ARSENAL 0-0 NEWCASTLE: Meanest defences in EPL prove worth

1. Gunners show grit but miss chance

With Newcastle in fine fettle, Tuesday night’s showdown felt like a real litmus test for Arsenal’s title credentials.

Arsenal didn’t quite blitz past the Magpies early like they did against Brighton a few days previously, but they showed plenty of grit to grind out a result which could still prove pivotal in the title race.

Gary Neville insisted before the match that any talk of Arsenal winning the title before April or May was “premature”. Yes, Manchester City have been irrepressible in recent years, but if they fail to beat Chelsea on Wednesday, then they will still have an eight-point deficit to claw back before May.

Arsenal didn’t fire against Newcastle, but they have looked the business in recent weeks. Can City still usurp them? Maybe: if there was one team you wouldn’t fancy writing off, it would be Manchester City. But one thing that is for certain is that talk of Arsenal winning the title is anything but premature. Arsenal missed an opportunity against Newcastle, but a point is far from a disaster.

2. A cautionary tale

It always felt as though this game was on the brink of boiling over after referee Andy Madley dished out a couple of soft yellow cards in the early stages.

And although nobody saw red before time was out at the Emirates, Madley’s decision to dish out nine bookings did little to benefit either side, who both appeared to be irked by the stop-start nature of the match. Madley and the VAR officials also passed on a couple of dubious looking penalty decisions – Dan Burn’s tug on Gabriel Magalhaes in the penalty area looked a nailed-on spot-kick.

A game that had top billing failed to deliver on the night. Ultimately, Madley has to take a large portion of the blame for that.

3. Defences on top

Arsenal (14) and Newcastle (11) had conceded the fewest goals in Premier League this term before their showdown at the Emirates – and the two leanest defences in the top-flight were very much on top throughout the majority of this unlikely title clash.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have spearheaded Arsenal’s title challenge this term, while Miguel Almiron is amongst the league’s leading marksmen. But the three of them were all stifled superbly during the opening 45 minutes and for the majority of the second period.

Martin Odegaard has also dazzled in recent weeks but failed to influence the game against Newcastle, who harried and hassled Arsenal’s captain at every available opportunity.

Ultimately, Newcastle did a top job in preventing Arsenal’s big guns from firing.

4. Newcastle prove their point

Eddie Howe and Newcastle have their sights set on crashing the Premier League’s top four

Like their hosts, Newcastle had tasted defeat just once this season prior to Tuesday night and have been completely transformed under Eddie Howe.

Unlike Brighton on New Year’s Eve, Newcastle managed to weather the early storm at the Emirates and more than held their own against Arteta’s title contenders. The Magpies were solid and well-drilled to deny Arsenal: the opposite of what they were prior to Howe’s arrival back in November 2021.

This hard-earned point keeps their own top four ambitions alive as they bid to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2002.

The Magpies started 2022 in the bottom three and looked destined for the drop. The progress they have made over the past 12 months has been nothing short of phenomenal. Few would have backed Howe to turn Newcastle into title contenders – there’s no telling where they could be at the start of 2024.

5. Jury out on Nketiah

Nketiah has been tasked with stepping up to keep Arsenal’s title bid alive with Gabriel Jesus sidelined – but the jury is still out on whether the Gunners academy graduate is up to the task.

Mirror-co-uk