Arsenal surprised everyone by getting an emphatic 2-0 win at St. James Park at the weekend, becoming only the second team after Liverpool to come away with three points from Newcastle, but it was fully deserved revenge after last year’s miserable defeat at the same venue.
Also, in the reverse fixture at the Emirates, Newcastle stole a point from a bore-draw with the ball actually being in play for the least anout of time than any other game in the EPL this season.
So there were a few raised eyebrows after Arsenal’s win, when Eddie Howe accused the Gunners of considerable time-wasting during the game, and it seems many of the Toon players were also very angry at our tactics. Howe told the Northern Echo: “It was frustrating from our perspective. We wanted the ball the play, we wanted to find our rhythm. It was very stop-start.
“That was suiting, of course, the away team. As the home team, you want the ball in play, so it was frustrating in that sense for us, definitely.
“They managed the game well from their perspective. They slowed it down, lots of breaks in play, frustrating for us. Naturally we wanted the ball in play more especially when you are chasing the game.”
But, according to the Asenal legend Martin Keown, Arsenal were simply playing Newcastle at their own game, but doing it better!
Keown was quoted as saying on TalkSport: “I think Newcastle’s game-management has been brilliant, and I actually did an article on it and the number of minutes they have the ball in play. But yeah, Arsenal did play Newcastle at their own game.
“And it was interesting because, without naming names, a lot of those Newcastle players were getting particularly angry because sometimes it takes one to know one. So if you actually waste time, you know what someone else is doing.
“I thought Xhaka was brilliant in everything he did. The game management was so good. You can’t win every game playing beautiful football. Jorginho said himself, the players bought into what they needed to do and they played Newcastle at their own game.”
One thing that this does prove to Arsenal fans is that Mikel Arteta is getting even better at organizing tactics to beat any other team in the Premier league (except Man City so far, obviously!)
Mikel Arteta buzzing after Newcastle United 0-2 Arsenal – Revenge was very sweet..
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Good. It’s about time. When Arsenal transitioned from the Graham style to the Wenger style they lost the ability to cheat properly on the pitch. All the other teams do it (Time wasting, sneaky shirt pulls, holding players in the box, diving, winding people up, etc. etc.), and I’m not saying Arsenal should become a team of cynical cheats, but things that can be classed loosely under “Game Management” have been a weak point for a long time and it’s good to see that side of it being addressed. It’s needed at the very top level for teams that want to win big trophies.
Yep what goes around comes around as they say.Extremely Rich coming from the side that are bottom of the table for actual ball in play due to their antics.Also have the record above for it.quite. some doing s** t housing everyone.Perhaps Howe will start to reconsider his tactics for next season otherwise everyone who visits Newcastle will be at it.
Let the Gunners better their last Newcaste away game in playing. When they play host to European Footbal chasers the Seagulls next Sunday at the Emirates.
But not go complacent in the match to relax because they’ve just last Saturday beaten the Magipies.
For, the Seagulls could also be hard nuts to the Gunners to crack them. Just like the Magipies have proved to them to crack. But were eventually cracked by the Gunners in the game after playing a successful tactical game against them that made their 0-2 match win success looked easy.
Despite Brighto’s last midweek heavy defeat to Everton. Notwithstanding, the Seagulls could be tempted to use their Arsenal game to bounce back immediately to the winning ways. By springing a surprise against the Gunners in the match to claim a win in it or steal a point.
Whichever way it happens, if Brighton does manage to collect any kinds of points in their match against the Aesenal. It will dent Arsenal’s final hopes of still hoping to win the Elite Epl title off Man City the reigning Champions this season.
Therefore, The Gunners should fully prepared themselves to beat the Seagulls in the match next Sunday. And beat them in it unfailingly. So that their hopes to win the League title this season will still remain alive.