DrkeemThe whistles from the terraces were deafening. Five minutes of injury time were up, but there was no sign of referee John Brooks blowing up as Arsenal substitute Ben White launched the ball forward one last time.
Was there to be a late twist right at the death at St James’ Park? Not if Newcastle United had anything to do with it. Dan Burn, tussling with Kai Havertz, cleverly went to ground. A free-kick was given to loud cheers.
It was a measure of just how frustrating an afternoon it had been for Havertz and, indeed, Arsenal that the apoplectic Germany star jumped up and down, threw an arm out and roared at the referee before the inevitable yellow card was brandished. Arsenal were beaten. The full-time whistle soon confirmed it.
Goal scorer Alexander Isak called this 1-0 win a ‘statement’ result after Newcastle moved within just three points of Arsenal. To think this side had just gone five league games without a victory. You would not have known it.
Even when Arsenal won the toss and had the temerity to turn Newcastle around at kick-off, the Magpies went and scored what proved to be the winner just 12 minutes later. Arsenal could only muster one shot on target in response. Just like the corresponding fixture last season.
Newcastle have now won three of their last four league games against Arsenal at St James’ – as many as the previous 23 meetings – and Eddie Howe’s team have triumphed in back-to-back home matches versus the Gunners for the first time since 1996. How times have changed. In this fixture, at least.
After all, there was an era not so long ago when Arsenal rocked up at St James’ and played the match on their terms. Not anymore. Mikel Arteta felt his side got ‘dragged into a game they [Newcastle] are looking for’ and the Arsenal manager recognised the Magpies were ‘very good at what they do’. “They are all big and very physical,” he said.
That is saying something when seven of Arsenal’s starters on Saturday were at least six foot tall. This is a side who are rarely outmuscled or outfought these days yet Arsenal only won 43.5% of their duels, lost 19 aerial battles and made 45 fewer sprints. That’s how effective Newcastle were on an afternoon Sean Longstaff and those in black-and-white put in tireless displays. “You see people fighting and scrapping for each other and the team,” the Geordie said. “When we’re like that, we’re a really hard team to play against.”
That was evident against Arsenal. There were no cries from the visitors about game management this time. No question marks about the ball going out of play in the build-up to a winning goal. Arsenal defender William Saliba readily admitted the Gunners ‘deserved to lose’.
Few sides have shut Arsenal down like this, but Newcastle dug in. To a man. Bruno Guimaraes even celebrated a clearance at one point by clenching his fists and raising them above his head – and that was just a few minutes after Newcastle scored.
Just like against Chelsea on Wednesday night, Newcastle grabbed that crucial opener relatively early on. There were 12 minutes on the clock when Fabian Schar launched the ball forward and Joe Willock got there ahead of Jurrien Timber to flick it on to Alexander Isak.
The ball eventually came out to Anthony Gordon on the right and rather than taking a touch, or dribbling down the line as Arsenal might have expected, Gordon instead whipped the ball into the box. Isak, who had ghosted between William Saliba and Gabriel, rose highest to head Newcastle in front with a bullet of a header.
Newcastle had lift-off and Arsenal struggled to muster a response. Perhaps it said it all that Arsenal’s only chance of note in the first half came from a set-play.
No side have scored more goals from corners and free-kicks than Arsenal, but Newcastle have one of the best records at defending set-pieces in the Premier League and the Magpies, somehow, kept the visitors out midway through the first half. Rice stepped up to take the corner and walloped the ball towards the back post. With goalkeeper Nick Pope blocked off, Saliba headed the ball back across goal and it fell to Mikel Merino inside the six-yard box. Lewis Hall managed to get himself in the way of the former Newcastle midfielder’s powerful shot before Joe Willock charged down Jurrien Timber’s follow up.
Newcastle deservedly went into half-time 1-0 up and Arsenal looked eager to get going after the break – even gathering in a huddle before the hosts emerged from the tunnel – but it was the Magpies who raced out of the blocks in the second half. Just 20 seconds had ticked by when Joe Willock played a clever one-two with Gordon down the right channel before the former Arsenal midfielder had an effort saved by David Raya.
Willock drove forward again a few minutes later, knocking the ball past Timber, and found Joelinton out on the left. Joelinton sent Willock on a footrace with Saliba and the Londoner managed to get a shot away but, this time, he fired over. Next it was Isak’s turn to have a go, letting fly from distance, and forcing Raya to parry.
Arsenal, in contrast, were struggling to create such openings. When Leandro Trossard found himself unmarked at the back post, the Arsenal forward could not test Pope after Hall got in the way of his volley late on while Rice failed to even hit the target with a header from close range in stoppage time. There was to be no late twist.
Drkeem
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