Arsenal outclass Newcastle United to close the gap on league leaders

The Gunners had failed to score in three of their last four matches against Eddie Howe’s negative Newcastle and this time he was not going to let his men cower to the dark arts.

ALL GUNS BLAZING: Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium. Photo credit: John Walton/PA Wire.

Arsenal 4 Newcastle United 1

REVENGE is a dish best served on a cold Saturday night in north London so far as Mikel Arteta and his title-chasing Arsenal side are concerned.

The Arsenal manager successfully used the ‘injustice’ of their controversial November defeat at St James’ Park to motivate his players to play at their maximum.

Arsenal had failed to score in three of their last four matches against Eddie Howe’s negative Newcastle and this time he was not going to let his men cower to the dark arts.

Two quick half first goals – an under pressure own goal by Sven Botman and a brilliant Kai Havertz strike – were enough to keep Arsenal within a win of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.

Bukayo Saka scored a thrilling third midway through the second half, quickly followed by Jakub Kiwior’s first for the club.

Arsenal have the best goal difference of the top three and they could and should have won by so many more.

As it was they became the first team in Premier League history to score two or more goals in seven consecutive halves of football. Their midweek Champions League drought away to Porto clearly was a blip.

Arteta sent them out flying and had two corners and a couple of half chances inside the opening minute.

Newcastle were being jeered and whistled for time wasting with only two minutes gone. ‘Saturday nights are alright for fighting’ went the old song and this had all the ingredients of a classic under the lights.

That said, Newcastle would have needed to try and lay a glove on Arsenal for it to be called a proper fight.

Their only semblance of a feel for the ball came when stalling over a throw-in, goal kick or feigning injury. Could their negative tactics really frustrate an Arsenal team in such irrepressible mood?

Arsenal’s ambition and Newcastle’s lack of it resulted in Arteta’s side taking a deserved 18th minute lead though a comical Botman own goal from a trade mark corner set piece.

Newcastle's goalkeeper Loris Karius, centre, misses the opening own goal by Newcastle's Sven Botman during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates stadium in London, England, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Saka guided the cross in for Gabriel to head goalward, keeper Lorius Karius could only parry and Tino Livramento’s attempt at a goal line clearance went on to the knee of his team-mate and back into the Newcastle net.

Livramento had been Newcastle’s key time-waster up to then – now he would have to change tactics.

Havertz doubled Arsenal’s lead six minutes later with a confident strike from a neat Gabriel Martinelli pull back.

Poor Karius, the much-derided former Liverpool keeper, was not to blame for any of Newcastle’s woes in his first appearance for the club since last season’s League Cup final and first in the top flight since 2018.

If anything, he should have been geeing up team-mates who conceded 12 first half shots, conceding nearly 70 per cent of the possession.

The second half started in similar fashion only this time Havertz missed out on his seventh Premier League goal of the season as he dragged a shot wide with only Karius to beat a minute after the restart. That, surely, would have been game over.

It was when Saka cut in from the right wing after 65 minutes to score his seventh in his last six Premier League games.

Kiwior’s header from a Declan Rice corner four minutes later made it 19 goalscoring set pieces for the season to date.

The Arsenal supporters still had cause for applause when Newcastle scored in the closing stages.

The superbly headed goal came from substitute Joe Willock, the former Arsenal youth talent who made his name here before a big money move to the north east.

Arsenal: Raya 7, White 8, Saliba 6, Gabriel 7, Kiwior 6, Odegaard 9 (Smith Rowe 76), Rice 8, Jorginho 8 (Elneny 89), Havertz 7 (Nketiah 76), Saka 8 (Nelson 76), Martinelli 7 (Trossard 64).

Subs not used: Ramsdale, Jesus, Soares, Vieira.

Newcastle United: Karius 6, Trippier 5, Schar 4, Botman 5 (Lascelles 73), Livramento 5 (Burn 73), Longstaff 5, Guimaraes 4 (Willock 73), Miley 6, Gordon 6, Almiron 5 (Murphy 64), Isak 5 (Barnes 64).

Subs not used: Gillespie, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall.

Referee: Paul Tierney 6.

Attendance: 60,298.