Arsenal secured all three points tonight against Newcastle United, with the away side failing to cause us any real problems at the back.
The Gunners were positive throughout, making cutting and confident runs through the middle of the park, and were paid off with the opening goal on the half-hour mark.
Some neat intricate passing had Newcastle on the ropes when Aaron Ramsey slipped the ball into Alexandre Lacazette, but it wasn’t a sublime pass that put us in for the goal, but an unlucky ricochet off the defender which landed back in the path of the Welsh midfielder to slot away.
Our side continued to retain their dominance as the game continued, but our players did not allow the fact that the second goal continued to allude them despite their grasp of the game, and eventually that goal did come.
Aubameyang found Lacazette late into the game to put the game out of reach. The Gabon international, who started the match on the bench, nodded a loose ball forward past the Magpies defence, and the French striker is not one to turn down such chances. He lobs the oncoming Dubravka to put the game out of reach.
Shortly after we had the ball in the net once again, thanks to a dangerous corner being whipped into Laca once again, but it was the hand of the opposing goalkeeper who had the final touch, but the referee ruled the goal out, for a reason I can still not figure out after much deliberation…
We continued to press, and in reality the scoreline should have been 4 or 5 to nil. A very competent performance, and I still think there is room for improvement as we look to cement our place in the Champions League spots.
Unbelievably this is the first time that Bernd Leno has notched back-to-back clean sheets, and hopefully this is still just the beginning for him.
Were Arsenal too good today, or did Newcastle simply have nothing to offer?
Pat J