This was far from Arsenal at our best and even though Arsene Wenger has made a few changes for the last couple of games, it looked like the busy festive period was making itslef felt in our legs. We managed to survive a few scares from Newcastle United with a few great saves from Petr Cech and then Koscielny popped up with a tap in after a corner.
The performance was not great but the visitors gave it a real go and all that really matters is the result and we now have a decent break to rest and recover and we can do it with the comfort of being on top of the Premier League.
It was not the best of opening 45 minutes from Arsenal, even though we started pretty well and passed the ball around well. But the real fluency and penetration was not really there and that allowed Newcastle United to first settle down and then to grow into the game.
And at halftime it was Arsene Wenger that had the bigger job to do as the visitors had a couple of god chances before the break and perhaps should have been ahead. The Frenchman’s team talk did not seem to have worked though as things were even worse after the restart and but for a great piece of work from Petr Cech to deny Wijnaldum and then a failure from Mitrovic to make proper contact on a cross, Arsenal would have been in big trouble.
The Magpies continued to press though, while we struggled to get into top gear. An in the d that was pretty much the way it went for most of the second half, so you have to say that Arsenal were lucky to take the lead with about 20 minutes to go. It was Koscielny who nipped in to tap the ball home after Giroud headed on after a corner scramble.
We had a few chances to grab a second but one was enough and Arsenal won again.