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
Moonraker15
May 2, 2021 at 3:55 PM
Comment #201Well we are back hoping Fulham don’t win 3 games! If they do we’re going down
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:55 PM
Comment #202Jail
What he usually does, threw himself into a tackle he had no chance of making.
Goofy
May 2, 2021 at 3:55 PM
Comment #203Disgusting!!
Played with 9 men from the start now we’re down to 8.
Shelvey and Longstaff are the slowest players i’ve ever seen. No control in the centre of the park whatsoever, Arsenal had the centre circle to themselves most of the game, pinning our wingbacks back, leaving our strikers wanting.
Why can’t Bruce not see this!!
Martinelli only 19, Anderson about the same age yet Bruce won’t give him a chance, he’ll be hungry, something our centre mids lack.
From a team that got 8 from the last 12 possible points was expecting more.
Toon Tang
May 2, 2021 at 3:55 PM
Comment #204Load of old bollocks
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 3:56 PM
Comment #205Thanks Bruce
Thanks Shelvey
Your efforts amaze me
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:56 PM
Comment #206We are making Arsenal look like cl contenders….cooking fat….what a joke
Unused Substitute
May 2, 2021 at 3:56 PM
Comment #207This Mike Dean guy is an abomination. But all in all we are back to where we were.
AncientC
May 2, 2021 at 3:57 PM
Comment #208Well, the good news is that Wilson and Maxi came through the game unscathed. Right now — that’s the most important thing.
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 3:57 PM
Comment #209That defeat has nothing to do with the ref. A crap team and manager are the reasons. Toon fans always looking for excuses.
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 3:57 PM
Comment #210We are actually worse than I had imagined
wardy06
May 2, 2021 at 3:57 PM
Comment #211Don’t think I can take another season under Bruce and MA… We need the arbitration to go our way and let the Saudi consortium come in and breathe fresh life into the club… I can’t justify wasting another year of my life watching a manager fumble along making baffling decisions. How do you spend 100+ million and regress this much?
ChicoUSA
May 2, 2021 at 3:58 PM
Comment #212MotM…………
mctoon
May 2, 2021 at 3:58 PM
Comment #213Embarrassing performance on the day a new entertainers documentary airs.
Players not nearly good enough today.
Manager not nearly good enough full stop.
Lets hope this accumulative total he bangs on about is 36pts. Can’t see many more.
Essex Geordie Bill
May 2, 2021 at 3:58 PM
Comment #214We really need to stop being optimistic before games!
Goofy
May 2, 2021 at 3:59 PM
Comment #215We did ride our luck in that 8 point run, today showed it.
Make Shelvey a sweeper… road sweeper.
onmeedsun
May 2, 2021 at 3:59 PM
Comment #216No point having ASM and Wilson on the pitch. May as well save them for games that we want to try in. Bruce seems determined to lose his job. No one would have minded getting beat 4-2 or whatever if he’d set them up to compete and have a go. Limp!
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Comment #217Don’t blame the ref.
It’s the same as the last 18+ months!
Ride our luck to a result is our only game plan, get it to Asm our only tactics.
Shite house United is our name, anti football is Bruces game.
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Comment #218Did the ref only cause us to have one mishit shot on goal? Did the ref gift Arsenal their two goals? Whats the ref got to do with the result?
WLtoon
May 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Comment #219The whole team were shite but Longstaff for me has proved he is not worth a first team place , not good enough. he has had enough opportunities to prove people like me wrong but can`t, he just doesn`t hack it .
He must of been running on adrenalin when he first came on the scene, but that was a long long time ago in football terms. Shite.
toonluvva
May 2, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Comment #220I am currently wondering whether it is worth watching any more of our matches this season after a display like this.
Decided. I think I’ll just skip the next couple of matches and hope against hope that we don’t go down.
cleveleysbob
May 2, 2021 at 4:01 PM
Comment #221While we did nothing to deserve anything, again Mike Dean had too much influence.
@ 55mins Xaka should have got 2nd yellow & off.
@ 90mins Scharr should have got yellow.
2 wrong decisions, the 1st could have made a difference, the 2nd not so much except we lose our player for next 3 games out of only 4 left.
Apart from that, we were useless, Almiron great effort, no idea.
Shelvey, strolling about mostly, tried too many of his “Hollywood” passes and every one gave away possession.
Bruce should have hooked Shelvey and put younger fresher legs on pitch – Anderson you Muppet.
As usual, we made a struggling team look worldbeaters. 🙁
stripes1009
May 2, 2021 at 4:02 PM
Comment #222Mike Dean being his usual self. Misses a blatant 2nd yellow but dishes out a questionable red.
Now here’s a point, when the so called super league teams were being touted, l wonder if some referees were also approached?
Be a good investigation for some red top newspaper journo!
As for today’s game, Arsenal’s mid field two were full of energy. We need a more energetic mid-field.
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 4:02 PM
Comment #223One shot on goal against Arsenal reserves. Its the refs fault!!!!
Optimistic prime
May 2, 2021 at 4:02 PM
Comment #224I wonder if Keegan or Rafa watched it and thought if there was a better ref we’d have got something.
Essex Geordie Bill
May 2, 2021 at 4:02 PM
Comment #225Was gonna say that ManC will be on the beach for that game but then again they could probably play in flip flops and still win at a canter.
AnyToon in Indiana
May 2, 2021 at 4:02 PM
Comment #226Looked like another early pre-season match with players who haven’t played together nor have had any training coming from the off season. Ritchie and Dummett perhaps a step above that today…otherwise pretty much everyone else was forgettable on the pitch today.
West Lancs Geordie
May 2, 2021 at 4:03 PM
Comment #227Absolute pants. They think the’re safe now and just didn’t turn up. No interest, passing atrocious. Well done Manager of the bleeding month – you’re fecking clueless just like Mike Dean who was conned by the Arsenal players into a foul for the slightest nudge . Why did he not give Xhaka his marching orders for the elbow after head been booked.Schar never a straight red but now reviewed by VAR so will stand. To be hoped Fede and Clark are not injured enough to miss next match.
Pathetic performance all round and Wilson is nowhere near fit.
jimiley
May 2, 2021 at 4:05 PM
Comment #228We need a midfield than can run. We have two amblers in midfield. Shelvey thinks the midfield is limited to the D. We had a stroller, now we have two amblers and a striker who never plays but can lope really well.
The Prince's Mate
May 2, 2021 at 4:44 PM
Comment #229Mike Dean is a t,,t allegedly…but his history will prove me right i reckon