Match ends, Arsenal 4, Newcastle United 1.
ArsenalArsenal4NewcastleNewcastle United1
- Arsenal score four for second straight game
- Gunners two points behind Man Utd
- Newcastle suffer second defeat in four games
- Magpies stay seventh in table
Arsenal put their recent Premier League troubles behind them to move to within two points of the Premier League's top four after an easy win over Newcastle.
Olivier Giroud headed the Gunners ahead from Alexis Sanchez's cross and Santi Cazorla's cute finish made it 2-0.
Giroud added his second with a clever close-range finish, and Ayoze Perez gave Newcastle hope with a header.
Cazorla completed an emphatic win with a penalty after Paul Dummett's foul on Danny Welbeck.
Chants of "there's only one Arsene Wenger" rang out at Emirates Stadium towards the end of a dominant Arsenal display.
That must have been music to the Frenchman's ears after the Gunners boss was verbally abused by supporters last weekend.
Newcastle had arrived in north London buoyed by their victory over Chelsea.
Yet Alan Pardew's side struggled to hit the heights that they reached in ending the Premier League leaders' unbeaten start to the campaign.
Arsenal dominated the opening half and should have led by more than Giroud's 16th-minute header.
Per Mertesacker had already been denied by the crossbar, the Germany defender's back header from a Cazorla corner cannoning off the woodwork, before Giroud struck.
| Former Newcastle defender John Anderson on BBC Radio Newcastle: |
|---|
| "Arsenal were the better side throughout the game, and Newcastle didn't create a great deal. Once Arsenal went 3-0 up the confidence soared. You felt after Newcastle got one back, if they got another one quickly the game could change, but this has been a tough evening for them. They had a go, but the Arsenal goalkeeper wasn't really tested." |
Newcastle's marking was non existent as they failed to pick up the France international's run from Sanchez's excellent delivery, Giroud planting a powerful header beyond Jak Alnwick from 12-yards out.
Arsenal were much improved from the side that lost 3-2 at Stoke City last weekend, Wenger's side showing hunger and desire, ingredients that were badly missing in the Potteries.
Danny Welbeck thought he had doubled the lead with an 18th-minute chipped finish but his effort was ruled out for a foul on Daryl Janmaat, a harsh decision judging by television replays.
Welbeck was unfortunate with an ambitious 32nd minute volley that flashed narrowly wide of Alnwick's post.
Newcastle were fortunate not to have Cheick Tiote red carded for a horrible early challenge after catching Sanchez in the stomach, referee Lee Mason missing the incident.
Chances were few and far between for the visitors, although it required a smart double save from Wojciech Szczesny to deny Mike Williamson and Papiss Cisse after Jack Colback's 35th-minute free kick caused panic.
It was an important moment, Arsenal extending their lead when Cazorla skipped over Fabricio Coloccini before beating Alnwick with a cute 55th-minute finish.
The Gunners went 3-0 up four minutes later as Giroud produced an exquisite piece of skill to beat Alnwick with the outside of his foot.
Perez gave Newcastle hope with a stooping header from Colback's free-kick, but Cazorla cemented an impressive home display from the spot after Welbeck was felled by Dummett.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "We can score goals and we showed that again.
"Overall it was a dynamic game where defensively - despite the fact that we were depleted at the back - we were quite solid.
"Going forward we always looked dangerous. In the end we won in a convincing way.
"We scored four goals and that was needed. The response was strong after the Stoke City game and let's go well over Christmas."
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew: "I still felt, even at 3-1, that the game was in the balance. If we could have scored the second goal we had half a chance.
"Arsenal came out flying and had a really good purple patch and we were hanging on. We weren't as efficient with the ball as we have been.
"A lot of the credit has to go to Arsenal, they didn't give us a lot of time and they were quick. We grew into the game a little bit and had a chance to equalise that we should have taken."
Line-ups
Arsenal
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Szczesny
- 39BellerinBooked at 37mins
- 2Debuchy
- 4Mertesacker
- 3Gibbs
- 20Flamini
- 15Oxlade-ChamberlainBooked at 57minsSubstituted forMaitland-Nilesat 90+1'minutes
- 17SánchezSubstituted forCoquelinat 87'minutes
- 19Cazorla
- 23Welbeck
- 12GiroudSubstituted forPodolskiat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Podolski
- 22Sanogo
- 26Martinez
- 28Campbell
- 34Coquelin
- 37Ajayi
- 70Maitland-Niles
Newcastle
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Alnwick
- 22JanmaatBooked at 82mins
- 6Williamson
- 2Coloccini
- 36Dummett
- 24TiotéBooked at 59mins
- 14Colback
- 17PérezSubstituted forArmstrongat 82'minutes
- 28AmeobiSubstituted forCabellaat 56'minutes
- 11Gouffran
- 9CisséSubstituted forRiviereat 56'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Anita
- 19Haidara
- 20Cabella
- 23Vuckic
- 29Riviere
- 32Armstrong
- 41Woodman
- Referee:
- Lee Mason
- Attendance:
- 59,949
Match Stats
Home TeamArsenalAway TeamNewcastle
- Possession
- Home51%
- Away49%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away4
- Corners
- Home9
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal 4, Newcastle United 1.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jack Colback (Newcastle United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Rémy Cabella.
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Attempt saved. Emmanuel Rivière (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Adam Armstrong.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Attempt missed. Lukas Podolski (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Santiago Cazorla.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 4, Newcastle United 1. Santiago Cazorla (Arsenal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
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Penalty Arsenal. Danny Welbeck draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Paul Dummett (Newcastle United) after a foul in the penalty area.
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Foul by Lukas Podolski (Arsenal).
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Daryl Janmaat (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Francis Coquelin replaces Alexis Sánchez.
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Attempt missed. Cheick Tioté (Newcastle United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
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Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Héctor Bellerín.
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Dangerous play by Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).
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Jack Colback (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United).
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. Adam Armstrong replaces Ayoze Pérez.
Booking
Daryl Janmaat (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card.
