There were 3 main takeaways as Arsenal hammered Newcastle United 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are in a 3-horse title race with Liverpool and Manchester City, and they couldn’t afford to slip up now. With this win, the season’s end will certainly be exciting.
The game started off with corners galore for Arsenal, but they couldn’t capitalize on them until the 18th minute, when Gabriel headed a ball at Loris Karius which deflected into Newcastle defender Sven Botman, resulting in an own goal. Shortly after, Gabriel Martinelli put a ball into the middle and Kai Havertz sunk it straight under Karius to make it 2-0.
In the 64th minute, Bukayo Saka scored an absolutely class goal, curling it inside the far post from the right side of the box. After some time, Declan Rice sent a corner right onto Jakub Kiwior’s head seeing him score his 1st goal of the season, and all but sealing Newcastle’s defeat. Joe Willock managed to get one back, but it was only a consolation goal, and the game ended 4-1.
This win shows City and Liverpool that they should be worried, and the North Londoners are coming for the title. It will be a disappointing loss for Eddie Howe and his men, with the away fans leaving before the final whistle. Here are some takeaways from the game –
1. Newcastle Lacking in Defense
Newcastle’s defensive performance at the Emirates Stadium match was notably lacking, particularly evident in the plays leading to the home side’s second and third goals. The Magpies showed vulnerabilities in executing effective defensive strategies, conceding clear opportunities for the Gunners to capitalize. The inability to stop Arsenal’s offensive chances significantly influenced the overall outcome of the match.
⏮️ Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle.
All the goals from a scintillating display at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday night. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/lZ6FrhrAXo
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) February 26, 2024
2. Newcastle’s Time-wasting Couldn’t Mimic Porto
Only 13 minutes into the game, Newcastle skipper Kieran Trippier went down in his box with a sudden “muscle cramp”. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was quick to remind the 4th official to add on the time. Tino Livramento was warned by the ref after taking his sweet time with a throw-in.
After all this, Karius kept making sure he slowed everything down by delaying the goal-kicks to frustrate the home side. Luckily it didn’t really bother Arsenal too much this time around as they were too overwhelming for Newcastle United.
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3. Something Special Has Been Cooking Up in Set-piece Training
Nicolas Jover, the Arsenal set-piece coach, has been cooking up something special in training. Mikel Arteta’s side have 17 set-piece goals in the 2023/24 season, which is the most for any team in the Premier League this season (according to inews.com.uk).
This has turned the Gunners into a real threat from the set-pieces. This will be crucial for their title charge and will give them an extra edge over their direct competition.
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