Keeping hopes alive : Picture by @YTJourno
So, another relaxing, angst-free afternoon at the Emirates then.
Martin Odegaard's collapse on the ground at full time summed it up. All around the Gunners captain, red shirts seemed overcome by the nervous energy of it all and dropped to the ground in exhaustion and relief.
This is proving to be a terrible watch. A recipe for heart failure and misplaced hope if ever there was one.
The Gunners, for the record, reclaim top spot from Man City, who have a game in hand to make up the three points which once again separate the sides. Unfortunately the Pep Guardiola juggernaut is in full swing now - they came back from a goal down just up the road in their FA CUp semi-final at Wembley and suddenly seem incapable of doing anything but win.
For Arsenal, this was a first league win since the late, late win over Everton which, at the time, seemed to have signalled a title heading their may, but as we know, much has changed since then. They needed a win so badly. Nothing else would have done.
And in between the Atletico Madrid two legs in the Champions League semi-final, they must do it all again against Fulham. That will probably be no less fraught than this one. Comfortable wins seem out of the question right now.
What Arsenal did learn today is that short corners can work too.
Their launched kicks into the six yard box yielded plenty of dividends in the first part of the season - with Gabriel usually on the end of them. But the returns have diminished of late. This time, a variation through short flag kicks paid off.
A ball rolled out to Kai Havertz was helped on to the edge of the area for a lurking Eberechi Eze and the midfielder guided a beauty into the top corner across and beyond Nick Pope.
That early breakthrough was never going to be the end of the story, though. Newcastle were not playing like a team with a wretched recent record and Sandro Tonali almost levelled matters with a swerving and dipping shot that deceived David Raya - who just about managed to adjust his dive in time.
The Gunners lost Havertz to injury after only half an hour and were once again pinning hopes on Viktor Gyokeres, his replacement. They also lost the man who scored the goal and who was making Arsenal tick - Eze taking a knock which saw him depart before the hour.
Nothing has been straight forward in this very unmerry month of April.
Arsenal had few chances to ease the stress with a second goal. The game was one long grind with the Geordies simply not as bad as home fans were praying for. Gyokeres looked like he might take advantage of a slip by Pope who raced out of goal, but the keeper brought down the striker - escaping with a yellow card when it might have been red.
Then there were scares. Inevitably when there's only one goal in it. Two subs combined for the Magpies to nearly make it 1-1 - Nick Woltemade lifting a ball up for Yoane Wissa to volley just over.
There was renewed hope in the shape of a returning Bukayo Saka though - on as a late sub, and immediately offering an extra dimension. He made the visitors look more vulnerable than Noni Madueke had been able to. Playing against a tiring defence probably had something to do with that.
But the second goal that would have eased the pressure did not come and everyone of red and white persuasion was made to suffer right through to the end of seven added minutes.
**Gunners:** (4-3-3) Raya - White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie - Odegaard, Zubimendi (Lewis-Skelly 80), Rice - Madueke (Saka 80), Havertz (Gyokeres 34), Eze (Martinelli 53)
**Magpies:** (4-3-3) Pope - Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Burn - Bruno Guimaraes (Woltemade 76), Tonali, Ramsey - Jacob Murphy (Barnes 66), Osula (Wissa 66), Willock (Elanga 86)