Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United: Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli sink Eddie Howe's side

2 years ago 144
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Gabriel MartinelliGabriel Martinelli scored Arsenal's second just 93 seconds after stepping off the bench

Arsenal eventually broke Newcastle United down to leave Eddie Howe's side bottom of the Premier League without a win.

Howe, in the Magpies dugout for the first time after missing last weekend's 3-3 draw with Brentford because of Covid, set up a team to try to contain Arsenal and eke out a point.

It appeared as if the strategy might be working until Bukayo Saka slotted home from Nuno Tavares' through ball in the second half.

Saka went off injured and his replacement Gabriel Martinelli scored with his second touch, a wonderful volley from Takehiro Tomiyasu's clipped pass over the top.

Both sides had hit the woodwork in an otherwise uninspiring first half.

Jonjo Shelvey's long-range drive was tipped on to the bar by the diving Aaron Ramsdale - and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit a sitter off the post from six yards out.

Arsenal remain fifth in the Premier League, while Newcastle are five points adrift of safety with just over a third of the season gone.

A lot to do for Howe and Newcastle

Newcastle are on their longest ever winless run from the start of a league season. Only one side has ever stayed up in the Premier League after failing to win their opening 13 games - Derby County in 2000-01.

The Magpies know the further adrift they are on 1 January, when they have a chance to spend some of their Saudi owners' money, the harder it will be to attract quality players.

It is unlikely though that Howe will have identified Emirates Stadium as a place to pick up points. The Gunners have won their past 10 home games against Newcastle in all competitions, and have never lost a Premier League home game against the team bottom of the table.

The side he put out looked attacking on paper but on the actual pitch they sat in and tried to frustrate Arsenal.

Shelvey was their main threat when they went forward with five of their nine efforts on goal, including a fine strike tipped on to the crossbar by Ramsdale.

Callum Wilson was isolated up front, with only 13 touches, but he felt he should have had a penalty when he was nudged over by Tavares in the box.

But eventually Arsenal's quality showed when Saka finished off a nice passing move, which also involved himself, Emile Smith Rowe and Tavares.

Martinelli's glorious volley past the onrushing Martin Dubravka - making his first Newcastle appearance of the season - wrapped things up.

Arsenal are back to winning ways now, after last weekend's 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool ended a 10-game unbeaten run.

They should have won by more, with 23 shots - including Aubameyang hitting the upright after Dubravka had parried Smith Rowe's header when a goal looked inevitable.

Next up for Newcastle is the big one on Tuesday, as they host second-from-bottom Norwich City. They will have to do so without captain Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Ritchie, who both picked up their fifth bookings of the season at the Emirates.

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Arsenal

  1. Squad number32Player nameRamsdale

  2. Squad number18Player nameTomiyasu

  3. Squad number4Player nameWhite

  4. Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

  5. Squad number20Player nameNuno Tavares

  6. Squad number7Player nameSaka

  7. Squad number5Player namePartey

  8. Squad number23Player nameSambi Lokonga

  9. Squad number10Player nameSmith Rowe

  10. Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

  11. Squad number14Player nameAubameyang

  1. Squad number9Player nameLacazette

  2. Squad number25Player nameMohamed Elneny

  3. Squad number35Player nameGabriel Martinelli

Newcastle United

  1. Squad number1Player nameDúbravka

  2. Squad number17Player nameKrafth

  3. Squad number6Player nameLascelles

  4. Squad number5Player nameSchär

  5. Squad number11Player nameRitchie

  6. Squad number21Player nameFraser

  7. Squad number8Player nameShelvey

  8. Squad number28Player nameWillock

  9. Squad number10Player nameSaint-Maximin

  10. Squad number9Player nameWilson

  11. Squad number7Player nameJoelinton

  1. Squad number14Player nameHayden

  2. Squad number23Player nameMurphy

  3. Squad number24Player nameAlmirón

Line-ups

Arsenal

Formation 4-4-1-1

  • 32Ramsdale
  • 18Tomiyasu
  • 4White
  • 6Gabriel
  • 20Varela Tavares
  • 7SakaSubstituted forMartinelliat 64'minutes
  • 5ParteySubstituted forElnenyat 85'minutes
  • 23Sambi Lokonga
  • 10Smith Rowe
  • 8Ødegaard
  • 14AubameyangBooked at 76minsSubstituted forLacazetteat 76'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Leno
  • 3Tierney
  • 9Lacazette
  • 15Maitland-Niles
  • 16Holding
  • 19Pépé
  • 25Elneny
  • 30Nketiah
  • 35Martinelli

Newcastle

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Dúbravka
  • 17KrafthBooked at 48mins
  • 6LascellesBooked at 63mins
  • 5Schär
  • 11RitchieBooked at 44minsSubstituted forAlmirónat 67'minutes
  • 21Fraser
  • 8ShelveySubstituted forHaydenat 89'minutes
  • 28Willock
  • 10Saint-Maximin
  • 9Wilson
  • 7JoelintonSubstituted forMurphyat 67'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Clark
  • 12Lewis
  • 14Hayden
  • 16Hendrick
  • 19Manquillo
  • 23Murphy
  • 24Almirón
  • 26Darlow
  • 36S Longstaff

Referee:Stuart Attwell

Attendance:59,886

Live Text

  1. Match ends, Arsenal 2, Newcastle United 0.

  2. Second Half ends, Arsenal 2, Newcastle United 0.

  3. Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Aaron Ramsdale.

  4. Benjamin White (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Foul by Callum Wilson (Newcastle United).

  6. Attempt missed. Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

  7. Substitution, Newcastle United. Isaac Hayden replaces Jonjo Shelvey.

  8. Attempt blocked. Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mohamed Elneny.

  9. Attempt saved. Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Fabian Schär.

  10. Substitution, Arsenal. Mohamed Elneny replaces Thomas Partey.

  11. Attempt saved. Joseph Willock (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Allan Saint-Maximin.

  12. Attempt missed. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Gabriel Martinelli following a fast break.

  13. Attempt blocked. Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jacob Murphy.

  14. Offside, Newcastle United. Ryan Fraser tries a through ball, but Fabian Schär is caught offside.

  15. Substitution, Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette replaces Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

  16. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  17. Foul by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal).

  18. Miguel Almirón (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  19. Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Gabriel Magalhães.

  20. Attempt blocked. Fabian Schär (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

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