Arsenal Snatch Dramatic Late Victory at Newcastle: Three Key Insights From the Thrilling 2-1 Comeback
Arsenal claimed a crucial 2-1 triumph on the road against Newcastle United on Sunday evening, with Gabriel netting the decisive goal during added time.
The Premier League weekend has been filled with dramatic late moments, and the Gunners have certainly reaped the rewards. They had extra motivation to claim maximum points at St. James' Park, after witnessing former forward Eddie Nketiah deliver Liverpool their opening loss of the 2025-26 campaign with a stoppage-time strike.
Mikel Arteta's team found themselves behind as the match entered its final phase, but managed to overturn their 1-0 disadvantage thanks to two players from the bench. Following Mikel Merino's header from Declan Rice's delivery past Nick Pope, Martin Ødegaard delivered the corner kick that ultimately decided the match.
Here are three key observations from Arsenal's significant victory.
Additional Officiating Drama in This Matchup
This encounter has seldom occurred in recent seasons without contentious moments. Most memorably, Newcastle's 1-0 triumph over the Gunners in November 2023 was filled with officiating calls that Arsenal believed worked against them.
And they certainly felt wronged at St. James' Park on Sunday.
Initially, Nick Pope's tackle on Viktor Gyökeres appeared to be a clear penalty. Even upon review it seemed legitimate. Only when it became apparent what the video assistant referee was examining did Pope's contact with the ball before fouling the Swedish striker become evident.
Discussion will continue about whether Arsenal deserved a penalty regardless, with Gillett taking considerable time to make his decision after reviewing the monitor. Despite touching the ball, Pope brings down Gyökeres immediately afterward.
Pope's contact means many will argue the correct call was ultimately made, but Arsenal fans will undoubtedly recall the seemingly meaningless contact William Saliba made with the ball before fouling João Pedro in last season's 1-1 stalemate at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Regarding Nick Woltemade's goal, Gabriel has little ground for complaint. The Brazilian falls too easily. He was then possibly lucky to avoid a handball call at 1-1 before netting the winner. What goes around comes around, right?
Gunners Overcome St. James' Curse
Although Arsenal have triumphed at Newcastle's stronghold as recently as 2023, they had suffered defeat on their last three visits without finding the net and were beaten by Eddie Howe's team three times last campaign.
Howe's physical and determined squad has appeared to have Arsenal's measure, with the Newcastle manager capable of devising specific tactical approaches designed to neutralize Arteta's players.
For a period, it seemed like déjà vu for Arsenal on Tyneside. They felt mistreated, fell victim to a counter-punch and appeared destined to depart quietly despite performing well overall. Arsenal were genuinely impressive here, and merited all three points.
They played with bold confidence and energy that Eberechi Eze epitomized, with the English player able to spark dangerous central partnerships that Viktor Gyökeres will undoubtedly profit from eventually. There was no indication of Arteta restricting his team, and his changes were clearly positive in attempting to recover the match. Two fresh faces proved crucial, and this feels like a defining victory, considering how much attention has been paid to their championship prospects amid a challenging start to 2025-26.
They now sit just two points behind the title holders.
Newcastle Stars at Both Ends
Pope didn't distinguish himself during the match-winning sequence, but the Newcastle shot-stopper was vital in ensuring his team held the lead for most of the encounter.
The possibility of a strong Pope display was evident early on, as he pushed Eze's left-footed shot around his goalpost. Following the penalty incident that ultimately wasn't, he composed himself to brilliantly thwart Eze and Bukayo Saka in the opening period, then Jurriën Timber after halftime.
He allowed two goals but prevented 0.89 expected goals, per FotMob. It was a display deserving recognition despite his involvement in Gabriel's winner.
At the opposite end, Newcastle found it difficult to maintain sustained attacks against the Gunners, though there were promising moments on the break. Nevertheless, the Toon Army has discovered a new star in Nick Woltemade, who has completely assumed the responsibility of replacing Alexander Isak with Yoane Wissa sidelined.
The German certainly glides, and has demonstrated thus far that he likes to drift to the left wing, similar to Isak. His technique is exquisite, and he excels at keeping possession under duress. While he's not an exceptional athlete, Woltemade's skill as a link player should complement this Newcastle squad that's packed with runners perfectly.
And although Newcastle didn't acquire him for his aerial ability, Woltemade has already matched his headed goal total from last season.