Newcastle marksman Isak strikes early to hasten Arsenal's slump
RISING HIGHEST: Newcastle United's Alexander Isak scores their side's first goal. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.
ALEXANDER Isak underlined just why he is so coveted by Arsenal as Newcastle's Swedish scoring sensation struck to hasten the Gunners' Autumnal slump.
It's one point from the last nine for Mikel Arteta's faltering side, who could find themselves out of the top four at the completion of this weekend's fixtures after getting exactly what they deserved from a lacklustre performance - absolutely nothing.
Their deficiencies up front were laid bare to highlight exactly why they are ready to test Newcastle's resolve to hold onto their highly-rated £60m record signing, who scored for the third successive game to increase the growing feel-good feeling on Tyneside.
Whether it was the early kick-off, or lengthy trip north, Arsenal looked badly out of sorts and lacked on-field leaders.
Arteta sent them out early for the second-half after what must have been a severe dressing-down, but that had little effect on waking them from their slumber.
Other than Mikel Merino's close-range effort being blocked on the line by Lewis Hall, and a deflected Declan Rice shot which bounced inches wide midway through the second-half, Newcastle keeper Nick Pope will have had few quieter matches all season.
Rice's usually on-point set-pieces were particularly abject, although the England midfielder wasted a golden chance to atone in stoppage-time, when he summed up an afternoon to forget by somehow heading wide from inside the six-yard box after meeting a Bukayo Saka cross.
Newcastle took full advantage and claimed the three points with a picture-book 12th minute winner as Isak rose to plant a firm header past David Raya from Anthony Gordon's sumptuous first-time cross.
Eddie Howe's side haven't dropped a point from a winning position this season, and Arsenal rarely looked like putting in a dent in that statistic as they stumbled to a third defeat in their last four visits to St James' Park.
Arteta's side are without a Premier League clean sheet since mid-September, and Newcastle's margin of victory could easily have been more handsome.
Ex-Gunner Joe Willock forced a block from Raya before firing narrowly over from a narrow angle as the hosts went in search of a killer second goal which, due to the paucity of Arsenal's display, they never really required.
Pope 8; Livramento 7, Schar 7, Burn 7, Hall 8; Longstaff 7, Guimaraes 7 (Kelly 90,6), Willock 6 (Tonali 65, 6); Gordon 8 (Barnes 85, 6), Isak 8, Joelinton 6. Booked: Schar, Willock, Tonali, Pope.
Raya 5; Partey 4 (Jorginho 86, 4), Saliba 5, Gabriel 5; Timber 5 (Jesus 72, 4); Sak4, Rice 5, Merino 4 (Nwaneri 61, 5), Martinelli 4 (Zinchenko 61, 5); Havertz 3, Trossard 3 (White 71, 4). Booked: Merino, Timber, Jorginho, Hasvertz.
John Brooks
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