Analysis: Arsenal 4-1 Newcastlepublished at 23:09 24 February
23:09 24 February
Steve Sutcliffe BBC Sport journalist
There was an air of inevitability about the outcome of this contest even before Newcastle fell behind courtesy of Sven Botman’s unfortunate own goal.
While the hosts played with intensity and fluency, Eddie Howe’s side looked laboured from the off and were simply too passive against an Arsenal that dominated throughout.
Tino Livramento, featuring out of position at left-back, was given a torrid time by Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka but he was hardly helped by those around him.
Botman and Fabian Schar both allowed Gabriel Martinelli to run across them unchecked before he cut the ball back for Arsenal’s second.
In midfield Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley also struggled to wrestle any control away from the hosts.
And on this evidence the Magpies still have to make up significant ground if they are to compete with the sides near the summit of the table over a sustained period.
'We didn't do the basics right' - Howepublished at 22:36 24 February
22:36 24 February
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, speaking to TNT Sports: "In the first half we weren't ourselves. The second half was much better until the third goal which knocked us.
"Arsenal were very good, we weren't and we got punished. We were off in most aspects of our games, we didn't do the basics right.
"Arsenal put us under pressure and we made technical mistakes. Sometimes you have those spells, you have to weather them, but unfortunately we didn't do that.
"We started the second half really well and chances to get a goal which would have been crucial.
"I need to see it again before I make rash statements - but we were not where we needed to be, whether that was psychological or technical. We just weren't there."
Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle: Key statspublished at 22:05 24 February
22:05 24 February
Arsenal have scored 2 or more goals in their last seven halves of Premier League football, the first team to do so in the competition’s history (second half vs Liverpool, and both halves against West Ham, Burnley and Newcastle).
This was the fourth time Newcastle have conceded 4 or more goals in a Premier League game this season – only in 2021-22 (6) have they done so in more different games across a campaign.
Arsenal have scored more goals from set pieces (19, excluding penalties) and more goals from corners (13) than any other side in the Premier League this season.
Bukayo Saka has scored in his last five Premier League appearances for Arsenal. He’s the first Englishman to do so for the club since Ian Wright (a run of seven between September and November 1994).
Arsenal have become the sixth side to win at least each of their first six Premier League games from the start of a calendar, with each of the last three going on to win the league that season (Manchester City in 2021, Liverpool in 2020, Manchester United in 2009, Blackburn in 1994 and Sheffield Wednesday in 1993).
Arsenal have won all seven games in which Kai Havertz has scored for them in all competitions. Today was the first time he’s both scored and assisted in a Premier League game since December 2022 (vs Bournemouth).
Newcastle failed to have a single shot in the first half of this match, the first time they’ve done so in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since March 2014 (vs Southampton).
Full-time: Arsenal 4-1 Newcastlepublished at 22:04 24 February
22:04 24 February
Arsenal underlined their Premier League title credentials as they recorded their sixth consecutive win with a dominant display against Newcastle.
The result sees Mikel Arteta's side sit two points behind leaders Liverpool and a point behind second-placed Manchester City at the top of the table.
The outcome of this contest appeared inevitable from the moment visiting defender Sven Botman turned the ball in after Gabriel's header from a corner had been well saved by Newcastle goalkeeper Loris Karius.
Kai Havertz swept in a deserved second shortly after, with Gabriel Martinelli making the most of indecision in the Newcastle defence to cut the ball back into the German forward's path.
With Arsenal continuing to press, Bukayo Saka twisted and turned Livramento one way and then another before dispatching a left-foot shot into the bottom left corner add to the hosts' advantage.
Arteta also enjoyed the luxury of being able to take off his captain Martin Odegaard, Havertz and Saka well before full-time after Jakub Kiwior's effort deflected past the helpless Karius from another Declan Rice corner.
Newcastle, who remain eighth in the table, managed a late consolation courtesy of Joe Willock's looping header, but there was little else for the visiting supporters to cheer.
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Arsenal v Newcastle: Sutton's predictionspublished at 14:03 24 February
14:03 24 February
BBC pundit Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.
For this weekend's games, he takes on former England striker Jermain Defoe.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
There was plenty of controversy when these two sides met at St James' Park in November, including fury towards the VAR from Arsenal over Newcastle's winner. That might mean there is an edge to this game, from the start.
Arsenal were disappointing in their defeat by Porto on Wednesday, which surprised me a little, but Porto really disrupted them.
Newcastle may well try to do the same thing but I am expecting the Gunners to bounce back. They were excellent when I watched them beat Burnley last week and the Magpies concede too many goals. including eight in their past three games, so I think Arsenal will find a way through.
'It's not Burn's fault, we're aware of his limitation as a player'published at 12:56 23 February
12:56 23 February
FourFourTwo's Adam Clery believes Dan Burn brings balance to Eddie Howe's Newcastle side, despite calls in recent weeks for him to be left out of the side.
Burn has been targeted by pacy wingers recently and some supporters would favour summer signing Tino Livramento getting more game time.
"Dan Burn is in the team because without him playing on the left side of that back four, you can't let Bruno Guimaraes do what he does in front of that back four, you can't have Kieran Trippier play as high as he does on the right," he told BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport Newcastle United podcast.
"If you bring Tino Livramento in, you lose that ability to move across into a back three which means you can't really allow Bruno to dictate the tempo of the game too much.
"You'd need Trippier to stay a little bit conservative and he has the assist record this season - that doesn't happen without a player like Dan Burn on the other side to counter-balance that.
"Bruno can get on the ball either right in front of the back four or push a little bit further up, that doesn't happen without the ability to move across into a back three.
"Teams absolutely are targeting him but they were doing it last season as well. The reason for that is we're still missing Nick Pope so we're playing much deeper, we haven't got Joe Willock or Joelinton in front so that space is always there for them to get into to target him.
"It's not his fault, we're aware of his limitation as a player, the club are aware of his limitations as a player but the system we have, that gave us our best ever defensive season where he played every game, we're so close to getting back to."