Nick Woltemade
Arsenal narrow the gap on leaders with stunning comeback win over Newcastle
In a dramatic and highly charged encounter at St James’ Park, Arsenal staged a sensational late turnaround, scoring two headed goals in the final minutes to snatch a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United. The win sees the Gunners move to within two points of league leaders Liverpool, who suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
Arsenal, the Premier League runners-up for the past three seasons, started with intent in the sixth round of the league on Sunday. They appeared to have earned an early breakthrough when referee Jarred Gillett awarded a penalty for Nick Pope’s challenge on Viktor Gyokeres. But after a lengthy VAR review, the decision was controversially overturned, leaving the visiting camp furious.
Despite that setback, Mikel Arteta’s men continued to press forward, with Leandro Trossard striking the post and Eberechi Eze forcing two fine saves from the inspired Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope.
However, it was the home side who broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when record signing Nick Woltemade rose to head in Sandro Tonali’s cross from the left.
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That goal looked like it would be enough for the Magpies as they clung on deep into the second half. But Arteta’s men refused to relent. With six minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Mikel Merino flicked in a precise cross from Declan Rice to level the score.
The equalizer ignited a fresh wave of belief for the visitors, who piled more pressure on the Newcastle backline. Deep into stoppage time, their persistence paid off.
In the sixth minute of added time, Gabriel Magalhães rose highest to meet a right-wing corner from Martin Ødegaard, heading home the winner and sparking wild celebrations among the players and traveling fans.
The victory lifts Arsenal back into second place in the Premier League standings. Crucially, it also ensured the north Londoners closed the gap at the top following Liverpool’s shock defeat at Crystal Palace a night earlier.
The Gunners now have 13 points from six games, comprising four wins and a draw. Liverpool currently sit atop the table with 15 points from the same number of matches. For Newcastle, the defeat leaves them in 15th place with only six points.
Both teams will now turn their attention to European competition. Arsenal return to Champions League action with a home tie against Olympiakos, while Newcastle travel to face Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday night.
2 months ago