Arsenal were so close yet so far in
the mid-week where they gave a brave battle against Monaco where it ended 2-0,
one goal short of qualifying to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Few
signs of lethargies and drop in ambition in the second half bothered them in
the second half, however the stubborn backline of the FA Cup holders scrapped
through a 2-1 score-line. Olivier Giroud was once again the difference for
Arsene Wenger as he notched a sublime brace in the first half, eight goals in
the last six matches against Newcastle United, gem finisher! The travelling
fans were greatly hoping to see their star striker hit his first hat-trick for
the club in the second half but they never came close to do so. The north
London club is now with 60 points at third, making a steadfast statement that
they are composed mentally to routinely stamp their ticket to Champions League
football next season.
Despite missing numerous regular
starters such as Fabricio Coloccini and Papiss Cisse, Newcastle United started
vibrantly, the pace of Ayoze Perez and forcefulness of Sissoko grew anxious
moments for the visitors. Arsenal, slowly yet surely picked up their offensive
tempo. Aaron Ramsey came close but lacked an instinctive touch to break the
goalless stalemate. In the 23th minute, Arsenal’s man of the moment struck, the
gloating Giroud. Danny Welbeck deserves immense credit for the opener as his
well-taken header was astutely flicked by the left knee of his attacking
partner. After all the hard-work in the opening minutes, the Magpies downright
divulge their momentum as the Gunners repetitively pilled pressure on their
defense. The home team languished, playing deeper and deeper which got them
punished once again. The towering Frenchman scored in the space of five minutes
once again, using his strong physique, he outmuscled Mike Williamson from the
resulting Santi Cazorla corner, directing an excellent header into the far
corner that had Tim Krul no chance of reaching.
Newcastle United got into the
following half with full swing and they found the back of the net with a superb
finish by their skipper Moussa Sissoko. A tailor-made cross from Cabella fell
precisely for the Frenchman who defeated David Ospina in style. Since then the
Magpies kept pressing for an equalizer, endless surge upfront, Perez being
their main bull. In the 63rd minute, the Colombian goalkeeper made a
marvelous point-blank save from Sissoko’s close range header. Arsene Wenger
recognized the space Newcastle were receiving hence brought on Tomas Rosicky
and Mathieu Flamini, while attacking duo Sanchez plus Cazorla were sacrificed.
Remy Cabella was phenomenal,
endless trickery and sprinting through gaps for through passes. Newcastle
United’s desire and determination deserves a whole lot of applause. Defensive
combatants of Arsenal, Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista had restless
second half, couple of vital interventions and strong aerial clearances. Stoppage
time of four minutes was presented, surprisingly the Gunners used it up to run
down the clock and the match ended 2-1. Completely entertaining encounter where
the home side would be rather wretched after their tireless efforts in the
second half. Arsenal rode their luck with the rumble of fantasy premier league
star-man Olivier Giroud.
