Newcastle 1 Arsenal 0: More St James' Park concern for Arteta as Willock impresses for the hosts

Arsenal's title bid suffered another setback as they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United on Saturday lunchtime.

Newcastle made the most of a poor first half and took the lead through a header from Alexander Isak – his third goal of the week – which gave David Raya no chance. Arsenal dominated the ball as expected, but only managed 0.23 expected goals (xG) from play in a frustrating opening period that once again highlighted how much the team is missing captain Martin Odegaard.

And the home side continued to frustrate Arsenal after the break as Mikel Arteta's side managed just one shot on target for the second game in a row in the game, despite the introduction of Ethan Nwaneri. Declan Rice missed a golden chance to equalize in stoppage time, capping a frustrating game for Arsenal and a memorable one for Newcastle.

Chris Waugh and Art de Roche analyze some of the game's key moments.

It is still too early to discount Arsenal's title chances

Arsenal have now lost points in three games in a row. Such results affect the title chances, regardless of whether they happen in advance, as in the 2022/23 season, or in the early stages of the season.

Before kick-off at 3pm they are four points ahead of Liverpool and five points behind Manchester City. That gap could widen to seven or eight points in the coming hours, which will make realizing Arsenal's ambitions even more difficult.

(George Wood/Getty Images)

Although there are only 10 games into the 2024-25 season, one only has to look to last year as an example of how different a season can look in the winter compared to the spring. Last season they were five points behind first-placed Liverpool on New Year's Day but still managed to take the title race to the final day.

There's no guarantee it will happen again, but as they are a team that has the quality to challenge, now is not the time to write them off completely.

Art de Roche

Thanks to Eddie Howe for revitalizing Newcastle

Does this result mean a renewed revival in the Premier League for Newcastle? Is Howe's Newcastle back?

Efficient victories over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and Arsenal in the Premier League within four days, with three goals scored and no conceded, certainly portend a brighter end to 2024.

Isak has scored three goals in as many games – and 12 in his last 12 league games with St James – while Gordon continued his remarkable run of success at home, where he has 18 goal involvements in his last 22 top-flight appearances. When these two operate like this, with Guimaraes orchestrating so deftly from midfield and Joelinton at his best running around and applying pressure, then Newcastle are a formidable proposition, especially on Tyneside.

(Stu Forster/Getty Images)

This looks set to be just the start of an upward trend as Newcastle have failed to win any of their last five league games and are still only in eighth place (before Saturday's 3pm kick-off), while their long-term away form is still a poor problem. But in general Newcastle's performances are improving, their targeted high pressing is returning and they are looking far more solid defensively (for the most part).

Fortunately, they have a solid platform to build on and once their attacking play gets going, they should climb the table and challenge for European qualification.

Chris Waugh

Arsenal have a problem keeping clean sheets

Despite an encouraging start, the way Arsenal conceded the opener will be a source of frustration for Mikel Arteta. Jurrien Timber gave Anthony Gordon time to parry a brutal first-time cross and with no one tracking Alexander Isak's run, David Raya was left at the Newcastle striker's mercy.

Alexander Isak gives Newcastle the lead against Arsenal (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

The goal meant Arsenal have not conceded a goal in six Premier League games since a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on September 15, including wins over Leicester City and Southampton last month.

A switch to a 4-4-2 formation has provided solutions in the absence of Martin Odegaard and capitalized on the dynamic between Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz, but there is no doubt that Arsenal are less dominant without their captain – both in possession also outside. With the ball, Arteta's side lacked connective tissue and without it, Newcastle exploited the gaps between midfield and defense through clever use of Joe Willock, Isak and Gordon.

Arsenal kept three clean sheets in the Champions League in a row. However, in the Premier League they have now conceded 11 goals, while Manchester City have conceded nine and Liverpool have conceded five (before kick-off at 3pm). This trend needs to be sorted out if Arsenal are to play a significant role in this season's title race.

Art de Roche

A new role for Joe Willock

Sandro Tonali's absence from Newcastle's starting XI was not universally welcomed.

However, Eddie Howe had a plan. That meant putting Joe Willock and Joelinton on the same side again – they harmonized superbly on the left during the 2022-23 season and on Wednesday night – but in a tailored system. Instead of Joelinton as an outright left-winger and Willock as a No.8 left-winger, the former often operated deeper than the latter, with the Arsenal academy graduate almost used as a No.10 against his former team at times.

This allowed Newcastle to go straight from defense to Joelinton and attempt to win the second balls high. At the same time, it also allowed the home team to play through Arsenal's pressing, which they did well in the first half, with Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff connecting well before putting Willock into the gaps.

(Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

Willock's positioning distracted Arsenal's defenders and often left Anthony Gordon one on one with Jurrien Timber, whom he terrorized by, among other things, setting up Isak's opening goal with a sublime cross. This also happened through a long ball forward from Fabian Schar towards Willock, whose presence forced Thomas Partey inside to get back to Isak before Newcastle played the ball wide to Gordon.

After the break, as Newcastle defended their lead, Willock's running ability on the counter-attack was dangerous, at times even surpassing William Saliba in terms of speed and forcing two shots on goal in the second half.

Whether this is a long-term solution to Newcastle's midfield problem is unclear – it felt more like a unique ploy for Arsenal – but the balance has worked well. It also confirms the theory put forward by some supporters that Newcastle's midfield balance is better ensured with Guimaraes or Tonali than with Guimaraes and Tonali.

In any case, it is refreshing to see Willock returning to his athletic and ball-handling best after more than a year of injury problems.

Chris Waugh

The introduction of Nwaneri and Zinchenko improved Arsenal…slightly

The aforementioned lack of connection was a problem during the first hour at St James' Park. Arteta recognized this and responded by giving Ethan Nwaneri and Oleksandr Zinchenko their longest appearances as substitutes in the Premier League this season – both getting half an hour.

The move moved Thomas Partey into midfield, Timber to right-back and Trossard to the left. Both had moments where their impact was felt, as a passing sequence between Zinchenko, Partey and Rice resulted in a shot being deflected just wide of the goal. Nwaneri played much closer to Saka, making him less isolated.

Still, it was a difficult situation for both to bring about real change. Zinchenko's rustiness was evident in a misstep that led to a Newcastle counterattack, while Nwaneri's understanding of when to move meant he failed to recognize the moment Ben White tried to push him into the background.

The last half hour saw more traditional Arsenal patterns of play, but without the clinical edge. With Inter Milan playing Chelsea away next weekend, one of the more interesting aspects of the coming week could be whether Arteta decides to return to that form.

Art de Roche

What did the managers say?

We will soon bring you the thoughts of Eddie Howe and Mikel Arteta here.

What's next for Newcastle?

Sunday, November 10th: Nottingham Forest (away), Premier League, 2pm UK, 9am ET

What's next for Arsenal?

Wednesday, November 6th: Inter Milan (away), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET

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(Top photo: Getty Images)