Arsenal are back top of the Premier League table (for now) after holding on to beat Newcastle United 1-0 at a nervy Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta named almost the same team as the one which lost at Manchester City last week and watched as they had a similar, nervy start to this match, with William Osula somehow missing the ball completely just seconds into it when he really should have scored.
Then, a series of failed short corners added to the general air of discontent until Eberechi Eze set the touchpaper alight from the third set-piece attempt; his long-range effort found the side netting (the right side of it!) to get Arsenal up and running.
Player ratings from Arsenal’s narrow 1-0 win against Newcastle United in the Premier League
Or perhaps not with the touchpaper. Not much happened in the rest of the first half.
And the action continued to play out in the stands more so than on the pitch throughout the second half, where camera shots captured many an Arsenal fan chewing on their fingernails as their team sat on their lead rather than try boost their goal difference.
They almost got a lifeline when Nick Pope fouled Viktor Gyokeres after he had misjudged his attempt to thwart an Arsenal attack. However, the goalkeeper escaped with just a yellow card and it left the game destined for a hard-fought finish.
It could have ended in tears if Yoane Wissa kept his volleyed strike down in the latter stages but, alas, Arsenal would survive and they just about managed to hold onto their advantage to usurp City in the title race.
Here are the player ratings from a tense afternoon in north London.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
David Raya (GK): 7 – Raya claimed crosses with his usual authority and did well to keep out a Sandro Tonali shot from distance in the first half. Another clean-sheet puts him within touching distance of a third successive Golden Glove, not that THAT is of primary concern.
Ben White (RB): 4 – Still unconvincing from Ben White, even after a bit of a run in the team. He gave up possession quite cheaply before the break and allowed Osula inside him far too easily on another occasion. You sense Arsenal will need Jurrien Timber back ASAP if they are to keep their hopes alive for silverware.
William Saliba (CB): 5 – The Frenchman was caught napping by Osula during that aforementioned early Newcastle attack. It set the tone for his afternoon battle with the Dane, though he offset some of his defensive struggles with an assured effort on the ball.
Gabriel (CB): 6 – His name did not crop up too often, so that is probably a good thing. Arsenal need a little calm and composure if they are to go the distance (things not generally associated with Gabriel) and ‘Big Gabi’ offered it here.
Piero Hincapié (LB): 6 – In a team mostly comprised of nervous wrecks, Piero Hincapié never seemed too flustered. He stuck to his task well up against Jacob Murphy in addition to providing lots of help down the left flank and he made a few nice interceptions.
Midfielders
Declan Rice (CM): 5 – Found it hard to assert himself as Arsenal let their visitors keep possession for large spells. Rice did have one good chance to find the net in the second half but he opted to take an extra touch and lost his opportunity, while he tried manfully to shield his backline from ventures up the pitch by the Newcastle forwards.
Martin Zubimendi (CM): 5 – After his MOTM display in Europe against Sporting CP, it was back to the usual ‘meh’ stuff from Zubimendi on Saturday. There were some encouraging signs but he still failed to give Newcastle much to worry about and was also guilty – like many of his teammates – of a few cheap giveaways.
Martin Odegaard (CM): 6 – The Gunners built from the back better with Odegaard there to facilitate but his work in and around the opposition box proved frustrating – those extra touches and scooped passes rarely work out for him.
Forwards
Eberechi Eze (LW): 8 – His magnificent goal steadied the nerves early on and formed part of a strong, overall performance. That LW spot – bestowed on him after the return of Odegaard – looks like his to lose at the moment and no fan will take issue with that; he is the only one who injects a bit of life into the attack. Again, one hopes the injury withdrawal is not serious
Noni Madueke (RW): 3 – Sorry, but Noni Madueke was probably the worst player on the pitch. From his first touches, to one-on-one situations and his end product, absolutely nothing he tried came off and he even failed to just shield the ball when isolated at the top end of the pitch. Maybe the return of Bukayo Saka will sort out this problem before it costs Arsenal the title.
Kai Havertz (ST): 6 – Havertz lasted just 35 minutes yet he still linked the play well in that time and got an assist for the Eze goal, albeit the goal-scorer did much of the heavy lifting. Fans can only hope that he is not out long-term following his withdrawal through injury.
Substitutes
Viktor Gyokeres (35’ for Havertz): 5/10 – played a lot of the match because of the Havertz injury, but he did not have too much of an impact on it.
Gabriel Martinelli ( 54’ for Eze): 5/10
Bukayo Saka (82’ for Madueke): N/A
Myles Lewis-Skelly (82’ for Zubimendi): N/A
Player of the Match: Eberechi Eze
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