that regard. Possibly at this moment, the guests’ residual fatigue from their European travels could be revealed. Isak deftly guided a ball from the sky downward shortly after the hour mark, then shimmied inside and launched it above. Arsenal appeared content to wait for additional opportunities, and although they were not under any pressure, they were briefly two teams in the match.
They then capitalised on the type of error Newcastle had been committing throughout the evening when Botman conceded the ball to Havertz near the midpoint. Eventually, the ball was transferred to Saka, who sliced a low shot past the motionless Karius after turning inside onto his left foot. Three became four shortly thereafter when Kiwior narrowly missed Rice’s near-post delivery off the unfortunate Lewis Miley.
Willock’s effective finish against his former team ensured that Newcastle could at least temporarily mend their wounds.
