Matches at the Emirates are finishing under a pale north London sky, meaning we really are reaching the final knock-ins of this curious Premier League season. And still there are Arsenal, exhausted of all glitz, wounded commandos trying to claw over the line in first place. Can a series of hard-fought 1-0 wins be enough? Relying on Manchester City to falter is a fool's gamble, which is why the home support seemed simultaneously satisfied and unsatisfied with the end result against Newcastle United this evening (Saturday).
A Narrow Victory
Winning was paramount, but the Gunners are in a straight shootout with Pep Guardiola and winning may not be enough. Mikel Arteta, who tactically has appeared more and more cautious as the season has gone on, seemed happy with a 1-0 success, but there were weighty groans when first Martin Odegaard failed to supply Viktor Gyokeres as he rushed forward and later Gyokeres himself blundered when he had the chance to clip a sideways ball to free two Arsenal attackers. Manchester United fans, when in their pomp, scream “attack, attack, attack”, but only on a handful of occasions this season can this spirit be compared with Arsenal. If Arteta is to miss out again, he may reflect on the “handbrake” he was warned about very early in the season when the Gunners lost to Liverpool at Anfield.
Defining Moment
This was not a performance to dazzle, but one to endure, a victory chiselled out of discipline, nerve, and a single stroke of attacking artistry. The game’s defining moment came early. In the 9th minute, a cleverly worked short corner unfurled on the edge of the Newcastle area. The ball reached Eberechi Eze, who arced a first-time strike high beyond Nick Pope and into the far corner. It was a goal of poise and geometry, brief, beautiful, and, as it transpired, decisive.
Of course, racking up goals against Newcastle, who started this season in the Champions League, was never going to be simple. The Magpies seem to hold a special, unexplained grudge towards the Gunners and constructed chances of their own. It would have been punishment for the robotic Arsenal approach if Yohan Wissa had not scooped a late chance over the bar.
Nervy Finish
Arsenal, you feel, need at least a two-goal lead in these run-in games for score difference purposes but also to soothe the shredded nerves felt by their fans. They are suffering through long periods of injury time when a freak deflection or unlucky penalty could kill a nine-month campaign in an instant. The Gunners, to be fair, had valid reason to ask why Nick Pope was not shown a red card after the visitors’ goalkeeper galloped out of his box and felled Gyokeres. That in itself would not have added to the sheet, though. Nor did the return from injury of Saka, who at least showed flashes of purpose after appearing as a second-half substitute.
Champion's Mentality?
Could you place your hand on your heart and say this was the performance of a team meriting the crown of champions? Certainly not. Few can enjoy these taut affairs, which, aside from Eze’s beauty, lack the buccaneering vibe of a crew on an adventure to win the league. At the same time, these supporters would sit through anything right now to finally break the second-place curse which haunts the manager. “It’s so hard to win in this league. We know that,” he said. “That’s why the amount of points in the team that we have now compared to other years is different. The reason is that it’s so competitive, so difficult to do it. We knew at half-time the message was clear. We needed to go and score the second goal. We tried, but when you are not that efficient in certain areas, we have to have other things to win the game.”
