North Londoners left it late to snatch victory on Tyneside
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, praised his team for their impressive performance in a recent match against Newcastle. He highlighted that they reached a “different level” which helped them narrow the gap to the top of the Premier League, where Liverpool is currently leading, down to just two points. Gabriel scored a late goal with a header to secure the win after Arsenal had initially fallen behind to a goal from Nick Woltemade in the first half.
This victory marked Arsenal’s first win at St James’ Park in over two years, as they had previously lost three times in a row there. The win was also timely, taking advantage of Liverpool’s recent loss to Crystal Palace.
Arteta highlighted how crucial this victory was, particularly at the beginning of the season when the Gunners had tough games. He pointed out that they needed to learn from their past experiences at this stadium. Additionally, he mentioned that this match was an important opportunity during a key week for the Premier League, highlighting the team’s ambitions and the style of play they want to achieve.
The team’s confidence and their belief in being able to adjust to different ways of playing, while still getting impressive wins, is really commendable.
“Today, I think this is one of the hardest places to play. I have to give credit to Newcastle for how they play and how competitive they are, because it’s really tough to do well here. Still, the team really stepped up their game, and I feel really proud of that.”
Arteta expressed happiness with how his team played, especially about how they reacted after a tough first half.
Arsenal was behind at first, but before that, they faced the letdown of a penalty being taken away by VAR.
Viktor Gyokeres was fouled in the box after Nick Pope challenged him, but VAR decided that the Newcastle goalie had touched the ball.
“I saw it happen live and then looked at it on the screen, and I think it was a penalty,” Arteta said.
“We have been clearly told this season that unless there is a clear mistake, the referee won’t get involved. That’s how I see it.
“Regardless, we were able to win the game. The team remains calm and composed. This is a lesson we have learned, probably from our past experiences.
