Arsenal resisted Newcastle (2-0) at the end of an intense meeting rich in opportunities, this Sunday, May 7 during the shock of the 35th day of the English championship. This success allows the Gunners to stay in the race for the title and to lie in ambush in the event of a misstep by Manchester City in the final stretch.
Arsenal remains in the rearview mirror of Manchester City. It was a shock to win not to be left behind in the final sprint towards the title and the Gunners did not tremble against Newcastle (2-0), this Sunday May 7 during the summit of the 35th day between these two teams currently on the Premier League podium.
The Magpies started the match with a bang with a huge opportunity from Jacob Murphy from the start (2nd), who found Aaron Ramsdale’s left post. Newcastle players camped outside the Gunners box in the opening minutes, pressing hard on their opponents. After a strike from Bruno Guimarães repelled by defender Jakub Kiwior, Newcastle believed they had obtained a penalty which could have started their meeting, before it was canceled by the referee after video verification (10th).
On the verge of being knocked out moments before, it was ultimately Arsenal who struck first in this encounter. On their first big chance, the Gunners opened the scoring thanks to their captain Martin Ødegaard, who had already scored twice against Chelsea on May 2 and who repeated a shot in the side net (14th, 0-1) . His teammates then did not go far from worsening the score, but Martinelli (20th) and Saka (24th) each lost their duel against Nick Pope.
The Gunners goalkeeper then stood out against Joseph Willock (27th) and Callum Wilson (29th), while Newcastle put pressure on the opposing cage to get the equalizer. But the London camp, united and diligent, did not give in and even granted themselves a new opportunity with a strike from Ødegaard repelled by the goalkeeper (45th + 7).
Imperial Aaron Ramsdale in his cage
Back on the pitch, Newcastle re-enlisted by making a start to the second act identical to their start to the match. This time, it was Alexander Isak who stumbled on the post of the London goalkeeper with a header from close range (48th). In the process, Fabian Schär took over a powerful ball with his head, well repelled with a firm hand by Aaron Ramsdale, omnipresent in his cage (49th). The Gunners returned blow for blow to their opponents with a curling strike from Gabriel Martinelli which crashed into the crossbar of Nick Pope (52nd).
The chances continued to follow between the two formations, with a shot from Willock just in front of the opposing goal which was taken over in extremis by the excellent return of Granit Xhaka (58th). But it was once again the Londoners who found the fault, after a solitary breakthrough by Martinelli on the left wing concluded by a strike repelled in his own goal by the unfortunate Schär (71st, 0-2). The Magpies, lacking in efficiency despite numerous dangerous occasions, then struggled to approach the opposing surface in the last quarter of an hour. The Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin, who came into play at the end of the game, could have reduced the gap in added time but he also stumbled against the London goalkeeper, impassable throughout the match (90th + 2).
With this success obtained at the end of a very balanced meeting between two playing teams, Arsenal maintains the suspense in the race for the title and returns to a point clear of leaders Manchester City, who have their destiny in their hands and also have a match. less than Londoners. For its part, Newcastle could give up its 3rd place in the standings to Manchester United in the event of success against West Ham and get closer to an exit from the top 4, synonymous with qualification for the Champions League.