Newcastle United failed to break the negative trend of losing at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal got the job done at home with a 4-0 victory today.
Newcastle United were hoping to cause an upset at the Emirates Stadium for the first time since 2010, but it was not meant to be. Goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette secured all three points for Arsenal.
Tale of Two Halves for Newcastle
The Magpies played some impressive football on both ends of the pitch in the first half. Defensively, Steve Bruce’s men did well to block off any passing lanes, intercepted passes and forced Arsenal to wait 21 minutes before they could take their first shot.
Offensively, the Toon did well to send the ball out wide and let their primary playmaker Allan Saint-Maximin go to work. Newcastle United came close to scoring on two occasions as a result of some clever tactics on their corner kicks.
In the second half, the team showed Arsenal more respect and conceded two goals in two minutes, and then conceded two more goals at the end of the game. Newcastle United started to wake up around the 75-minute mark, but aside from one shot from Saint-Maximin that hit the post, no meaningful chances were created. The first half hinted that this game was on track for a 0-0 draw, but Arsenal showed their class in the final 45 minutes and earned the win.
Quick Kicks
- Allan Saint-Maximin was the Magpies’ only creative player when they attacked. The Frenchman needed more support from Joelinton and Miguel Almiron.
- Valentino Lazaro showed that he can be a threat offensively with quick pace, impressive technical skills and quality crosses, but his defensive marking needs to improve.
- The Magpies were set up perfectly in the first half, but the team needed to take some more risks offensively in the second half, especially after conceding the first goal.
- Martin Dubravka conceded four goals today, but the back-line should have done a better job in front of him. There was nothing the Slovakian could do in three of the four goals he conceded, but he should have kept Ozil’s soft strike out.
What’s Next?
Newcastle United will be in London once again next weekend when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace. The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 1-0 victory for Newcastle United, a game in which Miguel Almiron scored his first goal as a Magpie.