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After another campaign that will end without silverware, Mikel Arteta will be thankful for small mercies. Sealing second place in the Premier League for a third successive season is not exactly the scenario that the Arsenal manager would have envisaged for his side’s last home match of the season when they kicked off against Wolves back in August. But at least Arteta had the satisfaction of getting one over Eddie Howe, at the fourth attempt.
Another blockbuster from Declan Rice left Newcastle needing to beat Everton at home next week to ensure they join Arsenal in the Champions League next season. After ending their long wait for silverware by winning the Carabao Cup, Howe will be desperate for Alexander Isak to recover from a groin problem that forced him to miss this game and to put the icing on their season. Other than a goalmouth scramble in stoppage time when tempers threatened to boil over, Arsenal were able to see out victory relatively comfortably despite losing William Saliba to injury at half-time.
Howe admitted frustration that some of his star players have been linked with moves away in the summer despite their undoubted progress this season. But the absence of Isak – who has long been coveted by Arsenal and proved their chief tormentor in the 4-0 aggregate victory over Mikel Arteta’s side in the Carabao Cup semi-final – meant Callum Wilson led the line, as Newcastle stuck to the back three that served them well against Chelsea last weekend.
Arsenal welcomed back Declan Rice after he missed the draw at Liverpool, while Kai Havertz was back on the bench after recovering from hamstring surgery. Their comeback against the champions at Anfield was evidence that his players still knew they had plenty to play for and they certainly seemed up for dishing out a dose of revenge against opponents whom they had failed to score against in four of their last five meetings. Early on Ben White burrowed into the box before he was stopped in his tracks by the lunging Dan Burn.
But during an opening 20 minutes played at a frenetic pace, it was David Raya who was the busier of the two goalkeepers. The Spaniard pulled off a strong save from Bruno Guimarães to redeem himself after surrendering possession to Sandro Tonali and was then required to make a quick readjustment after a Harvey Barnes effort deflected off the heel of Thomas Partey. Raya was back in the thick of it again moments later when he produced a brilliant double save to deny Burn and then Sven Botman from a corner.
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal’s best chance had also come from a set piece, when Nick Pope somehow managed to tip over Partey’s close-range header. That they again lacked creativity in the final third is nothing new after a campaign where they began this game 22 goals down on last season’s total of 88 – five more than Arne Slot’s champions have managed with two games still to play. Martin Ødegaard’s skied shot into the Clock End after a short corner routine summed up the captain’s performances of late.
Saliba’s failure to emerge for the second half was another concern for those of an Arsenal persuasion, as Riccardo Calafiori was summoned from the bench. But the hosts seemed to have found more of their rhythm after the break and Fabian Schär had to block a goal-bound effort from Myles Lewis-Skelly. The breakthrough came when Gordon was robbed by Bukayo Saka in his own half and Ødegaard’s perfectly weighted pass picked out Rice to sweep home from outside the area. It was only his fourth Premier League goal of the season but, after his Champions League heroics against Real Madrid, underlined why the England midfielder has been Arsenal’s outstanding player this season.
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Howe made a triple change and withdrew the ineffective Wilson just after the hour. Yet it was Arsenal who looked more likely to score, giving themselves breathing space, when White arrowed a shot just wide. Havertz’s introduction drew a massive ovation from the home supporters, although hearts were in mouths when another substitute – the Arsenal old boy Joe Willlock – fired over from a great position inside the area at the other end.
Kieran Tierney and Jorginho were given one last last chance to experience the Emirates atmosphere off the bench as they prepare to depart in the summer. Arteta must now somehow find a way of helping his team take the final step.
