Premier League: Arsenal v Newcastle full time report
Arsenal 0 Newcastle 1
Newcastle collected a priceless three points at the Emirates by beating Arsenal.
Andy Carroll scored just a few seconds before half time after Arsenal ‘keeper Lukasz Fabianski came for a ball he was never going to get. The Newcastle No.9 attacked the ball in trademark fashion, and it was a mistake on Fabianski’s part.
Arsenal were unable to break down a resilient Newcastle defence, who have kept up their impressive Premier League run, now unbeaten in the last four.
Arsenal were not their usual selves in the first half, especially at home, and only created a few opportunities. Newcastle began the game well, keeping the ball better than Arsenal and spreading the play over the pitch.
With Newcastle enjoying possession, it was Arsenal who had the first chance of the game. Fabrégas on his return to the team today struck the bar when his free kick deflected off the wall.
The Spaniard was looking the most likely to score for Arsenal, and he came close again when he picked up the pass from Alex Song, spun in the box and got his shot away, which was blocked by the Newcastle defence.
Theo Walcott didn’t show signs of the way he has been playing over the past few weeks. He scored for Arsenal midweek in the Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk and scored twice against Newcastle in the 4-0 Carling Cup win, but he was quiet like most of the Arsenal players were.
Fabrégas once again produced another chance, this time hitting the side-netting, but the outstanding save of the first half came from Newcastle ‘keeper Tim Krul, who denied Samir Nasri with a wonderful save just a few minutes later.
When it seemed that Arsenal were getting into their stride, Newcastle dealt them a massive blow on the stroke of half time. Carroll was unmarked in the box and attacked his header, scoring past the hapless Fabianski. Had he stayed on his line, then it would have been goalless at half time.
Walcott almost got Arsenal on level terms at the start of the second half, getting onto Jack Wilshire’s pass, avoiding his teammate Marouane Chamakh and firing his shot against the bar. Arsenal were playing better, and Song almost found Chamakh after cutting the ball back into the box a few minutes later.
Arsenal signalled their intentions by throwing on Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie, who was making his first appearance since August after being out with an ankle injury.
With more creative players on the field for Arsenal, they almost linked up in the perfect way, but Arshavin was unable to fee the through ball for Walcott, and if had, then Walcott would have had a clear shot on goal.
Carroll was full of confidence, and after he was picked out from a diagonal pass, he decided to have a shot from a long way out, but it didn’t trouble Fabianski. Arsenal meanwhile continued to push forward, and Arshavin weaved his magic on the edge of the box ten minutes from time and picked out Fabrégas with a cross, but the captain’s diving header was straight at the grateful Krul.
Arshavin again created another chance, and his volley went wide after Carroll was dispossessed on outside his own penalty area. Laurent Koscielny saw red for Arsenal late on as he got the wrong side of Nile Ranger.
Arsenal were poor today and lacked the cutting edge, and Newcastle made it tough for the Gunners to break them down.
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