NEW DELHI:
Arsenal
cruised to a convincing 4-1 victory over
Newcastle
at the
Emirates Stadium
on Saturday, reigniting their
Premier League
title ambitions.
Mikel Arteta
's side showcased their free-scoring form, bouncing back from a midweek
Champions League
setback to secure their sixth consecutive league win and close the gap on league leaders
Liverpool
to just two points.
The Gunners wasted no time in asserting their dominance as they found the net four times, with their relentless pressure yielding fruitful results. Aided by their proficiency from set-pieces, Arsenal forced an own goal from Sven Botman early on before goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Jakub Kiwior sealed the deal for the home side.
Reflecting on the commanding performance, Arteta expressed his satisfaction, stating, "We continued in the same way, we maintained our rhythm and it was a joy to watch the team play. The boys were really good, really aggressive and we deserved to win the game."
With their sights set on clinching their first league title in two decades, Arsenal's red-hot form has propelled them to third place in the table, just one point behind second-placed Manchester City.
The intriguing title race, now 12 games away from conclusion, promises an exciting finish as Arsenal aim to avoid a repeat of last season's late stumble.
On the other hand, Newcastle's hopes of securing European football next season suffered a setback with the defeat. Eddie Howe's side, outclassed by Arsenal, remain in eighth place, distant from the top four and having conceded 23 goals in their last eight league outings.
"We were off in most aspects of our game. We didn't do the basics right," lamented Howe. "Sometimes away from home you have those spells in the game and you have to weather the storm. Unfortunately we didn't do that and we conceded some bad goals."
Arsenal's lethal threat from set-pieces was on full display, with Gabriel Magalhaes' powerful header leading to the opener, while the visitors struggled to contain the home side's attacking onslaught.
As Arsenal's celebration continued into the night, Newcastle managed a late consolation goal through former Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock. However, it did little to dampen Arsenal's spirits as they sent a resounding message to their title rivals - they are ready to challenge till the end.
(With inputs from AFP)
English (US) ·