Newcastle – Arsenal: What Are You Made Of?

Like anyone affiliated with Arsenal Football Club, last night Mikel Arteta may have had some trouble resting. Maybe Monday Morning Syndrome meant something to him for the first time in his life. It was probably one of those nights that you toss and turn in bed and ask yourself: really?

It has to be this way. We’re not living in an idealistic world of logic, where you get your things packed on time to leave for the airport or complete an assignment with all the time in the world to spare. People, they postpone things.

Thursday’s horror show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the last knock on The Gunners’ door, to remind them that they have a goal to accomplish. A guarantee of Champions League Football was 90 minutes away – if Arsenal had beaten not only their nemesis, but also their most fierce competition for fourth place, they would have gone seven points above them with two games to go, which meant a return to Europe’s premier club competition and a dagger in Spurs fans’ hearts.

Instead, Arsenal melted before the interested parties’ eyes – as somebody said “the game was decided in moments, rather than the flow”. Spurs managed to dismantle their opponent, getting them a man down after going a goal up with a questionable penalty kick, leaving them breathing down Arsenal’s neck, a single point behind them.

They showed courage and character to finish the job. One way or another they beat relegation-threatened Burnley by one goal to jump in front of Arteta’s men and left them trailing by two points with a game in hand.

That game in hand was played on Monday evening, away at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United, who they beat 2-0 at the Emirates to welcome Eddie Howe into his new job. The team they faced was different from last time though, thanks to their active winter transfer window and Howe’s remodelling. The Magpies rank fourth in matches since New Year, producing 1.88 points per game – just 0.02 behind Antonio Conte’s Spurs and 0.06 ahead of Arsenal, who sit in fifth.

This should have messed with Arteta’s head. His preferred centre-back duo raised question marks over their fitness and his favoured and only option to replace them, Rob Holding, out through suspension, due to his red card against Spurs.

Maybe he found some courage in the fact Newcastle United were unable to score in their last seven appearances against them.

Arteta and Arsenal’s physio crew somehow managed to clear both Ben White and Gabriel for this fixture, while Takehiro Tomiyasu, who started on the left at Tottenham after injury, claimed back his post on the right, seeing Nuno Tavares come in at left-back. Emile Smith Rowe coming in for Gabriel Martinelli was the only other change that Arteta made to his squad.

Eddie Howe named long time injury returnee Callum Wilson ahead of Chris Wood and Fabian Schar filled in for Jamaal Lascelles, making two changes to the starting eleven against Manchester City, which they ended up losing 5-0.

Arsenal were expected to attack, create and clinch their opportunities in order to achieve their season’s dream, but they were suppressed by Newcastle United’s high press.

Adopting a 4-3-3 shape, with Bruno Guimaraes, who was a transfer target for Arsenal prior to joining Newcastle, pushing forward and flattening their midfield shape. Newcastle were able to man-mark Arsenal’s midfield. Also matching Arsenal’s backline man-to-man when pressing, Newcastle didn’t allow The Gunners to progress down the pitch. With the balls they won and recoveries they made, they were able to pin Arsenal in their own half, where they won corner after corner. Wilson was caught offside by Gabriel multiple times, but his runs seemed dangerous and ripping through Arsenal’s backline.

Arsenal players were no more than spectators, watching like the rest of us, almost waiting for somebody to come and save the game for them.

The first quarter of the game passed by with Newcastle’s domination. Arteta’s men should have felt lucky, because the opposition were unable to take their chances and game remained a tie.

Arsenal’s solution to Newcastle’s man-to-man press came from Eddie Nketiah. The centre forward was able to show an understanding of the game, even though the reaction was a bit late: he started to make deeper runs, to where he was not followed by Newcastle United’s centre-backs and, because other players were busy with their own duties, the youngster roamed freely. He moved into the channels, offered a passing option to Arsenal’s deeper players, receiving the ball, turning, dribbling and distributing. He was essential on an evening where Martin Odegaard didn’t look completely on his game, due to the close attentions of Joelinton.

Although Nketiah’s activity created some decent openings for Arsenal, they weren’t able to create anything significant and they lost Tomiyasu to a hamstring injury before the half ended, Cedric replacing him.

Arteta may have thought things were going in his favour, although his team needed to step up for the second half. No changes were made by managers, to personnel or tactics, ahead of the following 45 minutes.

Smith Rowe looked ineffective in the first 45 minutes and the beginning of the second half, and was replaced by Martinelli in the 51st minute. The Brazilian injected a lot of energy into the side, the game seeming to turn towards Arsenal, but their will to dominate the game was cut short by a brilliant counter attack.

Nuno Tavares commited his third foul throw of the season in an advanced position in the Magpie’s half of the pitch and Howe’s men made the most of it. First a switch to the left flank, followed by Guimaraes’ brilliant run behind Cedric, catching Arsenal on the break. The Brazilian’s dangerous low ball to Wilson, who has been a pain in the neck for The Gunners, resulted in Ben White putting the ball into his own net, putting Newcastle United one ahead.

At this point, the task at hand seemed difficult enough. Arsenal had won just one of the previous ten upon going behind, only managing to complete a comeback against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arteta tried to inject some offensive force into his side, taking out Nuno Tavares in the 62nd minute and Gabriel in the 73rd to introduce Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé respectively. Howe followed suit with a couple of changes of his own, taking out Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin for the services of Jacob Murphy and Ryan Fraser.

Arsenal struggled throughout the game, unable to form any sort of significant control. The statures of the teams seemed reversed – for long periods of game Newcastle United looked like the side chasing Champions League football and Arsenal the ones trying to improve their standing in mid-table. They paid the ultimate price for their lack of intensity.

Wilson issued a warning for the upcoming second goal, almost recreating Papiss Cissé’s against Chelsea, his half-volley chip missing the target by inches. Not long after, Arsenal couldn’t clear their box after White’s selfless block of Joelinton’s shot and Wilson was once again played inside The Gunners’ box. Aaron Ramsdale left his goal to intervene successfully, but the loos ball was picked up by Bruno Guimaraes, who was able to produce a shot past the Arsenal defenders to push The Magpies 2-0 ahead in the 85th minute.

The remainder of the game only saw Dwight Gayle replacing Wilson in added time, St. James’ Park roaring the loudest to give their Man of the Match a proper walk-off.

Arteta’s winter transfer window strategy to keep a thin squad and not making a move to fill the void that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure left backfired. Arsenal once again seemed to bottle their advantage in the race for Champions League football: their hopes lay in the hands of already-relegated Norwich City, who must beat Spurs while Arsenal win against Everton if The Gunners are going to finish in fourth. A draw against Norwich will be sufficient for Antonio Conte’s side to secure their place ahead of Arsenal, as Tottenham’s goal difference is fifteen goals greater than their rivals’.

The young squad of Mikel Arteta have learned a valuable lesson: finishing off your opponent when you have the chance is essential. They were 11 points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur at one point of the season, but not able to maintain that advantage.

The summer window will be crucial for The Gunners, even if they do somehow secure a Champions League place. Manchester United’s appointment of Erik ten Hag could mean another powerful opponent in the making, while Antonio Conte’s Tottenham are only going to get better with potential signings and the acquisition of Conte’s ideas. Next season will prove much harder for The Gunners to secure Champions League qualification, which would mean Arteta will rue this year’s missed chances to capitalise on his opportunities.

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