Arsenal tops Newcastle, VAR denies Wolves
ARSENAL’S club-record signing Nicolas Pepe watched as PierreEmerick Aubameyang scored to give his team a 1-0 win at Newcastle United in its English Premier League opener yesterday.
Aubameyang, who had been threatening intermittently in a game of few chances, finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he stopped Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ cross with his first touch and dinked it past Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka with his next.
Pepe, who joined from French side Lille for 72 million pounds (US$87.5 million) on August 1, was given a warm welcome from Arsenal fans when he made his debut in the 71st.
Spain midfielder Dani Ceballos was similarly welcomed in the 64th.
Newcastle made the better start in Steve Bruce’s first EPL game in charge of his hometown club, albeit without creating a glut of goal chances. Club-record signing Joelinton went close with a header in the 17th minute of his debut. Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron was booked for a dive shortly afterward, before Jonjo Shelvey had two efforts blocked and Joelinton another shot saved.
At the other end, Aubameyang, twice flagged offside already, finally stayed on to take Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s through ball and draw a smart save.
Aubameyang was denied early in the second half after a fine ball forward from Granit Xhaka, but there was little the goalkeeper could do to stop the Gabon forward grabbing the winner.
There was a buzz of excitement around St James’ Park when Allan Saint-Maximin came on in the 67th for his Newcastle debut. The French forward, given the No. 10, immediately whipped in a dangerous cross, deflected out for a corner.
In the day’s other early match, Wolverhampton Wanderers had a goal by Leander Dendoncker ruled out by the video assistant referee in an entertaining 0-0 draw against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Wolves thought they had scored six minutes into the second half when Dendoncker blasted in from close range but VAR deemed that the midfielder had headed the ball onto teammate Willy Boly’s arm off a corner before taking the shot.
That was shortly after Raul Jimenez produced the game’s first shot on target but Wolves failed to get the breakthrough as the Mexico striker’s rightfooted effort was easily dealt with by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo said that VAR, which is making a debut in the EPL this season, had the potential to “ruin the game” for some fans.
“I haven’t seen the images but I trust them. If they saw it, what can we do? Things that weren’t (that way) before shouldn’t be now. We have such a nice Premier League, such a product, we cannot lose that,” he told the BBC.
“It’s what fans come for, to celebrate, not celebrate a no goal — that’s not the real celebration of football. It’s not good for the atmosphere of football. The Leicester fans were celebrating the no goal, that’s not the mindset of the game.”
“What I’m concerned about is, let’s not ruin the game.”
Chelsea was playing at Manchester United in the day’s late and highlight match.
(Agencies)