Arsenal’s new manager Mikel Arteta’s strategy for his team finally got under way with his players putting on a performance that he has been demanding from them. It was Arsenal’s seventh Premier League win of the season which came from a quick-fire second-half double strike to break Newcastle’s resistance, followed by two further late goals. The three points achieved gave Arteta’s dream a little hope of qualifying for the Champions League.
He said: “A week ago before we went to Dubai (for winter break), everything looked like it was too far and it was going to take an incredible run to do it (to qualify), but today it feels a little bit closer. But it is going to depend on us and we need to improve as a team and be more consistent in our play over 90 minutes.”
He added: “If we are able to do that, performance will lead to much better results and in that case, we will be in the mix for the last few games of the season.” With Manchester City being banned (appeal pending) from Champions League for two seasons gives hope to teams finishing in fifth position to get into Europe’s top competition.
Arteta went on to say: “I think we found it very difficult in the first 20 or 30 minutes. They are really compact, really organised. We talked before the game that you can get a bit frustrated, start to rush decisions and when that happens the team doesn’t play well together. After half an hour we started to control the game much better. In the second half we tweaked one or two things and we attacked much better and controlled the game in a more efficient way.”
Newcastle’s defence was solid in the first half but Arsenal broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Nicolas Pepe crossed to the far post for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to head into the net for his 17th goal of the season. Just three minutes later Pepe doubled the lead with an emphatic first-time shot from Bukayo Saka’s excellent pass.
There were missed chances by both sides, Aubameyang’s cross clipped the top of the crossbar and Ciaran Clark for Newcastle kicked horribly wide with the goal at his mercy. Then Allan Saint-Maximin curled a right-footed shot that beat the goalkeeper but thudded back off the base of the post.
In the 90th minute Mesut Ozil added his side’s third goal when he side-footed from close range a pass from substitute Alex Lacazette who had brilliantly beaten two defenders. Lacazette completed the tally of goals with a right-footed firm drive from Pepe’s pass in the 5th minute of added time.
Newcastle manager, Steve Bruce said: “The disappointing thing is the goals we gave away are not like us. They were too easy. For an hour we were where we have been all season. We switched off from that and gave away sloppy goals.” He added: “I was delighted with the way we played in the first half. But we made the wrong pass or selection when we (attacked). Second half, we knew they would come with more intensity and we didn’t start well.”
Referring to the first half, Bruce said: “We have to try and keep to those levels. But we didn’t get anywhere near it in the second half. When you get a beating like we have, you have to lick your wounds and get on with it.”
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