THE BATON
with his side’s collective mindset. Newcastle, particularly in the opening period, had an attacking edge that was absent in previous meetings against the elite.
Perhaps that’s because Benitez does not place Arsenal in the same bracket as Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City, all of whom had narrowly beaten the Magpies in recent weeks.
He had a point. Arsenal are still searching for an identity under the new regime. Aaron Ramsey wasted their best firsthalf chance following Alexandre Lacazette’s delicious flick but instead of squaring the ball to the unmarked Pierreemerick Aubameyang, he shot wildly over the top.
That’s not to say Newcastle didn’t have their moments. Jamaal Lascelles, watched by England manager Gareth Southgate but forced off with a twisted ankle at half-time, had a powerful header cleared.
And when Shkodran Mustafi slipped as a long up-and-under dropped, Jacob Murphy was up and away until Sokratis rescued his team-mate with a superb tackle.
But once Xhaka’s 30 yard free-kick flew past Martin Dubravka, the die was cast with Newcastle lacking both the quality and the confidence to hit back until it was too late.
The Swiss turned provider for Arsenal’s second with a pull-back into the path of Lacazette. His shot was blocked brilliantly by Fernandez, but came out to Ozil who calmly side-footed home.