By the end of the match the Gunners were hanging on, but managed to secure a vital three points.
For the first twenty minutes the Gunners started to gain the upper hand, but then the floodgates opened and Arsenal surged ahead.
Olivier Giroud deflected a Welbeck header into the net. Welbeck and Alexis would then miss chances in the next two minutes, but Giroud would score off a corner to make it 2-0.
Arsenal could have added more, but sloppy finishing and a seeming lack of interest kept the score the same at halftime.
All would change in the second half. Suddenly Arsenal took the foot off the pedal and Newcastle started to play.
Sissoko scored and suddenly Newcastle came to life. They outhustled Arsenal and won most duels and created chances.
Ospina made a number of saves, although only Sissoko’s point blank back header was really dangerous.
Arsenal’s defence held, but it looked close to breaking. Arsenal created only one decent chance in the whole half, a Welbeck shot from a tight angle that Krul saved.
Arsenal were lucky that Mike Jones was the referee and not Anthony Taylor or Phil Dowd, who would’ve awarded Newcastle a penalty or two (the Chamber’s handball and the flops by various players).
Player Ratings:
Ospina 7. Looked a little shaky on a couple of crosses, but made fine saves off Sissoko and Ayoze.
Chambers 5. Great going forward, but a liability at the back. Was beaten a number of times, the worst being Gutierrez’s nutmeg between his legs. Wenger had to bring on Bellerin at the end to shore up this area.
Gabriel 7. Good game from Gabriel, who had his hands full, but was solid most of the day. Did make some wayward passes.
Koscielny 8. Our rock at the back. He made a number of vital interventions to keep Newcastle at bay.
Monreal 6. He had a tough day at the office. He was beaten a number of times and wasn’t as effective going forward.
Coquelin 7. A great first half, a tough second half, although he started to do better after his nose started bleeding. Strong tackles and interventions in the first half, but some sloppy giveaways in the second half, plus failed to follow his man who ended up assisting on the goal.
Cazorla 6. A good first half. He rounded the keeper but couldn’t get a shot away. He assisted on the second goal as well. In the second half he looked tired and he limped around a little. Was substituted.
Ramsey 7. Worked hard, had a few chances, and played decent defence.
Welbeck 6. Frustrating day. He could’ve had three goals, but his control largely let him down. He gets into sensational positions but he cannot finish them off. Worked hard defensively and showed his pace on a fine break in the second half.
Giroud 8. Two goals, continuing his fine form as of late. He worked hard, but was more isolated in the second half.
Sanchez 6. Looked very dangerous in the first half and had several half chances. He faded in the second half and looked tired. Was substituted.
Substitutes:
Rosicky 6. Did a decent job of stabilizing the ship. Made a nice through pass to Bellerin near the end.
Flamini 5. Awful outing for Flamini. He gave the ball away on his first touch and then made a number of questionable and awkward passes.
Bellerin 7. A short cameo, but made a couple of decent runs up the wing, one resulting in Krul cutting out a pass intended for Giroud.