Tonight’s the night! Arsenal vs. Newcastle – two powerhouses clashing in what promises to be an intense and thrilling battle. Will the Gunners’ precision outshine the Magpies’ resilience, or will Newcastle rise to the occasion? Get ready for 90 minutes of pure football drama! Let’s go! ⚽🔥
22 min: Nope. Dubravka punches the corner powerfully clear. Lewis-Skelly comes back at Newcastle down the inside-right channel, but overhits his pass upfield for Timber, and the ball sails out for a goal kick.
27 min: … so having published that, the game suddenly gets scrappy.
25 min: Nothing comes from the resulting corner. “As someone who recognises the importance of a good defence, I’ve had a lot of appreciation for Arteta’s work at Arsenal, particularly after the bad old days of Luiz, Mustafi, et al,” begins Russell Eberts. “But there have been times where it feels like the Gunners are locked in a grinding war of attrition with far too few fluid passages of play. Only 20 minutes in, this match could go either way, but it has been nice to watch a more open, end-to-end match so far. Certainly better for the neutral as well, I’m sure.”
24 min: Isak sprays a diagonal pass towards Murphy on the right. Murphy advances and wins a corner, though Isak is livid, having attempted to keep up with the attack only to be cynically dragged back by Trossard. The referee either didn’t spot it or waved play on, who knows. The foul was just outside the area, so VAR can’t take action over what would have been a garden-variety free kick. But that was as brazen as it gets from Trossard.
22 min: Nope. Dubravka punches the corner powerfully clear. Lewis-Skelly comes back at Newcastle down the inside-right channel, but overhits his pass upfield for Timber, and the ball sails out for a goal kick.
21 min: Odegaard and Trossard combine to win Arsenal’s first corner down the right. Odegaard strolls over to take it. Will the hosts have better luck from this side?
20 min: Odegaard rolls a hospital pass out towards Martinelli on the left. Livramento slides in to hook the loose ball away, and does so, but nanoseconds later clatters into Martinelli. Ooyah, oof. Both players felt that. A brief pause as they roll about clutching their shins, but happily it’s just the sting of impact, and both men get back up again quickly enough.
19 min: Raya plays another risky pass out from the back. It’s successful this time, though he’s very nearly closed down by Willock. Newcastle pressing him hard.
17 min: It’s end to end. Tonali pings a long crossfield pass towards Murphy on the left. Murphy’s low cross is intercepted. go up the other end, Trossard crossing to nobody in particular from the right flank. Goal kick. Both teams very much front foot forward.
11 min: Raya’s awful pass out from the back is intercepted by Livramento. Arsenal are very fortunate that Livramento, Murphy and Tonali over-elaborate as they attempt to enter the box down the inside-right channel, and the ball pings out for a goal kick.