Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle: 4 talking points from Premier League win

Arsenal banished their Anfield demons with three valuable points at home to Newcastle on Saturday as goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli secured a 2-0 win.

It was interesting to see how Eddie Howe would set up his team for this one. Known for a high pressing and front-footed style based around possession, he opted to use a more pragmatic approach in a bid to stifle his opposition.

Newcastle frustrated Arsenal by sticking 11 men behind the ball in a deep low block, one that when turned over possession went straight for the long pass in behind to Callum Wilson. It made for a drab affair, one that the hosts played their part in.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a guilt-edged chance when he struck the post for the Gunners’ best opportunity of the half, an effort that came after Aaron Ramsdale superbly tipped Jonjo Shelvey’s long range effort onto the crossbar.

Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle: 4 talking points a crucial Premier League victory with goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli

An improvement after the break was essential, and that’s what they got.

A quicker, more fluent Arsenal came out in the second half and with the tempo raised they got the goal they sorely craved. Some lovely combination play between Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares and Bukayo Saka finished with the star boy hitting a fierce drive across goal and into the far corner to ease tension in the ground.

Gabriel Martinelli then came on for the injured Saka and made an immediate impact as he latched onto Takehiro Tomiyasu’s clever ball to volley a gorgeous effort past Martin Dubravka with just his second touch.

Mikel Arteta’s side saw the game out from there relatively comfortably to secure three valuable points after last week’s humbling. Nothing short of a win would have sufficed and it’s now full steam ahead to Old Trafford on Thursday for a mouth watering clash with Manchester United.

Here are the talking points.

1. Decision to Play Sambi Lokonga Justified

The argument to take Sambi out of the team and play Ainsley Maitland-Niles off the back of his eight-minute second half against Liverpool was, quite frankly, nonsense.

Arteta decided that the best way for the Belgian to respond to that tough spell at Anfield was to make amends against Newcastle, a wise decision and one that was justified with the midfielder arguably the best player on the pitch.

Still only 21 years old, as the future of this midfield with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka edging closer to 30 and Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny possibly not here beyond the season, giving Sambi as many minutes as possible is how he will develop best.

With Partey less involved and offering nothing especially progressive on the ball, Sambi took charge of the centre of the pitch and played some delightful passes in both halves in an attempt to inject some pace into Arsenal’s play. Creating six chances in the game, that figure is the joint-most of any player in a single Premier League game under Arteta.

His decision making on the ball was excellent and ahead of a trip to Old Trafford this level of performance is precisely what will be needed. A good call from the manager and one he will be pleased he made.

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