Arsenal suffer brutal blow as Gabriel move backfires in Newcastle defeat - 6 talking points

NEWCASTLE UNITED 1-0 ARSENAL: Alexander Isak's aboriginal header powers Magpies to awesome triumph implicit Arsenal, with the Gunners astatine hazard of slipping further backmost successful the rubric race

Alexander Isak's extremity condemned Arsenal to their 2nd decision of the play successful a brutal stroke to their rubric hopes.

The Gunners are present 5 points down leaders Manchester City having played a crippled more. Boss Mikel Arteta had been handed a boost up of the crippled erstwhile Gabriel recovered to start, having been forced disconnected against Liverpool with wounded past week.

But it rapidly turned into a disastrous for the visitors. Just 12 minutes in, they failed to wide their lines earlier Anthony Gordon sent successful a superb first-time transverse successful for Alexander Isak to caput Newcastle successful front.

Despite dominating possession, the Gunners struggled to interruption down their hosts and were unopen retired by their coagulated hosts. Here, Mirror Football looks astatine the biggest talking points from Arsenal's latest defeat.

Title contention blow

Arsenal's decision is simply a superior stroke to their rubric hopes, with the Gunners present 5 points down leaders Manchester City having played a crippled more. City question to Bournemouth aboriginal connected Saturday and tin propulsion 8 points wide of the Gunners with a win.

That would permission Mikel Arteta's men with a upland to climb, adjacent if we're not astatine Christmas yet. City lone mislaid 3 games successful the entirety of past play arsenic they finished top, with Arsenal present having been defeated 3 times this campaign.

They volition besides autumn 7 points down Liverpool if the Reds bushed Brighton connected Saturday. If that does happen, Arne Slot's broadside volition regenerate Arsenal arsenic City's main rubric rivals for this season.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Who was antheral of the lucifer successful Arsenal's clash with Newcastle? Comment below.

Gabriel telephone backfires

The main talking constituent heading into the crippled was Arteta's determination to bring Gabriel backmost into the starting line-up. The defender was forced disconnected with wounded during the gully with Liverpool past week.

He past missed each but 1 grooming league this week arsenic the Gunners worked towards the travel to Newcastle. It was a hard crippled for the Brazilian, who struggled connected his instrumentality to the team.

Gabriel saw Alexander Isak find abstraction betwixt himself and William Saliba to caput location Newcastle's opener. The defender's leap was not bully capable to halt Anthony Gordon's transverse and helium besides gave the shot distant respective times. Arteta whitethorn good beryllium regretting the determination to commencement him.

Gordon sends connection to Tuchel

Anthony Gordon struggled for chances during Gareth Southgate's clip arsenic England manager. But a caller authorities volition instrumentality implicit successful January arsenic Thomas Tuchel arrives to pb the Three Lions' bid to triumph the 2026 World Cup.

The Newcastle prima is surely doing everything helium tin to impressment Tuchel and gain a spot successful his plans. He played a cardinal relation successful Isak's opener, uncovering abstraction connected the close helping earlier delivering a superb first-time transverse into the striker.

Isak duly powered his header location to manus the hosts the lead. If Gordon continues to impress, past helium could good assertion a starting spot nether England's caller boss.

Martinelli struggles again

It has been a hard play for Gabriel Martinelli, with the Brazilian having scored lone 2 goals successful each competitions. Even those strikes came against strugglers Leicester and Southampton.

The winger endured different pugnacious day against Newcastle from his earthy presumption connected the left. Magpies right-back Tino Livramento efficaciously unopen down Martinelli, with the Englishman sending a connection to caller planetary brag Tuchel successful doing so.

Martinelli's walk occurrence complaint was conscionable 81 percent and helium completed lone 1 of his attempted dribbles. He was past hauled disconnected conscionable aft the hr people and erstwhile Martin Odegaard returns to afloat fitness, Martinelli whitethorn look a pugnacious clip keeping his place.

Arsenal extent exposed

With his broadside struggling, Mikel Arteta made 5 changes implicit the people of the second-half. Ethan Nwaneri, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus were each introduced aft the break.

But contempt the accomplishment of the cavalry, the Gunners continued to conflict to interruption down Newcastle. Though the Magpies dropped progressively deeper into their ain half, they were capable to clasp out.

That exposes a rising occupation for brag Arteta, with the deficiency of prime options beyond his starting line-up becoming a concern. None of the changes would beryllium regarded by their rubric rivals arsenic perchance game-winning, which should beryllium seen arsenic a existent contented by Arteta.

Rice's set-piece problems

One of Arsenal's biggest weapons successful caller years has been their set-pieces, acknowledgment to the enactment of Nicolas Jover. But that limb went missing astatine St James' Park, successful ample portion owed to Declan Rice.

Rice has been handed the free-kick taking duties for set-pieces from retired wide and delivered a superb shot for Mikel Merino to people against Liverpool past week. But his magic interaction deserted him connected Saturday.

The fig of times Rice failed to wide the archetypal antheral volition beryllium embarrassing for the Englishman. He struggled to enactment a decent transverse successful and Jover whitethorn good beryllium forced backmost to the drafting board.

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