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Arsenal fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, November 5.
The Magpies entered this contest on the back of two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five games. Their last outing was a comfortable 3-0 away win over Manchester United as they knocked them out of the Carabao Cup. Eddie Howe fielded a strong lineup as he looked to earn a positive result.
The Gunners, on the other hand, won three, drew one and lost one of their last five games. Martin Odegaard was a surprise absentee for Mikel Arteta's men, with Gabriel Jesus ruled out indefinitely as well. However, the Spaniard fielded a strong side for this contest.
Both Arsenal and Newcastle United started off well in terms of keeping the ball and passing it around. However, both adopted a cautious approach which led to very limited penetration in the final third by either team. This also led to a forgettable display by both sides in the final third, with just one shot on target between them from 12 attempts overall.
The game often edged towards higher physicality as players from both sides were involved in come-togethers. However, the referee had decent control over the proceedings as Arsenal and Newcastle were deadlocked at 0-0 at the break.
The second half was a similar affair as neither side was able to stamp their authority on the game in the attacking third. Arsenal dominated possession with nearly two-thirds of the ball in the second period but were unable to hit the target despite five attempts.
Newcastle, on the other hand, scored with their first shot on target of the second half as Anthony Gordon put them ahead after 64 minutes.
Despite trying a lot, Arsenal were unable to find a way back into the contest and fell to their first league defeat of the season. On that note, let's take a look at the five major talking points from the contest.
#5. Both Newcastle and Arsenal were toothless in attack initially
Both teams began the game well in terms of possession play but often faltered when it came to creating effective goalscoring openings.
Arsenal were more affluent going forward, attempting eight shots before Newcastle even registered their first attempt. However, none of those eight attempts were anywhere near troubling Nick Pope between the sticks as most were from strange angles and unrealistic distances.
The Magpies, on the other hand, had a flurry of chances come their way just before the interval but could not manage to convert them as the teams were goalless at the break.
#4. Hard tackles flew in from both sets of players without punishment
Referee Stuart Attwell was in-charge of proceedings at St. James' Park and did a fairly decent job of managing tempers on the field. However, he displayed some inconsistency in his decisions as some players escaped straightforward bookings.
Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes were involved in a couple of incidents that deserved a second look, especially the latter as he elbowed Jorginho during a segment of play. For the Gunners, Kai Havertz was fortunate to only see yellow after a wild lunge on Sean Longstaff just before the interval.
#3. The Magpies took the lead via a controversial goal
Just after the hour-mark, Newcastle looked eager to shift gears and push upfield in search of goalscoring opportunities. They crowded Arsenal's penalty area and often sent bodies forward to attack the aerial balls. This led to the opening goal of the contest after 64 minutes via Anthony Gordon.
The ball was played in from the left flank and Joelinton did really well to cushion his header into Gordon's path, who finished from close-range.
However, there were three different checks made before confirming the goal, with no conclusive evidence shown for any. First, the VAR checked if the ball went out of play on the byline, then they checked for a possible foul on Gabriel, before checking for offside.
Despite there being evidence to suggest the goal should be cancelled, it stood and the Magpies led 1-0.
#2. The Gunners lifted their game after conceding but to no avail
Having conceded midway through the second half, Arsenal were under tremendous pressure going into the last half an hour. Their unbeaten league record as well as the risk of losing ground in the title race was on the line.
After conceding in the 64th minute, the visitors dictated play and dominated possession but were unable to find a way past the resolute Magpies.
Eddie Howe, too, made multiple changes to freshen things up in his XI, which helepd his team manage the game properly in the closing stages.
#1. Arsenal fell to their first Premier League defeat of the season against Newcastle
After 11 gameweeks, the Gunners suffered their first defeat of the campaign against Newcastle, having narrowly escaped the jaws of defeat on multiple occasions earlier in the season.
The result leaves them three points off Manchester City in first place on 27 points and two off Tottenham in second place with 26 points and a game in hand.
Arsenal will host Burnley in their next league game and will look to return to winning ways.
