SUPER KAI ON A HIGH
Gunners ace Havertz locked and loaded for title assault
ARSENAL went Saturday late-night clubbing – Premier League style – and looked like scoring with every twist and turn on The Emirates floor.
In doing so they put their midweek Champions League setback in Porto to bed in emphatic style as a sixth league win on the spin kept them firmly in the race for domestic glory.
An own goal from Newcastle defender Sven Botman and Kai Havertz’s seventh of the season ensured Mikel Arteta’s men were virtually out of sight by half-time.
Bukayo Saka’s 64th-minute effort ended the contest before Jakub Kiwior sealed the rout. The
North Londoners now sit two points off leaders Liverpool and one behind second-place Manchester City, with each having played 26 games.
Rest assured, in a gripping battle to rule supreme, the 2023 runners-up are genuine contenders.
Ignoring the last-gasp pain in Portugal, Arsenal had been nothing short of sensational in 2024 clawing a way back into the title equation.
Taking a maximum 18 points available is impressive. Newcastle, meanwhile, excluding their progress into the last 16 of the FA Cup – which resumes on Tuesday at Championship Blackburn – have been pretty mediocre over the same period.
It is now two wins in nine for the Magpies and despite a long injury list the pressure remains on boss Eddie Howe.
In addition to the VAR debacle and his outburst at St James’ Park, Arteta was far from uncomplimentary last term about the Toon’s time-wasting tactics in a goalless draw here.
Not that the hosts could to be distracted by such trivialities after reigning champions Manchester City edged part one of a double header at the Premier League summit by winning at Bournemouth.
Arsenal started as if there was no time to waste. The pace was frenzied as was the atmosphere for a rare 8pm Saturday start.
It took 10 minutes, though, for them to test one-time Liverpool fall-guy Loris Karius – the Geordies’ third-choice stopper – with Declan Rice’s low drive.
But after 18 minutes they were ahead. Gabriel powered a header from a corner which, despite a fine save from Karius, still finished in the Newcastle net via
Botman. And the lead was soon doubled. Jorginho found Gabriel Martinelli who picked out the excellent Havertz to fire in.
The floodgates were all but wide open. Havertz, Martinelli and Saka each went close.
Had Miguel Almiron not been foiled by sharp Gunners keeper David Raya on 40 minutes, it might have become a tougher, nervier evening for the Gunners fans.
Yet Saka’s curler and a closerange flick from Kiwior prevented any such issues.
Joe Willock gave the Toon Army something to cheer about with a looping header late on.