'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last week, Arsenal received their annual drubbing at Anfield as they lost 4-0 to Liverpool. But this time the defeat felt different. This wasn’t the Arsenal of old. This was a team building towards something and wasn’t to be defined by one poor result. The Gunners had the chance to render that result a distant memory with the visit of a Newcastle side with their own problems.
After a tedious first half best summed up by a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang howler, Arsenal came out of the break fired up with newfound intensity. That intensity would translate into a lead in the 58th minute after a bit of quick combination play down the left-hand side. Bukayo Saka finished off the move by superbly shooting across the keeper.
10 minutes later, Gabriel Martinelli continued the theme of beautiful goals. He placed a perfect volley to secure all three points for the Gunners. The win lifts Mikel Arteta’s men into joint-fourth while the Magpies stayed rooted in the 20th.
Here are five talking points from Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle.
#5 Martin Ødegaard is warmnig up
A lot was made of Martin Ødegaard permanently joining in the summer. He was billed as the next Mesut Ozil, the player to solve all of Arsenal’s creative woes.
He sadly has not done that this season but today he showed glimpses of his quality. The Norwegian constantly found himself in between the lines, receiving the ball on the half-turn ready to unlock a resolute Newcastle low-block.
Against 10 men behind the ball, the 22-year-old completed 100% of his take-ons. He also won seven duels and created two chances whilst maintaining an 84% pass accuracy. This performance was a step in the right direction, but more is needed from Arsenal’s marquee summer signing.
#4 Eddie Howe’s 1st game in the dugout
Despite being an experienced manager, Eddie Howe has entered his new job at a perilous time. Newcastle United sit bottom of the table without a single win to their name. Today’s game only further compounded his misery with another defeat and a blank in front of goal.
Attacking wise, the Magpies have an abundance of talent but defensively, they leak goals for fun. That explains why Howe opted for a more conservative approach today with 10 men behind the ball. They looked for long balls over the top for Callum Wilson in terms of attack. Alas, their negative tactics could only work for 56 minutes. After that, they were powerless to withstand Arsenal’s relentless pressure.
Realistically, Newcastle weren’t expected to get anything from today’s game. But their upcoming fixtures against Norwich City and Burnley are must-win encounters. The Saudi Consortium will have to splash the cash in January if they are to have any hope of playing Premier League football next season.
#3 Nuno Tavares keeps his place
Much has been made of the competition for game time between Nuno Tavares and Kieran Tierney. Many believe the Scotsman is the ordained first-choice left-back. But in his absence, Tavares stole the show and rightly kept his place despite Tierney’s return to fitness.
The Portuguese full-back has been immense in his ball-carrying, 1v1 dribbling and all-round variation in the final third.
But last week he showed that he’s a diamond in the rough that needs fine-tuning. His mistake for Liverpool’s second goal effectively killed the game and left his team-mates ready for the slaughter.
Mikel Arteta could have easily dropped the youngster for today’s game. Instead, he kept faith in him, and Tavares repaid that faith with an electric display.
It remains to be seen whether this is permanent or if Tierney will reclaim his place soon. Regardless, the best teams in the world have two quality players battling for each position and Arteta is building towards that.
#2 Gabriel Martinelli is back
People seem to underestimate the toils of traveling to a foreign land, breaking into the first team at 18 and scoring goals in the Premier League. Martinelli also experienced a career-threatening injury and represented his country at the Olympics.
Gabriel Martinelli has done all that in the space of a couple of years and the kid is still only 20 years old. That is a lot for a young player to endure and yet he has kept the same focus despite all the criticism he’s received online.
Fans have been crying out for the Brazilian to get more minutes this season, having only made four starts in all comps. Today, he showed his manager why.
Within just 95 seconds of him coming onto the pitch, Martinelli made a perfectly timed run in behind Newcastle’s defense. He then executed a world-class volley to secure the win. This is the kind of movement and finishing the Gunners have lacked from wide areas. Hopefully we see more of the 20-year-old in the coming weeks.
#1 Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang must improve
It feels weird to say that the club’s top scorer should improve but that’s exactly what Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang needs to do. Seven goals in 13 apps don’t sound too shabby. But when you consider that three of those came against Championship side West Bromwich Albion, you start to see the cracks.
Last season, many felt the new contract had weighed too heavily on the striker. However, in reality, a mixture of family issues and illness were what hindered him. This season, he has no excuse.
Funnily enough, what we’re currently seeing from Aubameyang is the opposite of what he’s done throughout his career. All of a sudden, he’s being asked to be more involved in build-up play, press off the ball and work hard for the team. These are things he never had to do at his previous clubs. He was always only asked to finish off moves rather than be part of them.
Regardless, he may be working harder but his finishing has been abysmal in recent games. History tells us that this is just a blip but only time will tell. If Arsenal are to finish in the top four this season, they need a fully firing captain in their ranks.
Poll : Can Arsenal finish in the Top 4 this season?
Yes of course
No chance
72 votes
