Arsenal keep title race alive with bruising win over Newcastle
FIGHTING FOR THE TITLE: Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar (right) and Arsenal’s Edward Nketiah have an altercation during the Premier League match at St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Picture date: Sunday May 7, 2023. PA Photo. See PA Story SOCCER Newcastle. Photo credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.
In football as in life, what goes around comes around, and so it should have been no surprise to Newcastle that they were on the receiving end of a comprehensive lesson in the dark arts as Arsenal eked out a little more mileage in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners narked and niggled and stopped and started and feigned and pained their way to a priceless win. Pretty it wasn't. For the neutral it felt like a little piece of your soul had died having to watch, and it was an outcome which if like Eddie Howe's wound-up troops you were on the wrong end of, is utterly galling. What do Arsenal care? All that only made this gritty victory even sweeter.
For every act of gamesmanship employed by Newcastle in January's stalemate at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal paid them back with interest. They tumbled and grumbled, killed the clock and strangled the life out of a contest which was admitted to intensive care at a very early juncture.
In between all that, they played some pretty decent stuff too, and would have won by more than Martin Odegaard's early long-range effort and a second-half own goal from Fabian Schar had it not been for the excellence of Newcastle keeper Nick Pope.
The hosts still had justifiable claims to at least a share of the spoils as they lost for only the second time in 10 games to dent their hopes of a top four finish.
They hit the post at the outset of each half through a Joe Willock shot and an Alexander Isak header, while also providing ample opportunity for Aaron Ramsdale to underline what a fine young shot-stopper he is, although the Arsenal keeper should have been beaten by a first-half shot from Joe Willock and a second-half header by Schar. Granit Xhaka's block to deny Willock with the deadlock still to be broken was utterly crucial.
Chris Kavanagh changed his mind after consulting replays after initially awarding an early penalty when Bruno Guimaraes' shot struck the thigh and arm of defender Jakub Kiwior. The referee was probably right, and deserves credit for admitting his initial error.
Odegaard beat Pope with a low effort through the legs of Dan Burn from 25 yards before the Newcastle keeper put up a one-man barrier to keep them at bay with stand-out saves from Gabriel Martinelli, Odegaard - twice - and Bukayo Saka. Martinelli curled another effort against the bar.
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There was little Pope could do midway through the second half when, at the culmination of a three-man move from the edge of their own area, Schar directed Martinelli's low cross into his own net at the near post from point-blank range. Game over.
It means Manchester City's lead at the top is cut to a point and the title marathon still has a few more yards left it in just yet.
This time last week, Newcastle still harboured hopes of catching Mikel Arteta's side, but they can forget about that now. Instead they might like to reflect, you hope with a little grudging respect, on how they had been so thoroughly dart-arted.
Pope 7; Tripper 6, Schar 5, Botman 5, Burn 5 (Targett 82, 5); Joelinton 6 (Anderson 81. 6), Guimaraes 6, Willock 7 (Saint-Maximin 78. 5); Murphy 7 (Almiron 65, 5), Wilson 5 (Gordon 82, 5), Isak 7.
Burn.
Ramsdale 8; White 7, Kiwior 7, Gabriel 7, Zinchenko 7 (Tierney 61, 7); Odegaard 9 (Partey 80, 7), Jorginho 7, Xhaka 8; Saka 7 (Nelson 87, 5), Gabriel Jesus 6 (Nketiah 87, 5), Martinelli 7 (Trossard 80, 6).
None.
Chris Kavanagh (Greater Manchester) 7.
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