Arsenal kept pace with their Premier League title rivals with a thumping 4-1 win at home to Newcastle United on Saturday night.
The Gunners had a point to prove after their surprise 1-0 defeat to Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Wednesday, and they silenced their doubters with a fine performance back on home soil.
The Magpies were second-best from the off and deserved to leave the Emirates Stadium without any points.
How the game unfolded
Newcastle were pinned in early doors, with Arsenal winning the ball high up the pitch on numerous occasions. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice both brought early saves out of Loris Karius, who started in place of the ill Martin Dubravka.
The early pressure soon told and Arsenal went ahead on 18 minutes. Gabriel Magalhaes rose high to meet a corner from Saka, bringing a save out of Karius, but the rebound ricocheted in off the legs of Sven Botman.
Six minutes later, the Gunners had their second. An intelligent pass from Jorginho found Gabriel Martinelli running across the box from left to right, and the Brazilian cut the ball back for Kai Havertz to tap in.
Karius came to Newcastle’s rescue again to keep out Saka at the near post after squeezing in between Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle went into the break without registering a single shot – the first time they had gone a first half without one since 2014 – and their second half didn’t start much better when Havertz waltzed in behind their sleeping backline, though this time the German fluffed his lines and the Magpies were let off the hook.
The visitors’ first shot came on 49 minutes, with Gordon galloping into space and cutting inside onto his right foot, bringing a rather easy save out of David Raya from 20 yards.
On the hour mark, Alexander Isak drifted infield past William Saliba and fired at goal from a similar angle, with his shot sailing high over the bar.
But with their next attack, Arsenal added a third. Botman’s sloppy pass from the back was pounced upon by Havertz, and he found Saka out on the right. He twisted and turned his way past Livramento before finding the bottom corner.
Jakub Kiwior got in on the act with Arsenal’s 19th goal from a set piece this season, nodding in from a Declan Rice corner.
Newcastle grabbed a consolation goal in the final five minutes through former Gunner Joe Willock, whose looping header from Dan Burn’s cross sailed over Raya and dropped in off the inside of the post.
Burn cleared an effort from Emile…
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