It was a dominant first-half display from Arsenal at St. James’ Park. Newcastle came out flat and passive as the visitors took immediate control from the opening whistle.
Newcastle were set up once again in a 5-3-2 with the only change from last weekend being Callum Wilson in for Joelinton. The lads started the match sitting back with both wing-backs playing very deep and inviting pressure from the visitors.
Arsenal punished Newcastle in the 5th minute with a goal from Mohamed Elneny. Hector Bellerin was cleared down the right and whipped in a cross from the byline. Newcastle couldn’t clear the ball as it landed to Elneny just outside the area. The Egyptian’s shot got past Dubravka to give the early lead to the Gunners.
Fifteen minutes in and Newcastle still failed to react to going down. Arsenal were pulling the strings with Newcastle managing only a couple of jaunts into the opposition’s end.
Our first effort on target came in the 18th minute through Allan Saint-Maximin. The Frenchman drifted inside and took a shot which was deflected and forced Mathew Ryan into a diving save.
Martin Dubravka was called into action in the 28th minute to make his first big save of the match. The Gunners recycled possession in the Newcastle end with the ball ending up to Granit Xhaka. The stand-in left-back blasted a shot from just outside the area that Dubravka was able to make a diving save on. On the subsequent corner, Almiron cleared an Elneny header off the line.
Newcastle are fortunate to be down by just one goal as the Gunners have dominated all aspects of this match. We’ve been outshot 12 to 2 with Arsenal having the bulk of possession. The lads will have to improve significantly to get anything out of this one.
229 comments so far
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:23 PM
Comment #81Bruce plays analogue football in a digital age.
We’re soooooo sloooooooow at everything.
Toon67
May 2, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Comment #82Bruce out!
Shocking performance today.
TomaKaThor
May 2, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Comment #83Game over
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Comment #84Irishrob… reckon he’s still rusty whereas Joel is poor most games
davetoon
May 2, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Comment #85FFS game over
coming home
May 2, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Comment #86Give ower
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Comment #87Take Shelvey off.
I don’t care if you don’t replace him.
Just take him off, he’s the player equivalent of Ashley and Bruce.
Shitehawking the club out of a living.
SholaShow
May 2, 2021 at 3:26 PM
Comment #88Game over.
It never really began for us to be honest.
#BruceOut asap.
Takeover or bust for me.
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:26 PM
Comment #89There ya havit….0-2
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 3:26 PM
Comment #90More of the same next season I am afraid.
JP...from The Rock
May 2, 2021 at 3:26 PM
Comment #91Fking useless. Game over. Never turned up.
TomaKaThor
May 2, 2021 at 3:26 PM
Comment #92Poor performance against a crap Arsenal and a an abysmal performance from the ref
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:27 PM
Comment #93Shelvey is just a shiny anchor.
John Tudor
May 2, 2021 at 3:27 PM
Comment #94Shite
JP...from The Rock
May 2, 2021 at 3:27 PM
Comment #95Players convinced we’re safe already on their sandals.
Pathetic!! Team spirit my arse!
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:27 PM
Comment #96Clueless sackless gutless spineless. Coach? Useless
John Tudor
May 2, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Comment #97Get shot of this shite
AnyToon in Indiana
May 2, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Comment #98well….looks like indeed Mr. Hyde is still alive and well… I had thought maybe we had turned some sort of corner. At least make some sort of change Bruce?????
Toon67
May 2, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Comment #99Make some changes cabbage head!
davetoon
May 2, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Comment #100Just as shite as we were last week except for last few minutes
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Comment #1015 at the back with Shelvey playing 6 inches in front of them.
Reilly
May 2, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Comment #102Bruce looking like billy meths on the touch line.
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 3:29 PM
Comment #10380k a week for a player who cannot run. Allegedly a midfielder who plays with the back 4 on the D. 350k a month. Good money if you can get it.
Thank God for Willock who can run. But he will not be here next season
Moonraker15
May 2, 2021 at 3:29 PM
Comment #104We are without doubt the worst team I’ve seen in the PL this season! Absolutely clueless with a fkn idiot for a coach !
Not another deJong
May 2, 2021 at 3:29 PM
Comment #105So we won’t be accumulating any points today and playing very poorly. Players are not doing anything particularly bad but not very good either, already on the beach perhaps?!
JohnJ
May 2, 2021 at 3:29 PM
Comment #106I really don’t care for that horrible little man who is the Ref today!
When does he retire?
Soon I hope!
Romford mag
May 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM
Comment #107We can’t even do simple passes !
SholaShow
May 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM
Comment #108No conditioning making our slow players pedestrian, our quick players average and our lighting players to just regular quick.
No tactical plan whatsoever. No identity just the vestiges of one from the previous manager.
No hope for anything under Ashley other than season after season like this, until it eventually results in relegation.
Absolutely crucial summer, make or break for me and many supporters I think. People have truly had enough.
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM
Comment #109How can anyone claim playing with Joelinton is like playing with 10 when Shelvey is on the pitch?
He may aswell stay in the dressing room, flatters to deceive.
Toon67
May 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM
Comment #110Haha, Joelinton on, the Arsenal players must be bricking it.
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM
Comment #111Shelves really is a lazy barsteward….he hates tackling
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
May 2, 2021 at 3:31 PM
Comment #112“The football will improve once Bruce gets his star players back”
Been playing the same way all season regardless of who is on the pitch
JP...from The Rock
May 2, 2021 at 3:31 PM
Comment #113Should play Elliot Anderson for Shelvey. Nothing to lose anymore give the kid a run out, he can’t do worse than Shelvey the lazy cu*t!
onmeedsun
May 2, 2021 at 3:31 PM
Comment #114Bruce too slow to make changes. Never impacts the game. His brain must be so slow. How can you expect the players to trust his tactics when we get performances like this.
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 3:31 PM
Comment #115Fulham can win 3 of their last 4 games. And we can lose all ours. Unpack your sandals and come back next week.
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:32 PM
Comment #116Shite subs.
I did say 2 2
Still a chance lol
Moonraker15
May 2, 2021 at 3:32 PM
Comment #117Fkn hell.brings on a defender and useless Joelinton!!
Toon Tang
May 2, 2021 at 3:32 PM
Comment #118Well, with the football being over now for another day, may I ask why we’ve set up and played Arsenal on name only and not season long form?
Unfortunately, Bruce is a chump.
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:32 PM
Comment #119JohnJ….he’s always been a poseur my friend
Toon67
May 2, 2021 at 3:33 PM
Comment #120Exactly JP, Anderson all day long.