Arsenal’s progress a year on from their last visit to Newcastle tells a story

Newcastle United 0 Arsenal 2    
Premier League   
Sunday 7th May 2023 4.30pm

I checked back on my entry the morning after Monday 16th May last year and it wasn’t pretty reading. I questioned the wisdom of already having given Mikel Arteta a contract extension when he (without the distraction of European football) had looked almost certain to fail to get Arsenal back into the Champions League and wrote of the defeat at St James’s Park – a game the visitors had to win – “That Newcastle all too easily bullied their opponents is a damning indictment on Arsenal in 2022. For all the technique – which looks wonderful when it comes off – there is not enough steel.” I questioned whether Martin Odegaard could produce when the heat of the battle became intense.

 

Well, 12 months is certainly a long time in football. Mikel Arteta might fall agonisingly short of winning the title, but the progress made since Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat is remarkable. The team have 81 points from 35 matches. After the corresponding fixture last season it was 66 from 37.

 

There is little question that yesterday they had to defeat a Newcastle team that had previously only lost once at home this season – to Liverpool – and had hit a good run of scoring form. As it is, Manchester City have to drop five points from four matches. That’s unlikely enough, but all the Gunners can do is apply the pressure they can now by taking maximum points from their final five games of the campaign. If they finish with 90 points it would be a remarkable tally, and testament to the rebuild Arteta was given the time to do. So praise to the club’s decision makers for continuing with the “project”, long after this observer had given up. Critically, there is still room for improvement in obvious areas – not least squad depth – but Rome wasn’t built in a day and the club do not have the funds that some others do to secure players, by fair means or foul.

 

Just to recap the team from May last year, it was Ramsdale – Tomiyasu, White (Cedric), Gabriel (Pepe), Tavares (Lacazette) – Elneny, Odegaard, Xhaka – Saka, Nketiah, Smith Rowe (Martinelli). The Gunners concluded the game with a back three of Cedric, White and Xhaka, as Arteta went threw caution to the wind in the 73rd minute with his side one goal behind. Worse though was the lack of ability to contest on a physical level.

 

Fast forward to 2023 and although six of the starters and one of the subs began this match, the performance was like chalk and cheese. Arsenal competed. At times they rode their luck – no argument there – but they would have had no chance of victory without being far more determined and motivated in terms of their will to win than their previous visit. In mitigation, on that occasion, injuries and suspensions had weakened the side. But even so, they were outmuscled, which given the prize of Champions League football was up for grabs felt like a real kick in the teeth for the support that had travelled up on a Monday evening for the game. The club gave a free drink voucher 12 months ago to the hardy souls who made the trip, no need for such sweeteners this time. Mind you the 14 flights of stairs to the upper tier of the Leazes Stand don’t get any easier – no wonder the queue for the lift was so long.

 

The team selection saw Martinelli return in place of Leandro Trossard. Jorginho and Kiwior kept their places after both playing well against Chelsea in midweek. The home support had more to get buoyed up about than last season, which is credit to the work Eddie Howe has done. It’s interesting that the club have not splashed funds on big name players, in spite of the potential funds at their disposal. There is every chance they might finish in the top four if they can hold off one of Liverpool and Manchester United, and since Howe’s arrival, Newcastle away is a difficult match for any visiting team.

 

The opening minutes confirmed that, with the home side going very close to scoring, with the ball cannoning off the post just after a minute had been played. A few minutes later, things looked grim when a penalty for handball against Kiwior was awarded. It must be said that the Polish defender has done well since coming in for Rob Holding, and fortunately, he was cute enough to actually avoid his arm touching the ball in blocking the shot, which led to the decision being overturned with a VAR review. It was a moment that proved pivotal in this match, although of course there have been some clangers that denied the Gunners points earlier in the season. When a title is decided by a small margin, luck can play a major role. 

 

Still level, Arsenal came into the game more and it wasn’t long before they fashioned an excellent goal by Martin Odegaard, who it seems cannot stop scoring lately. It was a quality low drive into the right hand corner of the goal. Both sides had very decent chances to add to the scores before the interval. Martinelli, Saka and Odegaard had clear sight of goal but were foiled by good keeping, and Ramsdale was kept busy in his goal, and ultimately was his team’s best player for his contribution to the victory against a Newcastle side that had notched up 13 goals in their last three outings.

 

People watching on TV were messaging me saying what a great game this was for the neutral, but it just felt like tension at the stadium, although that didn’t stop the away support backing their team loudly throughout. With the home support equally vociferous – a contrast to the days under Mike Ashley when the enthusiasm had been drained – it was a real cauldron and the players responded on both sides. It was a very competitive match – scrappy at times as a consequence - and Arsenal did not shrivel. It was interesting to see Aaron Ramsdale take far more long goal kicks than he normally does under Arteta-ball. Perhaps that first goal in the Southampton game provided a lesson. You can be too predictable. Yes, a punted goal kick has more of a random element, but if the players are prepared, then with enough desire, they can win the second ball. The Gunners worked very hard for this win. The season could have gone very flat after the defeat at the Etihad, but in the last two matches, Arteta has lifted his team and they are set to finish the season strongly. 

 

Yes, we can talk about the lost points, but were they to win their three remaining games, they’d have 90 points – that’s the same as the Invincibles. You really cannot quibble with that. If they finish as runners up with that number of points, then ultimately, the home game v Manchester City becomes the key decider. Win that and Arsenal would be champions. 

 

They ensured they kept up the pressure on City with their second half performance, Newcastle hitting the post once again (although Martinelli also hit the woodwork), and it was good to see Arteta take the decision to bring Kieran Tierney on after an hour for Zinchenko. The team needed the greater defensive solidity the Scot provides, even if he cannot play the inverted full back role naturally. Mind you, with less playing it out from the back, this was less of a requirement. Jorginho, Xhaka and Odegaard made enough movement to give options for shorter passes in the Gunners’ own half. Ramsey continued to prevent an equaliser before the margin was doubled. Martinelli put a low cross in front of the goal which was deflected in by Schar. Behind him was an Arsenal player waiting to finish the move, so he had to try and clear it. 

 

Arsenal had been two goals up in away games against Liverpool and West Ham but this time held onto their advantage. Partey and Trossard came on for Jorginho and Martinelli after 80 minutes and there were also late runouts for Nketiah and Nelson. It certainly wasn’t the type of game for Fabio Vieira. The players had to secure a win at a difficult place to do so, showing a mixture of skill and fight. It was something they had patently failed to do in May 2022, leading to Europa League competition this season, as opposed to Champions League. However, lessons were learned from the 2021-22 campaign and even in recent matches, you can see changes are still being made to improve the team’s chances of winning. 

 

Three games to go for Arsenal. Yesterday felt like it would be harder than those that followed, but of course Brighton have history at the Emirates, and Forest will be playing for their survival in the division. Let’s see if Arteta’s men can beat them both and maybe there might just be something riding on the final game of a memorable season when Wolves visit North London in just under three weeks’ time.

 

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