Rice rocket seals Champions League spot for Arsenal
ALL SMILES: Arsenal's Declan Rice celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal. Pic: Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle United
NOBODY BEATS Arsenal four times in one season. Mikel Arteta has broken many club records in his five years as Arsenal manager and avoided adding the unwanted statistic of becoming the first to lose to the same side in four matches in one term.
A second-half Declan Rice goal secured the victory that both confirmed Arsenal’s return to Champions League football next season and all but mathematically guarantee a third successive runners-up finish in the Premier League table.
It was the great late American tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis who explained how he managed to end a career-long run of 16 consecutive defeats by compatriot Jimmy Connors by saying ‘nobody beats Vita Gerulaitis 17 times in a row.’ And Arteta showed what he had learned from the punishing three defeats of this season – including the two-legged League Cup semi-final to score this morale boosting victory that ensures another trophyless season ends on a high.
A first win in their last six matches also went a way to answer the critics, including this reporter, who wrote ‘Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has got Arteta’s number!’ Howe had the better of the first half as Arsenal keeper David Raya ensured the high-energy visitors did not go into the break in front.
Newcastle were missing their injured leading scorer – 27-goal Swede and Arsenal target Alexander Isak – and might have felt they should have been ahead had they been at full strength in front of goal.
Their hopes of scoring improved at the start of the second half when star central defender William Saliba was withdrawn with a groin injury and replaced by the versatile Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori.
And they really needed to get on the scoresheet after Rice fired Arsenal in front on 55 minutes. Anthony Gordon conceded possession with a sloppy pass, Bukayo Saka pounced to feed Odegaard, who rolled a pass to the edge of the area where Rice curled in what is rapidly becoming a trademark, unstoppable curling right foot strike.
An annoyed looking Newcastle boss Howe left it five minutes and signalled to three of his substitutes to get stripped and go on and salvage his afternoon. The instant impact by one, Emil Krafth, was to haul down Gabriel Martinelli and concede a threatening free-kick.
Arsenal fans, who have seen their side throw away the lead ten times this season, seemed confident enough to celebrate without fear of contradiction.
They raised the sound levels further when their leading scorer – the nine-goal German Kai Havertz - came on for the first time since undergoing a hamstring injury at the start of February. There were also sentimental appearances from the bench at the end for departing duo Kieran Tierney and Jorginho.
Tempers boiled over eight minutes into time added on at the end as the rivalry between these two proud clubs ended in a shoving match.
Arsenal: Raya 6, White 6, Saliba 6 (Calafiori 46), Kiwior 6, Lewis-Skelly 6, Partey 6, Rice 8, Odegaard 6 (Jorginho 90), Saka 7, (Havertz 76), Martinelli 7, Trossard 6 (Tierney 88). Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Sterling
Newcastle United: Pope 8, Schar 6, Burn 7, Botman 6 (Krafth 64), Murphy 5 (Miley 63), Tonali 7, Guimaraes 6, Livramento 6, Barnes 6 (Willock 76), Wilson 5 (Osula 64), Gordon 5. Subs: Dubravka, Lascelles, Longstaff, Neave, Ruddy
Ref: S Hooper 6
Att: 60,160
More in this section