Arsenal vs Newcastle Review
Arsenal clinched the three points necessary for Champions League qualification by defeating Newcastle 1-0 in their final match at the Emirates Stadium this season, marking only their second victory in seven Premier League games. David Raya faced an early challenge when a misplaced pass led to a close-range shot from Bruno Guimarães, which he managed to save. He was certainly the more active goalkeeper in the first half, making a crucial save by tipping Harvey Barnes’ shot past the post and then stopping Dan Burn’s close-range header from a corner taken by Sandro Tonali.
Arsenal’s best opportunity also arose from a corner, where Nick Pope made an impressive save on Thomas Partey’s header after the midfielder connected with Bukayo Saka’s dangerous cross. After a lackluster first half, the Gunners began the second half strongly and took the lead thanks to the returning Declan Rice. He scored with a fantastic first-time shot into the bottom corner after being set up by Martin Ødegaard at the edge of the box. Arsenal created more opportunities, with Saka testing Pope and Ben White’s long-range effort going just wide. However, Arsenal’s recent tendency to relinquish leads nearly came back to haunt them, as Barnes and Joe Willock missed chances from good positions.
Kai Havertz made his return in the final stages, helping the team secure their 12th win in 13 home matches against Newcastle. The Magpies missed the opportunity to become the first team to defeat Arsenal four times in a single season, and now they must wait until the final day to see if they can qualify for the Champions League next season.
