ASSAULT AND PEPE
Gunners batter Toon thanks to Ozil’s return to form and their £72m record signing
THE Arteta revolution was always going to take time.
Incredibly, this was only a second win in eight Premier League games since Mikel Arteta took over at Arsenal just before Christmas.
They have been getting there but made little progress in moving up the table and few outside of the Emirates would really believe the team was improving until the results begin to follow.
Now a thumping home win might convince doubters that Arteta is on the right path. And he deserves huge credit for getting a tune out of Mesut Ozil, a player who was on his way out under previous manager Unai Emery and was written off as a £350,000-aweek waste of money.
Ozil is now running hard, covering every blade of grass and another good performance was crowned with a goal. It was his vision and class which provided the spark for Arsenal.
Then there is Nicolas Pepe, the £72million club record summer signing. He has struggled to get into the starting line-up and questions were beginning to be asked about why Arsenal bought him.
Now there are signs he is answering those questions. One goal, two assists, Pepe played a part in all four Arsenal goals. Finally Bukayo Saka, the 18-yearold winger playing out of position at left-back and whose nutmeg of Valentino Lazaro before his cross for Pepe’s goal probably has the Newcastle defender still wondering where the ball went.
It was an excellent, convincing and comprehensive victory bearing in mind the first half was so flat, with Arsenal struggling to get going and Newcastle the better team.
Allan Saint-Maximin caused major problems and was comfortably Toon’s best player but for all their clever approach play, Steve Bruce’s men just cannot finish.
They failed to cash in on the slow start
made by their hosts. Arsenal seemed to be struggling to get to grips with Arteta’s formation, although Dani Ceballos’s transformation from first-half bystander to second half instigator epitomised the improvement.
Newcastle striker Joelinton wasted the best chance in 45 minutes of football to forget when he kicked the ball against his own leg.
A £40m buy, the Brazilian striker has managed just one league goal in 26 appearances and is struggling under the weight of expectation of being Newcastle’s No.9.
Arsenal came out a different team after the break.
Pepe’s trickery down the right set up Eddie Nketiah and the youngster smashed a shot against the crossbar from close range.
Shortly afterwards, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showed how it is done with the 54th-minute opener. Ozil and Ceballos got the move going and Pepe’s brilliant cross then put it on a plate for Aubameyang to head home for his 17th goal of the season.
Three minutes later, Arsenal added a killer second.
Saka burst between two defenders, nutmegging Lazaro on the way, then showed great vision by cutting the ball back for Pepe to slot home.
Saint-Maximin hit a post and Ciaran Clark missed a big chance to give Newcastle a foothold in the game, but Arsenal were in cruise control.
Their third came when substitute Alexandre Lacazette’s flick set up Ozil for an easy finish – and his first goal since April 21.
The Gunners wrapped up a comfortable victory in the fifth minute of injury time.
Pepe’s cut-back teed up Lacazette to beat Toon keeper Martin Dubravka, perhaps showing he should have started the game.