Arsenal Put Newcastle To The Sword In Clinical Win

Arsenal welcomed Newcastle to the Emirates on Saturday on the back of mixed form after a 3-2 loss to Stoke in the EPL and a thumping 4-1 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League in midweek. But in the last 135 minutes of play Arsenal have scored 6 goals and conceded only 1, so looking at that Arsenal are a team in form. However Newcastle have turned their poor start to the season around and look a completely different side, having only lost to in form West Ham in the last 8 games and ending Chelsea’s unbeaten run last week.

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Arsene Wenger started again with Giroud and Welbeck in the same side with Sanchez acting once again at the 3rd attacker in an Arsenal side looking to outscore any opponent. Debuchy also started against his former side after a spell on the sidelines, but at the unfamiliar position of centre-back. Ramsey was ruled out of the match after a slight strain in midweek.

Arsenal started brightly and goal-scoring maestro Per Mertesacker almost opened the scoring, striking the bar from a nicely worked Arsenal corner and a wonderful flicked header.

Some strong defensive work on the halfway line allowed Sanchez to escape down the right hand side, who then floated a wonderful ball in to Giroud who thumped in a wonderful towering header amid some lack Newcastle defending.

Arsenal were then denied a second goal soon after, rather harshly, as Welbeck’s cute finish was ruled out for an earlier collision with the Newcastle right-back. The former United striker then came very close to scoring anyway when Sanchez’s little dinked ball over the defence fell to him, however he struck it just wide.

Arsenal didn’t have to do to much defending during the first half, but could be considered lucky after not conceding a penalty from Welbeck’s clumsy hand ball. Just after, a great double save from Szczesny denied Newcastle the chance to make things level.

Then, with 54 minutes gone birthday boy Cazorla showed exactly what he can do when going forward to make it 2-0. After riding a challenge and staying on his feet the Spanish midfielder finished beautifully to double Arsenal’s lead and cement Arsenal’s position in the match.

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Not long after Olivier Giroud grabbed his second of the match with a beautiful deft finish from 6 yards out, flicking the ball up and against the underside of the bar to give Newcastle third choice keeper Alnwick no chance of keeping it out. Arsenal looked like they could run riot after this.

However Newcastle pegged Arsenal back 10 minutes after with a goal from a set piece, Perez beating all the Arsenal defence to the ball and flicking a lovely header to reduce the deficit. Welbeck’s advanced defending almost lead to another Arsenal goal just after this, but Gibbs’ volley flew just wide of the post.

Just after Oliver Giroud had been taken off Arsenal were awarded a simple chance to add a fourth after Welbeck was bundled over in the box, leaving Santi Cazorla to chip the ball down the middle to round off a wonderful Arsenal performance.

Arsenal back to form?

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