Newcastle vs Arsenal: What we learnt from the Gunners' victory
Arsenal made it three wins in succession, thanks to goals from Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil, which gave the Gunners a 2-1 win away at Newcastle. Here are a few things we learned from the game:
Xhaka's best performance of the season
The much-maligned Swiss international midfielder hardly put a foot wrong in the game, especially after he scored that sumptuous free kick. The goal definitely galvanized him and he looked stronger and more assertive from the moment he put the ball in the back of the net.
Even Xhaka himself knew he was having a good game. He hardly lost the ball in the middle of the park, something he usually does. This was simply because he kept it simple by not taking too many touches before making a pass. Granit Xhaka needs to continue in the same vein if he hopes to be looked upon with favour by Unai Emery and the Arsenal faithful.
The gradual rise of Sokratis Papastathopoulous
The Greek international defender has not been entirely convincing in his first few games for Arsenal. However, Sokratis impressed on Saturday as he made a handful of key interceptions. In the first half especially, he made a vital interception. Jacob Murphy had a two-yard head start on the Greek, but Sokratis got back and timed his tackle perfectly. Another crunching challenge was laid on Matt Richie, who was unfortunate to be caught in the eye by the Greek defender.
Hector Bellerin showing signs of improvement
The Spaniard made the PFA team of the year in the 2015/16 season after a very impressive season with the Gunners. This caught the eye of Spanish giants, Barcelona, but Arsenal resisted and tied Bellerin to a long-term contract that will keep him at the club till 2022. However, he seemed to have retrogressed and was showing signs that he was lacking in confidence for the past three seasons.
Under Unai Emery, fans were hoping that he would improve as the manager has a knack for getting the best out of his players. The first few games hadn't really worked out for Bellerin, however, it must be said that he was quite impressive against Newcastle, making some last-ditch interceptions, especially in the first half. He seems to have learnt his lessons from the Chelsea game and is showing some good signs of improvement.
Lucas Torreira should be a starter
The Uruguayan was brought on in the second half in place of teen sensation Matteo Guendouzi, and this introduction by Emery changed the game in favour of the Gunners.
Torreira was much more positive going forward and it was his pass into the danger area that provoked the challenge on Aubameyang which eventually won Arsenal a free kick that Xhaka converted. He was always looking to play more forward passes than Guendouzi. His inclusion could actually help Arsenal win more games.