Arsenal 1 Newcastle 0: Watch Rice score beauty to all-but seal second for Gunners and dent Toon’s Champions League hopes
AN Emirates afternoon where both sides dreamed of having Alexander Isak at their disposal.
For Newcastle, a groin injury robbed Eddie Howe of starting his beloved No.9 in North London – and it ultimately cost them, setting up a tense final-day Champions League shoot out.
And for Arsenal, Swedish superstar Isak is a striker they would love to prise away from Tyneside this summer – if they are prepared to break the bank for him with an offer in excess of £100m.
There is a hefty transfer kitty to play with, especially after Declan Rice’s 55th-minute long-range stunner guaranteed the Gunners a third-successive top two Prem spot, as well as a place in Europe’s elite competition next term.
Striker Kai Havertz came on in the 76th minute to end his three-month injury exile after hamstring surgery, but boss Mikel Arteta knows he is not the answer. Isak would be, albeit one who will not let go cheaply nor quietly.
And there is a reason for that: he is a world class goal-getter at the very highest level, and he would have surely put away the numerous chances the Toon had to see off Arsenal in a dominant first-half display.
The nerves will now be jangling this weekend in a top-five race that promises to provide non-stop shocks, twists and turns.
For Newcastle, they just need to beat Everton to return to the continental promised – but it could, and perhaps should, have been so much more comfortable.
Callum Wilson stepped up to start up top for just his third match of a campaign dogged by hamstring issues, and only his second Prem start – the last coming in February.
As for Arsenal, the presence of Havertz on the bench was a relief – if not too little too late – while Leandro Trossard led the line with Mikel Merino suspended.
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Doing a job on Arsenal has been a trademark of Newcastle’s last few seasons. This term is no different, beating them three times with an aggregate scoreline of 5-0 before this one.
They were in the mood to make it a salt-in-the-wounds quadruple against a team they simply love to hate and love to beat.
Arsenal looked leggy and lethargic, and Newcastle were making them run, and forcing David Raya into a number of top stops. Without the Spaniard, the hosts would have been a few goals down inside the opening 20 minutes, and that is being kind.
Raya’s poor pass out the back into no-man’s land was plucked by Sandro Tonali and Wilson was picked out before back-heeling into the path of Bruno Guimaraes in the box.
The Brazilian did not catch it with his usual smoothness but still troubled Raya with some stinging palms. Myles Lewis-Skelly scrambled clear in the six-yard box.
Howe had opted for a three-man defence in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg clash against Arsenal back in February and it worked a treat, winning 2-0 at St James’ Park.
The same trick, same outcome, but one that was enforced with injuries to Kieran Trippier and Lewis Hall while Sven Botman was able to shake off a knee injury scare.
Arteta’s boys were struggling to contain the lightning counter attacks. Forget the Red Arrows – the Black Magpies were frenzied and relentless.
Tino Livramento combined with Anthony Gordon down the left and the full-back tested the reflexes of Raya once more.
Fearing another painful day at the hands of the Toon, Arsenal attempted to shock themselves into life. Trossard dropped his shoulder on Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes and let fly with a deflected effort.
From the resulting corner, a routine from the Nicolas Jover playbook brought out the best of Nick Pope, his gigantic right arm denying Thomas Partey a near-post header.
But this is a proper Newcastle team Howe has put together, and they no longer crumble on the road when the going gets tough, even if their last Prem away win was on April 7.
Barnes glided through a non-existent Arsenal midfield and watched his low effort nick off Partey’s heel and then Raya’s fingertips just wide. Howe put his hands to his face.
Frustrations grew with every missed chance, and a missed opportunity to really stick the knife into a below-par Gunners.
Raya came to the rescue again with a magnificent double save with his hands and feet. Six-foot monsters Dan Burn and then Botman thought they had nicked one.
Arsenal needed a half-time revving up. What they did not need was a defensive shake-up. William Saliba remained in the dressing room with Riccardo Calafiori coming on in his place.
The Italian left-back’s presence alongside second-choice Jakub Kiwior in central defence could have been a recipe for disaster, albeit a tasty one for Newcastle’s front line.
It felt like a mismatch all over the pitch at times. Guimaraes and Tonali were swarming all over Partey and Rice. Gordon was giving Ben White a real tough afternoon.
Instead, Howe’s boys faded after the break, even with Arsenal there for the taking. Regardless, Howe will be livid with Rice’s beauty of a curled effort into the far corner.
Gordon will be receiving a right rollocking in the analysis room. It was the England winger’s dawdling on the ball that invited Bukayo Saka to snatch possession and feed Martin Odegaard down the right.
From there, it looked like a training ground move. The cut-back and then the finish.
Howe had limited options off the bench, reacting by bringing on 21-year-old William Osula for Wilson, while another sub Emil Krafth was booked within seconds of coming on for hauling down Martinelli – a foul that had Arteta sprinting up the touchline.
Of course, this would not be an Arsenal vs Newcastle match without some late drama – a VAR check following some fisty-cups in the box following a Toon onslaught.
But Arsenal’s job is now done. Newcastle have one more mountain to climb.