We had to turn draws into wins: Arteta
London: Arsenal picked up just their seventh Premier League victory of the season with a confidence-boosting 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle at Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The Gunners have been the division’s draw specialists this campaign having been held 13 times and it looked to be going the same way after a goalless first half.
But the hosts sprung into action immediately after the restart with Eddie Nketiah’s no-look strike from Nicolas Pepe’s cutback clipping the top of the crossbar.
Mikel Arteta’s side broke the deadlock on 54 minutes through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s well-placed header and Pepe doubled the lead just three minutes later with a neat, first-time finish.
Mesut Ozil poked in a third late on from substitute Alexandre Lacazette’s pass and the Frenchman converted a fourth in injury-time. Newcastle attempted to play further forward after conceding but were restricted to few opportunities - the dangerous Allan SaintMaximin coming closest with a curling strike that rattled the post.
Arsenal’s win moves them up into the top half of the table in 10th place - six points behind north London rivals Tottenham, who claimed a last-gasp winner over Aston Villa to go fifth.
Arteta said: “After the break we started saying we had to start closing the gap on the top teams and turn draws into wins. Today was the first opportunity and we’ve done it. All good.
“I’m so pleased for Laca [Alexandra Lacazette] - the reaction of the players and staff towards him. He fights hard for everyone.
He’s been unlucky. He will gain confidence from this and knows how everyone appreciates him.”
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang said: “We started not at our best but in the second half we put some more energy in and we scored the goals.
“We spoke at half-time and the coach told me to stay as a second striker and take my position off Eddie [Nketiah]. They were playing very deep and compact so it was good for us to have me in the middle to give more space out wide.”