Jorginho urges Arsenal to remain humble

ON THE MARCH: Arsenal's Kai Havertz celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game. Pic: John Walton, PA Wire.

Arsenal 4 Newcastle Utd 1

Revenge is a dish best served on a cold Saturday night in north London. The Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta successfully used the ‘injustice’ of their controversial November defeat at St James’s 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 their dark arts. Last week’s Champions League defeat away to Porto was another reminder this Arsenal team still has frailties and Saturday was rightly regarded as another key test for their right to be considered genuine Premier League contenders.

Arteta spoke of aspirations to be the best in the world in his post-match press conference and he was neither joking, nor over-celebrating. At their best they are hard to match. Wins over Liverpool and Manchester City this season were achieved with relative comfort and their domestic run this calendar year is impeccable to date. Six wins on the bounce, scoring 25 goals without a recognised striker is testament to Arteta’s tactical acumen and the belief he has instilled in players such as his indomitable captain Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian, who skippers his country too, explained afterwards how a common bond, desire and motivation is driving them to unprecedented heights.

“We had some unfinished business against Newcastle. It also came from the Porto match, the way you saw that fire within us from the start. We were so fired up for the game, and then with the rhythm, the intensity, we just controlled everything.”

Odegaard was immense, as was fellow midfielder Declan Rice and there were few better on the pitch than Bukayo Saka, who struck his seventh goal in five consecutive games of scoring. That said, many of the Arsenal players were also fawning over experienced Italian midfielder Jorginho afterwards.

The Brazil-born maestro always gets the nod from Arteta in big matches, partly as he is a proven winner who thrives when reputations are on the line. He was a Champions League winner for Chelsea against City and overcame the odds for his country when they came from behind to beat England in the last European Championship final, at Wembley.

And that most pundits rank Arsenal as the outsiders for the Premier League crown is just what he wanted to hear. “I like to be the underdogs; let them speak and let us be humble and keep working hard in the shadows. We will keep pushing and believe in ourselves. That what we need to and then we will see where we are going to get. We are on the right path. Unfortunately we conceded a goal that we did not want to. That will keep us humble too as there are still things we can improve.” That goal, ironically, came from Newcastle substitute Joe Willock. It was a night when only Arsenal-related players shone.

The Arsenal youth team product left for the north east for €30million in 2021 and he marked his return from a three month Achilles injury lay off with a looping header. It served as no consolation after Arsenal had put the game to bed with two quick goals in either half.

An under pressure own goal by Sven Botman and a brilliant Kai Havertz strike sent Arsenal on their way before the break. Saka scored a thrilling third midway through the second half, quickly followed by defender Jakub Kiwior’s first of the season.

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.

For Willock, it was a case of what might have been had Arteta not sold him and he was keen to turn attention to Newcastle’s Fifth Round FA Cup tie away to Blackburn Rovers Tuesday night.

He said: “Arsenal are very good and it was a bittersweet feeling for me. This has been the hardest period of my career for me on the side line. I have not been able to be with my teammates who I love. There is a real brotherhood in the club and it means so much to be on the pitch again. Hopefully I can stay back and stay fit.

“My goal did not make up for anything as I wanted to win and get the three points. We worked so hard for this match and the manager gave us what we needed to do but we couldn’t do it. The FA Cup is massive for us, there is no denying it, and we want to get back to Wembley. We can still make this season a very positive one.”

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

Subs: Ramsdale, Jesus, Soares, Vieira.

NEWCASTLE: 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: Gillespie, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall.

Ref: Paul Tierney 6.

Att: 60,298.