Arsenal snatched a dramatic 2-1 away win against Newcastle United on Sunday to go within two points of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
The first significant incident of the game came when Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope appeared to take out Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres in the 14th minute, with referee Jarred Gillett giving a penalty. However, after a review from the Video Assistant Referee, that decision was overturned. Newcastle then took the lead in the 34th minute when Nick Woltemade rose highest to head a Sandro Tonali cross past David Raya.
They kept their advantage to half-time, then held firm as Arsenal threw attacks at them. Pope did well to save a Jurrien Timber header in the 59th minute, turning the ball around his post. There was a significant blow for Newcastle with a quarter of the game left as Tino Livramento had to be taken off the pitch on a stretcher after picking up an injury.
Then came a double hammerblow for the hosts, as Mikel Merino met a Declan Rice cross in the 84th minute to head past Pope and level the scores before Gabriel nodded home a corner in the sixth minute of added time to give Mikel Arteta’s side the points.
The Athletic’s experts Chris Waugh, Art de Roché and Anantaajith Raghuraman take a look at Sunday’s game.
Gabriel’s redemption arc
What an experience that must have been for Gabriel. The 27-year-old was unquestionably at fault for Newcastle’s opener, falling easily at a light touch from Woltemade, but stood up when it counted most, deep in added time.
The Brazil international needed time to redeem himself for his mistake, as even in the second half, he had a couple of shaky moments. A penalty shout against him was the most notable moment, but an instance when he headed a bouncing ball to Riccardo Calafiori instead of back to the safe hands of Raya was baffling.
Like with Merino’s equaliser, Arsenal did well to change things up at the decisive corner. Instead of Rice floating in an outswinger, which Newcastle easily dealt with earlier, Martin Odegaard’s inswinger was perfect for Gabriel to nod in.
Arsenal won’t want matches like this every week, but they will be thankful they stayed in this one as long as they did.
Art de Roché
Gabriel heads in his late winning goal (George Wood/Getty Images)
Merino offers Arsenal something different
This was a critical time for Merino to score his first Arsenal goal of the season. Despite being on the pitch at the same time as Gyokeres, Odegaard, Rice and Eberechi Eze, it was clear that the substitute was going to be asked to get into the box wherever possible.
Arsenal had not had much success from corners that were crossed in directly. The change in tack to go short and work a different opening was smart from Rice and Eze.
While it was a moment that got Arsenal back into the game, and proved the importance of having different profiles to call upon, they cannot afford to be in drastic situations like this too often this season.
Merino directed his header well though, and showed again that his qualities are better suited to playing further upfield than in the middle of the park.
Art de Roché
Newcastle’s Livramento blow
Defensively, Newcastle have been excellent so far this season. Regardless of which system they have played, or the personnel head coach Eddie Howe has chosen, they have restricted opposition sides to precious little.
Until now, there have been just four ever-presents in Howe’s starting XIs this season. Pope — who kept Newcastle in the match early on today — Tonali, Dan Burn and Livramento. Unfortunately, the latter is likely to now miss time through injury — and the fear has to be that he will be sidelined for quite a while, having landed awkwardly on his knee and then been carried off, clearly recognising the severity of his issue.
The 22-year-old has been magnificent over the past two seasons, whether deployed on the right or the left, and losing him for much of the campaign will be damaging.
Kieran Trippier remains an experienced, top-quality option on the right, and Lewis Hall can regain his starting berth on the left, though the latter was worryingly absent from the squad for this one. The message from inside Newcastle was that his omission was just precautionary, having started back-to-back matches as he steps up his recovery from the broken foot he suffered in March, and that he may return away to Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League on Wednesday, yet there must still be at least some concern.
For Livramento, this feels like a crushing blow. The England international has already had to miss more than a year of his career due to an ACL injury he suffered when still a Southampton player, so with a World Cup next summer, the hope is that the damage is far less serious this time.
Chris Waugh
Why did VAR overturn Gyokeres’ penalty?
The big moment of a scrappy, error-strewn opening half-hour was the penalty call against Newcastle in the 14th minute.
Following a home corner, Gabriel dispossessed Bruno Guimaraes. Arsenal then attacked, with Eze playing a long ball into Bukayo Saka down the middle. Saka was stopped by a combination of Anthony Gordon and Malick Thiaw, with the ball falling to Jacob Murphy, who played a weak backpass towards Pope.
Gyokeres latched onto the pass as Pope rushed out however, and the Newcastle No 1 appeared to bring the Arsenal striker down after he had knocked the ball past him.
Referee Gillett took his time before pointing to the spot. Pope looked fairly resigned to his fate, with not many vocal Newcastle complaints.
When Gillett was in conversation with the VAR Darren England, the official UK broadcast hinted that it was to decide if Pope’s offence was worthy of a dismissal. That changed in seconds to suggestions that Pope may have got a touch of the ball before making contact with Gyokeres, and Gillett was advised to check the pitch-side monitor.
Replays indeed showed that Pope had gotten a toe to the ball.
That was deemed enough to overturn Gillett’s initial call. He announced: “After review, the Newcastle goalkeeper plays the ball, and there is no foul. The final decision is drop ball.”
Saka turned away in disbelief, and the cameras panned to Arteta, who was laughing and clapping sarcastically.
Gillett further explained to Saka: “Before there is any contact, the goalkeeper gets a toe on the ball, that’s why”, a moment that was also caught on the stadium’s speakers.
There was more controversy to come in the 86th minute when Anthony Elanga’s cross hit a sliding Gabriel’s raised arm in the box. Newcastle seemed convinced it was a penalty, but replays showed the ball had ricocheted off the centre-back’s shin before hitting his arm, resulting in no spot kick being given.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Why was Calafiori not allowed to use Pope’s towel?
Calafiori lined up a throw-in during the first half and, in a bid to aid his attempt to launch a long one, started wiping down the ball with a towel so he’d have more grip. However, Gillett ran over and stopped the Italian defender from doing so. He then took the towel and returned it to the area behind Pope’s goal.
Calafiori, it appeared, had taken it from Newcastle’s goalkeeper.
There is no rule in the Premier League handbook about towel usage. However, when asked by The Athletic, a source with knowledge of the rules, speaking on the condition of anonymity, explained that both teams have to agree on them being placed around the pitch pre-match. They also have to be evenly distributed at points along the edge of the playing surface. As a result, moving one from one area of the field to another for use is not allowed.
Luke Bosher
Gillett taking the towel from Calafiori (George Wood/Getty Images)
Woltemade’s ruthless efficiency
A big man for the big moments.
Gordon and that former striker who some on Tyneside will no longer grace with his name (Alexander Isak, for the uninitiated) have been the players Newcastle have most often turned to recently when they have been most in need of goals. Already, summer signing Woltemade appears to be shouldering such responsibility now. Certainly at St James’ Park in Premier League matches, anyway.
He powered in a header which turned out to be the winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month. And once again, he nodded in the opener at the Leazes End of the stadium, this time against Arsenal.
For much of this game’s first 34 minutes, the 23-year-old had been borderline anonymous.
Newcastle were struggling to get bodies in and around Woltemade, who thrives off runners getting beyond him. He had managed only nine touches, none inside the Arsenal penalty area, and completed just four of his six passes.
Woltemade scores his header (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
Then, when under little real pressure but with Woltemade close by, Cristhian Mosquera panicked, horribly misdirecting a backpass out for a corner.
From that set piece, having whipped in every previous dead ball, Tonali opted to go short, playing a pass to Gordon, receiving it back and then curling a delightful in-swinging cross into the box.
Woltemade put his hand on Gabriel, gently nudging the defender forward, who went down easily. Now unmarked, the German could direct a header beyond Raya into the left-hand side of the net. Gabriel claimed for a foul and even shoved Woltemade off the ball soon afterwards, but the goal rightly stood.
While it would not be the winning goal this time, and in fact did not contribute to any points for Newcastle, it was still another sign of just how efficient Woltemade can be.
Despite being 6ft 6in (198cm), he was signed for his proficiency with his feet. Newcastle hoped that, in time, he would become prolific with his head.
So far, it has been the other way round.
Chris Waugh
What did Arteta say?
Asked about the Gyokeres penalty incident, Arteta told reporters: “I watched it live, and then on the screen. For me, it was a penalty. We were instructed very clearly this season that unless it’s a clear and obvious error, the VAR are not going to intervene. It’s not (one of those). That’s my opinion. Thank god we found a way to win the game. The team was still emotionally very calm and composed, and that’s a lesson we probably took from a few years ago.”
When asked if he saw this as a big weekend in the title race with leaders Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all losing on Saturday, Arteta said: “Belief, the conviction of the team that we are and how we can play various types of games, and the team can still deliver and win in a convincing way. It’s one of the most difficult grounds. Praising Newcastle, how they play and compete. But the team took the game to a different level and I’m very proud to see that.”
What next for Newcastle?
Wednesday, October 1: Union Saint-Gilloise (away), Champions League, 5.45pm UK, 12.45pm ET
What next for Arsenal?
Wednesday, October 1: Olympiacos (home), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
(Top photo: Getty Images)
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