Arsenal suffer brutal blow as Gabriel move backfires in Newcastle defeat - 6 talking points
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1-0 ARSENAL: Alexander Isak's early header powers Magpies to impressive win over Arsenal, with the Gunners at risk of slipping further back in the title race
Alexander Isak's goal condemned Arsenal to their second defeat of the season in a brutal blow to their title hopes.
The Gunners are now five points behind leaders Manchester City having played a game more. Boss Mikel Arteta had been handed a boost ahead of the game when Gabriel recovered to start, having been forced off against Liverpool with injury last week.
But it quickly turned into a disastrous for the visitors. Just 12 minutes in, they failed to clear their lines before Anthony Gordon sent in a brilliant first-time cross in for Alexander Isak to head Newcastle in front.
Despite dominating possession, the Gunners struggled to break down their hosts and were shut out by their solid hosts. Here, Mirror Football looks at the biggest talking points from Arsenal's latest defeat.
Title race blow
Arsenal's defeat is a serious blow to their title hopes, with the Gunners now five points behind leaders Manchester City having played a game more. City travel to Bournemouth later on Saturday and can pull eight points clear of the Gunners with a win.
That would leave Mikel Arteta's men with a mountain to climb, even if we're not at Christmas yet. City only lost three games in the entirety of last season as they finished top, with Arsenal now having been defeated three times this campaign.
They will also fall seven points behind Liverpool if the Reds beat Brighton on Saturday. If that does happen, Arne Slot's side will replace Arsenal as City's main title rivals for this season.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who was man of the match in Arsenal's clash with Newcastle? Comment below.
Gabriel call backfires
The main talking point heading into the game was Arteta's decision to bring Gabriel back into the starting line-up. The defender was forced off with injury during the draw with Liverpool last week.
He then missed all but one training session this week as the Gunners worked towards the trip to Newcastle. It was a difficult game for the Brazilian, who struggled on his return to the team.
Gabriel saw Alexander Isak find space between himself and William Saliba to head home Newcastle's opener. The defender's jump was not good enough to stop Anthony Gordon's cross and he also gave the ball away several times. Arteta may well be regretting the decision to start him.
Gordon sends message to Tuchel
Anthony Gordon struggled for chances during Gareth Southgate's time as England manager. But a new regime will take over in January as Thomas Tuchel arrives to lead the Three Lions' bid to win the 2026 World Cup.
The Newcastle star is certainly doing everything he can to impress Tuchel and earn a spot in his plans. He played a key role in Isak's opener, finding space on the right wing before delivering a superb first-time cross into the striker.
Isak duly powered his header home to hand the hosts the lead. If Gordon continues to impress, then he could well claim a starting spot under England's new boss.
Martinelli struggles again
It has been a difficult season for Gabriel Martinelli, with the Brazilian having scored only two goals in all competitions. Even those strikes came against strugglers Leicester and Southampton.
The winger endured another tough afternoon against Newcastle from his natural position on the left. Magpies right-back Tino Livramento effectively shut down Martinelli, with the Englishman sending a message to new international boss Tuchel in doing so.
Martinelli's pass success rate was just 81 percent and he completed only one of his attempted dribbles. He was then hauled off just after the hour mark and once Martin Odegaard returns to full fitness, Martinelli may face a tough time keeping his place.
Arsenal depth exposed
With his side struggling, Mikel Arteta made five changes over the course of the second-half. Ethan Nwaneri, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ben White, Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus were all introduced after the break.
But despite the arrival of the cavalry, the Gunners continued to struggle to break down Newcastle. Though the Magpies dropped increasingly deeper into their own half, they were able to hold out.
That exposes a rising problem for boss Arteta, with the lack of quality options beyond his starting line-up becoming a concern. None of the changes would be regarded by their title rivals as potentially game-winning, which should be seen as a real issue by Arteta.
Rice's set-piece problems
One of Arsenal's biggest weapons in recent years has been their set-pieces, thanks to the work of Nicolas Jover. But that weapon went missing at St James' Park, in large part due to Declan Rice.
Rice has been handed the free-kick taking duties for set-pieces from out wide and delivered a brilliant ball for Mikel Merino to score against Liverpool last week. But his magic touch deserted him on Saturday.
The number of times Rice failed to clear the first man will be embarrassing for the Englishman. He struggled to put a decent cross in and Jover may well be forced back to the drawing board.
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