The Gunners have ensured that the Premier League title race will come to an end with a massive victory at St James’ Park.
Arsenal will not give up this Premier League title race without a fight! Many feel this will be the day when Manchester City will win the title without kicking the other four.
But Mikel Arteta’s side didn’t agree to this scenario as they won a spectacular 2-0 win over Newcastle.
It is a victory that guarantees the Gunners at least second place in the table and more importantly, it helps them to remain only one point behind Man City with only 3 matches left (Green Man kicks less than 1 match).
Martin Odegaard was excellent, as was the match against Chelsea in midweek, and it was the Arsenal captain who opened the scoring in the first half with a low shot that sent the ball into the bottom corner from just outside the box.
Both teams then had their chances in a frenetic encounter, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Odegaard all squandering delicious opportunities to extend Arsenal’s lead before the break. Newcastle then had a shot on Alexander Isak’s post before Aaron Ramsdale made a brilliant save to save Fabian Schar’s empty header. It was the crucial moment of the game, as Schar then soon scored at home after a brilliant Martinelli play that sealed Arsenal’s 2-0 win.
In this match, it is Newcastle who are more dominant players. They controlled the ball 54%, launched 12 shots, had an expected goal index of 1.42; 9 corner kicks, 91 attacks and 391 passes.
These figures for Arsenal are only 46% possession, 10 shots with an expected goal index of 1.32; 4 corner kicks, 81 attacks and 343 passes.It is clear that Arsenal gave up the game to the opponent, silently suffered the match and then launched 2 fatal “knife” to finish Newcastle. Even Arsenal players are ready to commit tactical fouls, cheat, buy time or provoke opponents. The Newcastle players had fallen into a trap and were unable to play with the necessary coolness.
It must also be added that the Gunners got lucky quite a few times in this match. Newcastle had two situations when the ball hit the post and once did not receive a penalty after it was thought Kwior had let the ball touch the ball in the penalty area.
The first was in the 2nd minute, Jacob Murphy’s shot hit the post of Ramsdale’s goal. In the 8th minute, center back Kwior let the ball touch his hand in the penalty area, but VAR saved Mikel Arteta’s team. At the beginning of the second half, Isak also once more brought the ball to the Gunner’s vertical post.
The 2-0 victory proves that the Gunners are still not ready to raise the white flag in the context that Man City is at the end of the season full of fatigue with a tight schedule.
Coach Pep Guardiola has certainly looked at this game in the hopes that Arsenal will drop the points. But now he knows his team will have to keep going all the way to the finish line in the title race.
Man City have a difficult trip to Everton at the weekend between the two Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid. Guardiola would love to have the chance to rest some of his stars at Goodison Park, but Arsenal’s win means he is now unable to do so.
