Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle: Player ratings from another dominant win

Arsenal showcased their Premier League title aspirations by clinching their sixth consecutive victory in a commanding performance against Newcastle.

The Gunners find themselves just two points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, trailing only one point behind the second-placed Manchester City in the current standings.

The outcome of the match seemed inevitable from the moment Sven Botman inadvertently turned in the ball following Gabriel's header from a corner. Despite a touch of misfortune for the Dutch defender, who found himself in the path of his Newcastle teammate Tino Livramento's attempted clearance, Arsenal's dominance was hardly a stroke of luck.

Throughout the game, Arsenal's relentless intensity and seamless passing dissected Eddie Howe's side, particularly exploiting the left flank manned by Livramento and Botman, who endured challenging evenings. Kai Havertz capitalised on defensive indecision, sweeping in a well-deserved second goal after Gabriel Martinelli cleverly cut the ball back into the path of the German forward.

The Gunners' relentless pressure continued, and Bukayo Saka further extended their lead by deftly maneuvering past Livramento before dispatching a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner.

Mikel Arteta had the luxury of substituting his captain Martin Odegaard, Havertz, and Saka well before the final whistle. The icing on the cake came when Jakub Kiwior's effort deflected past the helpless Loris Karius following another corner from Declan Rice. Arsenal's comprehensive victory solidifies their position as genuine contenders for the Premier League title this season.

Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle: Player ratings from Gunners' dominant win

Here are the player ratings.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK) - 6/10 - David Raya may be the one player that has got the easiest of jobs in the Premier League. But that is being unfair to the Spaniard because he does his job superbly until he does not. He was largely untroubled and could not have done anything with Joe Willock’s consolation goal.

Ben White (RB) - 7/10 - Ben White is doing the Oleksandr Zincheko’s job in the team, inverting into midfield and suffocating Newcastle. He may not be as good as his Ukrainian counterpart technically, but he is as good and effective in the role. 

William Saliba (CB) - 7/10 - The Frenchman continues to be solid for Arsenal in defense. Throughout the first half, Newcastle may have been poor, but it was largely because Arsenal were that good. He got about his business as usual and defended well when needed. It’s a shame he couldn’t claim a clean sheet.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) - 7.5/10 - William Saliba may have grabbed the headlines early in the season, but the Brazilian has wrestled with his partner defensively and also added attacking returns to his belt. Gabriel continues to be a threat on set pieces and against Newcastle, it was his header that opened the scoring with Sven Botman getting a own-goal from his well-time header.

Jakub Kiwior (LB) - 7.5/10 - Kiwior has grown into this Arsenal side with solid performances in the absence of Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu. It is going to be cruel if Arteta decides to drop Kiwior when others are back to full fitness. He looks good defensively and got a goal to his name against Newcastle.

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