14 mins The visitors went ahead following their first foray towards the home area; White and Saka traded passes on the Arsenal right just outside the box, before Jorginho rolled the ball infield to the unattended Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian midfielder struck his fifteenth goal of the season and his fifth in as many games with a low drive that nestled in Nick Pope's bottom left hand corner. The presence of Joelinton in front of him may have obscured the goalkeeper's view of the shot, which also looked to pass between the legs of Fabian Schar en route to its destination. 0-1

Half time: Magpies 0 Gunners 1

71 mins Visiting substitute Kieran Tierney collected the ball on the corner of the Gallowgate box, assisted by Gabriel Martinelli's illegal block on Miguel Almiron as he tried to collect Trippier's pass.

Gabriel Jesus pushed forward before releasing the overlapping Martinelli near to the left touchline and over halfway. With Sven Botman in attendance, the Brazilian took the ball into the box before pulling it back from the byline in the direction of Saka, who was shadowed by Burn.

That pass instead cannoned off Schar, who instinctively stuck out a boot to try and cut it out but saw the ball fizz the wrong side of the post, between the upright and Pope. 0-2

Full time: Magpies 0 Gunners 2

Mikel Arteta said:

"My players had revenge in their minds after last year. 

"They showed what it takes to come here, in this environment, against a great team, what it takes to win. The desire to keep digging, keep believing, with a reward which is so big. We had to do it today and we did everything we had to do to win the game.

"Sport always gives you another opportunity, and then you have to take it, and learn from those moments and see how you felt in those moments to overcome it, and act in a different way. The team did that really well today.

"You have to go through the pain and the emotion of what you felt in the moment. You can't forget it if you want to become better, you have to recognise that in any moment you can have that feeling. It's a horrible feeling, you don't want to have it again. You have to do your most, and you might lose still - this is sport - but it had to be different today.

"It meant a lot. It was a real test, they hurt our pride last year and in sport, when you have another opportunity you have to make sure you learn from it.

"We had to remember how we felt a year ago when we were here. Today had to be different. We had to play the game with a different level of implication, intelligence and maturity, and we showed a real fight today and a desire to win.

"They are creating something important here, that atmosphere was rocking. They have a great team, great organisation, great individuals, and we won here. 

"That, in my opinion, is a big statement as well with how far we’ve come."

On Jorginho:

"Jorginho was exceptional, he was man of the match, there were question marks because it was going to be really physical, but if you want to go physicality against physicality, you have no chance to win the game so we had to try something different.

"He understood the game really well, he's a really intelligent player. He gives a lot of security to the team and dominated the game in many moments.

Jorginho added:

"It’s a massive win. We knew it was a tough game coming here and winning the way we did, but sometimes you know you have to fight a lot to get the three points. I’m just so proud of the team, the way we fought until the end, the way we pushed.

“Just realising that sometimes you can’t just play beautiful football, sometimes you need to adapt, and that’s why I’m really proud of the team, because when you realise that and you adapt and you do what maybe everyone doesn’t expect, it’s just really, really good for our team and well deserved.

"This atmosphere is so beautiful. It motivates us to play and gives us fire inside. I have played a few (big games) before. We dream of this as a kid, and now it’s time to enjoy it. It’s beautiful."

An incident-packed Sunday afternoon ended with Newcastle beaten on home soil for only the second time this season and lamenting misfortunes at both ends of the pitch against Mikel Arteta's side.

Arsenal had been overwhelmed on and off the field at St. James' Park almost exactly a year earlier and a similar scenario seemed set to unfold as the black and whites tore into them from the off - Joe Willock crossing for Jacob Murphy to curl a shot off the Leazes goal frame after just 61 seconds.

By the seventh minute a breakthrough seemed even closer; United's clever corner routine on the right seeing Trippier and Willock combine for Bruno Guimaraes to power a shot goalwards from just inside the box that Jakub Kiwior blocked with his arm and Chris Kavanagh deemed a penalty.

However a lengthy delay was followed by VAR official Andy Madley summoning Kavanagh to view the pitchside monitor in front of the East Stand, the whistler belatedly overturning his decision after it was detected that the ball took a slight deflection off Kiwior's leg onto his hand.

That decision proved crucial just seven minutes later when the title-chasing Gunners took the lead from their first attack; Martin Odegaard given time to shoot past Pope from the edge of the box.

Both sides then had chances to claim the next goal but England goalkeeping duo Pope and Aaron Ramsdale made fine saves to deny Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Odegaard and Joe Willock. More clinical finishes however by the away side could have put this game out of reach by half time.

0-1 down at the interval for the third time in five games but having twice recovered to take all three points, United set off in determined fashion. Alexander Isak headed Murphy's dinked cross down into the turf and against the post, before Schar's free header from point blank range following Trippier's free kick deflected off Ramsdale seconds later. Anywhere else in the goal and it was 1-1.

Martinelli then hit an effort that bounced off the crossbar as tempers that had been bubbling under before the break resurfaced again. Some embarrassing Arsenal histrionics and playacting continued but there were also robust challenges from Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Schar and Dan Burn that lenient referee Kavanagh thankfully wasn't asked to review.

But just when United and the crowd were pushing for an equaliser the body blow of Schar's own goal deflated the raucous atmosphere -his attempted clearance from Martinelli's left wing pull back fizzing past Pope from close range at his near post.

Eddie Howe threw on as many attacking substitutions as he could, but didn't fall his side's way in the box despite waves of late pressure and an encouraging cameo from Allan Saint-Maximin, returning to the squad following a five game absence due to further hamstring issues.

There was no place for Sean Longstaff as he recovers from the foot injury that James Tarkowski's cowardly and unpunished tackle at Goodison Park caused. His presence in central midfield was certainly missed as the visitors successfully closed Bruno down whenever he gained possession. 

A first start together for both Callum Wilson and Isak meanwhile failed to produce the hoped-for supply line for our top scorer from the Swede down the left, although some of Isak's movement in possession after the break was a joy to watch.

Having deservedly lost here almost exactly a year ago, Arsenal were rather more determined on their return to Tyneside, less phased by what they encountered on and off the field this time and having reportedly watched footage of that 2022 game before today's meeting.

Jorginho's post-match remarks about a "beautiful" home crowd betrayed a stronger Arsenal mindset in 2023, while the most energetic chasing when out of possession that we've faced all season left United struggling in a mirror image of the manner in which we've repeatedly tortured opponents.

Despite the injection of reality though, going behind early would have raised questions about whether Arteta's side have really got past the recent wobble (no win in four) that will in all probability cost them the title. As ever at this level, chances must be taken.

As has been commented on elsewhere, one man's shithousery is another's dark arts demonstration; Arsenal praised here today for their game management while Newcastle have routinely been derided for perceived slow play. You'll have to go a long way to see elongated substitutions than the visitors made here late on - players have taken their leave from testimonial matches with less fanfare.

What's also beyond question is that Aaron Ramsdale now rivals Jordan Pickford in the dickhead goalkeeper stakes, after his pantomime display here today in the second half. Were he ever to be landed with an FA charge, he'd probably get off by blaming voices in his head....

The result kept Arsenal's title hopes alive but shouldn't derail Newcastle's top four ambitions. West Ham's subsequent victory over Manchester United and Everton's unforeseen success at Brighton were both welcome bonuses, but our Champions League fate remains in our own hands.

A maximum total of 12 points from our four remaining games is attainable, given what has come to pass in our previous 34 outings. Manchester United sit two points behind us with the same number of games remaining, but two Toon victories would require Liverpool to turn their current six game winning run into a nine game sequence to match our points tally.

If there's a potential blot on the landscape, it's that extending the points chase to the final day risks invoking goal difference and that Jurgen Klopp's side end the season at Southampton. A resumption of our admirable home form against Brighton and Leicester though would round things off nicely.


Biffa