Newcastle delivered a significant blow to Arsenal’s title hopes on Saturday, winning 1-0 and allowing Manchester City the opportunity to extend their lead to eight points over the Gunners at the top of the Premier League.
Alexander Isak scored the decisive goal in the 12th minute, heading in a precise cross from Anthony Gordon.
Despite dominating possession, Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm, managing only one shot on target throughout the match.
Mikel Arteta’s side has now garnered just one point from their last three games, causing their title challenge to falter.
Should defending champions City secure a win against Bournemouth later, they will sit eight points clear of Arsenal, while Liverpool, a point behind City, face Brighton at Anfield.
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Arsenal, who have pushed City hard in recent seasons, appeared well-prepared for another title race, but the current gap looks increasingly concerning.
The injury-stricken visitors started brightly, with Leandro Trossard missing an early chance. However, Newcastle quickly found their footing, with Isak heading home after evading Arsenal defenders Gabriel and William Saliba.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka lacked cutting edge but came close with a header that went wide. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall blocked a shot from Mikel Merino on the line after a chaotic corner, highlighting Arsenal’s struggles to match the home side’s intensity.
Arteta made no changes at half-time, but Newcastle nearly doubled their lead early in the second half when David Raya saved a shot from Joe Willock. In a bid to turn the tide, Arteta brought on 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and Oleksandr Zinchenko shortly after the hour mark.
Isak tested Raya again, while Declan Rice wasted a good chance, shooting wide after a strong run into the box. As time wound down, Arsenal made further substitutions, bringing on Ben White and Gabriel Jesus in search of an equalizer.
Despite a late chance for Rice, who headed just wide from a Saka cross in stoppage time, Arsenal failed to convert. The Gunners, still without captain Martin Ødegaard, are reeling from a surprising defeat to Bournemouth and a draw with Liverpool in recent weeks, with challenging matches against Inter Milan in the Champions League and Chelsea on the horizon.
The victory lifts Newcastle to eighth place in the league ahead of the day’s later fixtures.
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