Pain in the Arsenal
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How Arsenal’s midfield inspired Gunners to victory over Newcastle

By Mitch Peotter

TOPSHOT - Arsenal's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka and Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard (R) celebrates their team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on May 7, 2023. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Arsenal's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka and Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard (R) celebrates their team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on May 7, 2023. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Joelinton, Bruno Guimarães, and Joe Willock have been vital cogs in Newcastle’s success this season.

Eddie Howe’s side have been fantastic, losing only one match at St. James Park in 2022/23. Arsenal changed that on Sunday with Mikel Arteta selecting the same midfield three he did against Chelsea, with those three players being vital to the Gunners’ success against the team in third.

How Arsenal’s midfield inspired them to victory over Newcastle

Jorginho produced a controlled performance in the middle of the park. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
Jorginho produced a controlled performance in the middle of the park. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /

Arteta was forced into making changes to the team after the loss to Manchester City, one of which was bringing Jorginho in against his former club last Tuesday in the dominant 3-1 win over Chelsea. The Italian played great in that match, and he retained his place in the manager’s XI as a result. It was a risk, with Newcastle’s midfield having the capacity to overwhelm, but that risk paid off with Arsenal controlling the match in a much different way than we’ve seen from them this season.

When Newcastle wanted to play fast and strike quickly, the visitors slowed the match down, not wasting time to crawl to the end of the match, but to shift the power to their own. That power fully shifted in the 14th minute when Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard shocked the Geordies with a strike into the bottom corner. From there on out, the Gunners controlled the match’s tempo and emotions, which came from Arteta’s emotional fulcrum, Granit Xhaka.

It wasn’t too long ago when supporters would be scared of Xhaka’s emotions running high in matches, but the veteran was controlled this time around and the Newcastle players became putty in his hands.

Arsenal’s emotions rose to the occasion while Newcastle’s likely ran too high as Arsenal continued to control.

Everything the Gunners did ran through Jorginho, he controlled the pace of play and Arsenal’s possession bringing the match to the team in red’s hands. A true man-of-the-match performance from the former Chelsea man, but the midfield as a whole won this match for the Gunners.

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