Arsenal lose unbeaten begin as Newcastle preserve their heads within the battle of St James’ Park

The Arteta Invincibles are not any extra. Arsenal’s unbeaten begin to the Premier League marketing campaign got here to an abrupt finish within the Newcastle rain. Mikel Arteta is not going to emulate Arsene Wenger this season – admittedly few thought he ever would – however he can rue a missed alternative to leapfrog Tottenham and to ascertain a gaping lead over Newcastle within the quest for a top-four end.

It has grow to be a wretched week for Arsenal, with a Carabao Cup exit at West Ham adopted by a dent of their title problem, and an exquisite one for Newcastle. After a weakened group received at Outdated Trafford, they added to the proof that they’re turning into a formidable drive on dwelling soil with a show of forceful dedication. Anthony Gordon has come to epitomise them: brimming with verve, no respecter of reputations, he delivered the winner.

Boyhood Evertonians can show an issue to undefeated Arsenal sides, as a teenage Wayne Rooney confirmed Wenger 20 years in the past; extra pertinently for Newcastle, Gordon had the irrepressibility to ship a decider when United, with out the injured Alexander Isak and the substituted Callum Wilson, didn’t have a specialist centre-forward on the pitch.

Newcastle have a resourcefulness that has enabled them to deal with the lack of gamers. In the meantime, Arsenal missed the sidelined pair of Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard extra as they mustered a lone shot heading in the right direction whereas, minus Isak and Sandro Tonali, Newcastle discovered a method to win. All sides ought to have been depleted additional. It might be an exaggeration to model this the battle of St James’ Park, nevertheless it was a fractious affair that most likely must have featured a pair of crimson playing cards.

Like a lot of the previous motion, the objective introduced a concentrate on the overworked officers. A shot was stabbed in by Gordon however Newcastle endured the curiosity of a triple VAR examine – to find out if the ball went out of play earlier than Joe Willock crossed, if Joelinton had fouled Gabriel Magalhaes as he received a header and if Gordon was offside – earlier than it was awarded. That it got here a few minutes after Willock got here on for Wilson, who can’t full 90 minutes, and after Gordon was repurposed as a striker recommended Eddie Howe has one thing of a Midas contact.

If he stored his head, others threatened to lose theirs, referee Stuart Attwell included. Kai Havertz ought to have been dismissed for a wild, reckless lunge at Sean Longstaff. As a substitute, he solely collected a warning and, after the next melee, Gordon, Fabian Schar and Longstaff all obtained the identical punishment, resulting in the impression Attwell was panicking. It might be unfair to counsel that getting three Newcastle gamers booked is essentially the most Havertz has carried out in an Arsenal shirt however every lasted the complete recreation.

So, extra surprisingly, did Bruno Guimaraes, who caught Jorginho together with his forearm, seemingly intentionally; he, too, ought to have gone. Half-time had soothing properties, stripping the sport of a few of its needle and, as soon as the controversy dies down, Newcastle could be glad about one among Attwell’s errors: had Guimaraes been dismissed then a midfield already disadvantaged of Tonali would have misplaced him for 3 video games. Because it was, he was ultimately booked within the 88th minute, incurring a one-match ban as an alternative.

Arsenal’s excellent performer got here in their very own midfield. Their impetus got here from the driving runs of Declan Rice; his ball-carrying skill has added one other dimension. More and more, it feels as if Arteta’s technique is to deploy Rice as a No 8 in opposition to the higher groups and, as soon as once more, he seemed a really perfect recruit for such events. Rice threatened to attain with an audacious header from 14 yards.

But his teammates possessed too little risk. Gabriel Martinelli had the lone shot heading in the right direction, simply earlier than half-time, however directed it at Nick Pope. Eddie Nketiah reached the milestone of 100 Premier League appearances however the extra salient statistic could also be that he nonetheless doesn’t have a top-flight objective north of London since 2019. In his defence, he lacked service. It scarcely helped that Havertz, who has a PhD in flattering to deceive, flattered to deceive.

In a recreation of excessive depth that was massively aggressive, Newcastle have been scarcely extra inventive, belying their standing because the group who, till Manchester Metropolis hit Bournemouth for six, have been the division’s prime scorers. However they stored working, their efforts summed up when Joelinton sank to his knees, punching the air, after halting Rice deep into harm time.

And, finally, Arsenal failed a check. They have been too meek and callow when shedding on Tyneside two seasons in the past, had a redemptive win on Tyneside in Could and now relapsed. There’s a sense that St James’ Park checks a group’s mettle. Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool confirmed their resolve to prevail right here. Paris Saint-Germain capitulated right here. Arsenal weren’t as weak however they have been overcome. And now they go away the mantle of the Premier League’s unbeaten aspect with Tottenham, hardly the group they need to anoint as the brand new North London Invincibles.