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3 standout players from Arsenal’s defeat against Newcastle
The invincible dream is over. Arsenal were handed their first Premier League defeat of the season at the hands of Newcastle, leaving Tottenham Hotspur as the only undefeated side in the division.
A raucous St. James’ Park crowd set the stage for an extremely intense battle that was littered with potential red card offences, end-to-end football, and only one goal.
Kai Havertz could have been sent off for a hefty, flying challenge on Sean Longstaff. Bruno Guimarães could have been dismissed for about five different offences, including a forearm to the back of Jorginho’s head.
Anthony Gordon scored the only goal of the afternoon, a scrappy finish from two yards out. It was almost ruled out for three different reasons but the goal stood and Mikel Arteta’s men could not find an equaliser.
🗣️| Ian Wright: “I totally agree with all the managers who, through the VAR and decisions, are losing games.
— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) November 6, 2023
“You’ve heard [Mikel Arteta] say there that there’s too much at stake. There’s too much at stake for these managers and players, what they work on week in week out, for… pic.twitter.com/cwWqEuswR0
It was a real blow for the Gunners’ title chances this season. Victory against Manchester City thankfully means that we’re only three points off Pep Guardiola’s team, but results need to improve to stay in the race.
It was an extremely physical match with many big challenges and constant running. There were no shocking performances in an Arsenal shirt but the attack was particularly disappointing, creating no clear-cut opportunities.
3 standout Players from the first Premier League defeat
Here are the three Premier League players who stood out from Arsenal’s first Premier League defeat of the season.
1. William Saliba
Saliba is the best defender in the world, he was just showing off at this point 🔥🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/7dJSa7JWbd
— S👻 (@scrapytweets) November 6, 2023
Saliba was incredible. At several points, it seemed that he was toying around with Newcastle players, knocking the ball over their heads, juggling and performing tricks and flicks.
In defence, he was hardly troubled once. Comfortable in the air, comfortable jockeying his opponent and comfortable with the ball, Saliba is a different class of player.
He has such an aura, both on and off the pitch. It is staggering to think that he is only 22 years old. The contract extension which keeps him at the Emirates until 2027 is more important than any transfer could be.
Gabriel Magalhães also had a good game, although he was arguably at fault for the goal, but Saliba is just a level above his Brazilian teammate. The Frenchman is the real deal.
Continued on the next slide…