Have you ever seen an end to the season like this? For Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side, it was more stressful than they ever hoped for.
After being sent out of the Champions League by PSG, they have been left to bemoan a run of awful results in the Premier League, putting their hopes of qualifying for a place at Europe’s top table next season in danger.
The 4-0 win over Ipswich Town aside, the Gunners have not picked up all three points in the top-flight since the very first day of April when they defeated Fulham.
So, their 1-0 win over Newcastle United, their top four rivals on Sunday, was rather timely. While Arteta’s side haven’t sewn up second place just yet, they have confirmed their participation in next season’s Champions League.
Behind them, there’s an almighty battle taking shape to finish inside the top five. Thankfully, Arsenal can go to Southampton next weekend with nothing riding on it.
37
19
14
4
71
37
20
6
11
66
37
19
9
9
66
37
19
9
9
66
36
19
8
9
65
37
19
8
10
65
So, who stood out in the new red home strip on Sunday?
How Arsenal beat Newcastle United at the Emirates
When Alexander Isak, William Saliba’s nemesis, was not named on the Newcastle teamsheet due to injury, Arsenal knew they were in for an easier ride.
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Yet, during the first half, they had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them in the game.
This certainly wasn’t a straightforward win, particularly for those at the back who worked tirelessly to preserve the club’s clean sheet.
While Raya’s passing was rather errant inside the opening half, he made up for it with a string of superb saves, the two most notable of which saw him the Spaniard sprawl down low to his left to deny Harvey Barnes and then again to his left to keep out Dan Burn’s header from a corner.
Handed the Player of the Match award by Sky Sports after the game, Raya certainly proved why he’s one of the division’s best stoppers.
That being said, it wasn’t Raya who had the most decisive of says. That was Declan Rice who with a swish effort from outside the box, gave Arsenal the win.
It was a peach of a goal from a man who is only going from strength to strength in the final third. He is the Granit Xhaka replacement everyone at the Emirates hoped they’d find.
Raya and Rice were certainly the best players in Arsenal red and will play a crucial part in rebuilding next season. That said, there are some who won’t be around to see the stadium again as a home player.
The players who featured in their last home game for Arsenal
The raucous reception that Kieran Tierney was given as a late second-half substitute was joyous. The Scot has had an injury-hit time in north London and this was sadly the last we will get to see of him as an Arsenal player at home.
The left-back’s contract is expiring at the conclusion of the campaign and it’s widely expected that he’ll head back to Celtic, the side who sold him for £25m.
Also likely playing their last home game was Jorginho. Another of Arsenal’s out-of-contract stars, it looks as though he’ll be going off to end his playing days in Brazil.
Jorginho’s fellow midfielder in Thomas Partey would also be fortunate to be back at the Emirates next season.
The £45m signing from Atletico Madrid has had his days in the famous red and white but Arsenal need fresh blood, and that was certainly evident against Newcastle.
Partey’s day certainly wasn’t disastrous, but it was a shoddy display nonetheless, with the Standard handing him a 5/10 match rating, writing that he was ‘one of Arsenal’s sloppiest players during a poor first half and he was caught in possession a few times’. Meanwhile, one content creator and podcaster, Le Grove, even suggested it looked like the midfielder “was already on the beach.”
His numbers certainly weren’t the finest either, chiefly losing four of his five battles in the air.
Minutes played
90
Touches
61
Accurate passes
40/49 (82%)
Key passes
1
Long balls completed
4/8
Shots on target
1
Shots off target
0
Dribbles
0
Ground duels won
4/7
Aerial duels won
1/5
Possession lost
11x
Tackles
3
Interceptions
0
The 31-year-old is usually a monster in the duel but his lack of pace and athleticism in the transitional phases of the game is becoming a concern.
He’s quick to get the ball out of his feat but he lacks the drive to get forward and then doesn’t have the speed required to track back if Arsenal get done in the press. He’s the polar opposite to Rice in that regard.
As a result, with Partey’s contract due to expire in a few months, now is surely the time to sever ties with a player who isn’t going to get any better.
There is a reason the club plans to sign Martin Zubimendi this summer. Let him be Rice’s partner next season, please Mikel.
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