'%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)
A victory for Arsenal would have been vital to catch up with Chelsea who are in 5th place and distant themselves from Burnley who sit at 7th place. The Gunners have been poor when they play away from home. Dropping points in nearly every match away from home, Arsenal fell to 6th place and are extremely far from the top four.
During the mid-week game, Arsenal's first team players had to play to their fullest in order to qualify for the semi-finals of the Europa League competition.
Newcastle players had an advantage of getting a break during the week. Grabbing three points at home would bring the Magpies even closer to finishing off in the top half of the table, in their first Premier League campaign since getting promoted.
Unfortunately for the London club, they were defeated at St. James' Park. Arsenal have not earnt any points while travelling in 2018. Rafael Benitez ought to be credited for the victory against the Gunners. Here are five talking points from the surprise win for Newcastle.
#5 Arsenal's defence in need of a major shake-up
Arsenal defenders looked as if they had no clue how to defend, where to defend and what to do. They simply looked loss as the game progressed. Arsenal chose to rest the likes of Hector Bellerin and Laurent Koscielny. Even if the duo had played, the result of the game could still go either way
There seems to be a lack of leadership at the backline. None was able to play at a consistent and high-intensity level. Wenger has been unable to solve this problem for the whole Premier League season and he will surely be hoping to bring in some changes during the summer transfer window.
Arsenal risk dropping to 7th place as Burnley, who are two points behind, may catch up in the remaining five fixtures. The London team has conceded an astonishing 45 goals, the highest out of the top seven clubs. This leaves a great chance for other teams to capitalize on Arsenal's extremely poor back line.
#4 Lacazette a different man after making a return
Lacazette missed close to two months of action after suffering a knee injury. After making a long-awaited return, the Frenchman has scored 4 goals in 5 matches in all competitions.
Leading the frontline together with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the former Lyon player seemed to be getting more and more confident in his game than at the beginning of the season.
Lacazette is currently Arsenal's top goalscorer, with 13 goals to his name in all comptitions. That is a far cry from Premier League top scorers such as Harry Kane and Mohammed Salah. However, it is a positive reassurance that Arsenal did buy a right player from Ligue 1.
#3 Shkodran Mustafi and Petr Cech look like wrong buys
If there were holes on the football pitch, I am sure the duo would want to find one to hide from the fans. The German defender has been incredibly poor with his recent performances and ought to be dropped from the starting lineup soon.
Mustafi is not alert enough in his games and unsure of his surroundings. Although there are some positives in terms of his tackling success and aggressiveness against opponents, the German does not look like the man who can bring any success to Arsenal's backline.
Arsenal fans would certainly be expecting a lot from the former Chelsea keeper who joined the Gunners in 2015. Unfortunately, he now seems like an incorrect investment for the North London club. The Czech Republic goalkeeper has conceded 49 goals in 36 matches which is totally unacceptable if the Gunners want to compete for the title next season.
Arsenal will have lots of work to do in the summer in order to find renowned replacements.
#2 Jonjo Shelvey is Newcastle's best player
Shelvey played a critical role in Newcastle's success over Arsenal and he highlights his importance for the club.
With accurate long balls coming from Newcastle's own half, Shelvey was able to find Gayle on a regular basis. His long balls provided a huge threat to the Arsenal's defenders who could not deal with them properly.
After this amazing performance, Shelvey deserves the chance to join Southgate to play for England in the World Cup. The midfielder has a pass accuracy of 74% which is one of the best records for his club. According to Squakwa records, out of all his passes, 93% of them are directed forward.
Through balls and long passes are two of the Shelvey's best attributes in his pocket. Newcastle certainly cannot do without this man on the pitch.
#1 Newcastle showed more toughness in their games
Newcastle will definitely surge pass the 40 points target that Rafael Benitez had set for his team at the beginning of the campaign. The Magpies recorded their first win against the Gunners in 13 years.
The former Championship side did not start particularly well in the season and soon found themselves in the bottom half of the table. However, Benitez managed to help his team find some confidence in their own games. After four defeats in five matches prior to facing Arsenal, the club have distanced themselves from the relegation zone.
In this particular match against the weak Gunners, Newcastle were first to concede but they came out stronger than many would have expected. Overall, it was a deserving win for the home team.
