Arsenal kickstarted their 2019/20 Premier League campaign on a positive note as they edged out Newcastle United 1-0 at St. James’ Park.
The hosts raised some eyebrows in the first-half with their solid organisation and excellent first line of press, courtesy of Joelinton and Miguel Almiron. They held back Arsenal’s attacking forays for the most part as both sides were scoreless at the end of the first half. Henrikh Mkhitaryan had the best chance but Arsenal, as a whole, did well to turn on the screws after the restart.
The Gunners looked more threating going forward, though the Magpies still did well to retain their organisation and shape. But, a hideous mistake from Fabian Schar allowed Ainsley Maitland-Niles the opportunity to serve up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang just before the hour mark. It was the only goal of the game, which shaped into more of a cat and mouse chase afterwards.
Here is how the Arsenal players fared in their impressive away win against Newcastle this afternoon.
Bernd Leno 6/10
Didn’t have anything substantial to do as Newcastle mustered only two shots on goal, one of which was a tame effort from Allan Saint-Maximum during the closing stages of the game. A quiet afternoon for the German.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles 8.5/10
Showed a brilliant piece of anticipation and pace to intercept Schar’s weak pass towards Jetro Willems. His cross to feed Aubameyang was also quite accurate. But aside from that, the youngster worked hard and was a good fit at right wing-back.
Calum Chambers 7/10
Complemented Sokratis at the heart of the Arsenal backline. He wasn’t particularly extraordinary or even effective, especially when dealing with Joelinton. But, he deserves some credit for helping Arsenal retain their clean sheet.
Sokratis 7/10
Showcased a poor piece of defending during Newcastle’s last set-piece of the game, in what easily could have led to the equaliser. The Greek international needs to work a bit more on his passing if he is to thrive in the build-up.
Nacho Monreal 6.5/10
Wasn’t effective with his offensive forays down the flanks as usual. It was just about a decent performance from the Spaniard to keep out the threat of his compatriot Javier Manquillo.
Matteo Guendouzi 8.5/10
Won the ball on many occasions. His aggression and tenacity helped Arsenal compete with the Newcastle midfield unit consisting of talented individuals like Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden. His tally of three successful tackles was bettered only by Sokratis in the Arsenal team.
Granit Xhaka 8/10
Augmented the midfield with his swift passing and domineering presence at the base of Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1. The Swiss international threaded more passes than anyone else on the pitch.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan 6.5/10
Deceived the opposition at times with his clever cutbacks and smart drop of the shoulders. Also found his teammates on numerous occasions with beautiful through balls, especially the one to free Aubameyang through in the first half. Made way for Gabriel Martinelli later in the game. Needs to stop giving away the ball so much though.
Joe Willock 7/10
Showed glimpses of what he can, especially during the first phase of the game. Looked comfortable in possession and combined well with the likes of Nelson and Maitland-Niles. He was replaced just after the hour mark, however.
Reiss Nelson 7.5/10
A promising display from the Englishman, who displayed his pace and technical quality to create problems for the Newcastle defence. He notably completed three dribbles and two crosses. The ideal replacement for Alex Iwobi?
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 8/10
Missed a few opportunities early on but took his chance with aplomb when Schar made a terrible defensive error to gift Arsenal the winner. The Gabonese international’s poaching skills will surely be useful for Arsenal this season.
SUBSTITUTES
Dani Ceballos 6/10
Came on for Willock in the 64th minute. Initially made a slow start to the game but started receiving more of the ball as Newcastle tried to sprint forward in search of an equaliser. Nothing special from the Spaniard, though.
Nicolas Pepe N/A
Made his highly anticipated Premier League debut for Arsenal, replacing Nelson in the 58th minute. He showed his pace and trickery on the left flank and moved into central areas, at times, allowing Aubameyang to operate in a free-flowing role in the final third.
Gabriel Martinelli N/A
An 84th-minute replacement for Mkhitaryan. Had very little time to make an impact, however.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
