Arsenal’s title challenge suffered another blow as they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United on Saturday lunchtime.
Newcastle had the best of a scrappy first half, taking the lead via a bullet header from Alexander Isak — his third goal of the week — that gave David Raya no chance. Arsenal dominated the ball as expected, but created only 0.23 expected goals from open play in a frustrating opening period that once again highlighted just how much the side is missing captain Martin Odegaard.
And the home side continued to frustrate Arsenal after the break, with Mikel Arteta’s side managing just one shot on target in this fixture for the second season in a row, despite the introduction of Ethan Nwaneri. Declan Rice missed a golden chance to equalise in injury time to cap off a frustrating game for Arsenal and a memorable one for Newcastle.
Chris Waugh and Art de Roche analyse some of the key moments from the game.
It’s too early to write Arsenal’s title chances off
Arsenal have now dropped points in three successive matches. Results like that hurt title chances whether they happen in the run-in, like in 2022-23, or in the early stages of the season.
Before the 3pm kick-offs, they are four points off Liverpool and five behind Manchester City. Those gaps may stretch to seven and eight points respectively in the coming hours which will make Arsenal’s ambitions even harder to achieve.
(George Wood/Getty Images)
While they are only 10 matches into 2024-25, they need only look to last year as an example of how different a campaign can look in winter compared to the spring. Last season they were five points off first-placed Liverpool on New Year’s Day but still managed to take the title race to the final day.
There is no guarantee that will happen again, but as a side with the quality to challenge, now is not the time to completely write them off.
Art de Roche
Credit to Eddie Howe for revitalising Newcastle
Does this result signal lift-off once again in the Premier League for Newcastle? Are “Howe’s Newcastle” back?
Efficient victories over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and Arsenal in the Premier League inside four days, with three goals scored and none conceded, certainly point towards a brighter end to 2024.
Isak has three goals in as many matches — and 12 in his last 12 league games at St James’ — while Gordon has continued his remarkable run at home, where he has 18 goal involvements across his last 22 top-flight appearances. When those two operate like this, Guimaraes orchestrates so astutely from midfield, and Joelinton marauds around at his physical, harrying best, then Newcastle are a fearsome proposition, especially on Tyneside.
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
This must be just the start of an uptick, given that Newcastle had failed to win any of their last five league matches and are still only eighth (ahead of the Saturday 3pm kick-offs), while their long-term away form is still a problem. But, in general, Newcastle’s performances are improving, their targeted high-pressing is returning, and they are looking far more solid defensively (for the most part).
Encouragingly, they have a solid platform from which to build and, once their attacking game really clicks, they should find themselves climbing the table and challenging for European qualification.
Chris Waugh
Arsenal have a clean sheet problem
Despite an encouraging start, the manner in which Arsenal conceded the opener will be a source of frustration for Mikel Arteta. Jurrien Timber gave Anthony Gordon the time to measure up a vicious first-time cross and nobody tracking Alexander Isak’s run left David Raya at the mercy of the Newcastle striker.
Alexander Isak powers Newcastle into the lead against Arsenal (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The goal meant Arsenal have not kept a Premier League clean sheet in six games, since their 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on September 15. Momentary lapses seem to have led to more preventable chances being created against them — a theme that was evident in eventual wins over Leicester City and Southampton last month too.
A move to a 4-4-2 shape has provided solutions in the absence of Martin Odegaard, utilising the dynamics between Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz, but there is no doubt Arsenal are less dominant without their captain — both in and out of possession. In possession Arteta’s side lacked a connective tissue, and out of it, Newcastle took advantage of spaces between midfield and defence with clever use of Joe Willock, Isak and Gordon.
Arsenal have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Champions League. In the Premier League, however, they have now conceded 11 goals compared to Manchester City’s nine and Liverpool’s five (before their 3pm kick offs). It’s a trend that needs sorting if Arsenal are to play a meaningful part in this season’s title race.
Art de Roche
A new role for Joe Willock
Sandro Tonali’s absence from Newcastle’s starting XI was not universally welcomed.
Eddie Howe, however, had a plan. That was to once again field Joe Willock and Joelinton in the same side — they dovetailed brilliantly down the left during the 2022-23 campaign and on Wednesday night — but in a bespoke system. Rather than Joelinton as an out-and-out left-winger and Willock as a left-sided No 8, the former often operated deeper than the latter, with the Arsenal academy graduate almost deployed as a No 10 at times against his former side.
This permitted Newcastle to go direct from defence to Joelinton out wide, attempting to win second balls high. While it also allowed the home side to play through Arsenal’s press, which they did well during the first half, with Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff linking nicely, before feeding Willock in pockets of space.
(Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Willock’s positioning distracted Arsenal’s defenders, often leaving Anthony Gordon one on one with Jurrien Timber, who he terrorised, including laying on Isak’s opener with a superb cross. That also came from a long ball forward from Fabian Schar towards Willock, whose presence forced Thomas Partey inside to head back to Isak, before Newcastle played it out wide to Gordon.
After the break, with Newcastle defending a lead, Willock’s running ability was dangerous on the counter, even beating William Saliba for pace at one stage, and forcing two second-half efforts on goal.
Whether this is a long-term solution to Newcastle’s midfield conundrum is unclear — it felt more like a distinctive ploy for Arsenal — but the balance worked nicely. It also adds to the theory held by some supporters that Newcastle’s midfield equilibrium is better served with Guimaraes or Tonali, rather than Guimaraes and Tonali.
Either way, it is refreshing to see Willock back to his athletic and ball-carrying best after more than a year of injury problems.
Chris Waugh
Nwaneri and Zinchenko introductions improved Arsenal… slightly
The aforementioned lack of connection was a concern throughout the first hour at St. James’ Park. Arteta recognised this and responded by giving Ethan Nwaneri and Oleksandr Zinchenko their longest spells off the bench in the Premier League this season — both got half an hour.
The switch saw Thomas Partey move into midfield, Timber across to right-back and Trossard out to the left. Both had moments where their impact was felt, with a passing sequence between Zinchenko, Partey and Rice leading to a shot being deflected just wide. As for Nwaneri, he played much nearer to Saka which left him less isolated.
Despite this, it was a difficult situation for both to inspire real change. Zinchenko’s rustiness could be seen in a mis-kick that led to a Newcastle counter, while Nwaneri’s understanding of when to move meant he did not recognise a moment when Ben White tried to find him in behind.
More traditional Arsenal patterns of play were on display in the final half-hour, but without the clinical edge. With Inter Milan away before Chelsea next weekend, whether Arteta decides to return to this shape could be one of the more interesting aspects of the coming week.
Art de Roche
What did the managers say?
We’ll bring you the thoughts of Eddie Howe and Mikel Arteta here soon.
What next for Newcastle?
Sunday, November 10: Nottingham Forest (away), Premier League, 2pm UK, 9am ET
What next for Arsenal?
Wednesday, November 6: Inter Milan (away), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
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(Top photo: Getty Images)
