Mikel Arteta has admitted his Arsenal side sent a clear message to their title rivals with their 2-1 win against Newcastle on Sunday.
Gabriel pounced with a stoppage-time header to end the Gunners’ miserable run at Newcastle. The defender, who had earlier appeared to catch Magpies goalscorer Nick Woltemade in the face with a flailing arm, struck in the sixth minute of added time at the end of a pulsating encounter at St James’ Park.
Arteta’s men were trailing 1-0 to Woltemade’s 34th-minute header with six minutes of regulation time remaining despite dominating for long periods, but after former Magpie Mikel Merino equalised after 84 minutes, Gabriel’s header ended a run of three successive defeats on Tyneside.
The result means Arsenal are now up to second in the Premier League and just two points behind leaders Liverpool. Arne Slot’s side lost to Crystal Palace on Saturday and the weekend could be seen as a pivotal one in the title race.
Asked how important it was to get three points after Liverpool’s defeat to Palace, Arteta said: “Well, yes, there are moments in the season, and obviously, with the style that we had already and the difficult fixtures that we had, today we had the opportunity to close that gap. And do it in a stadium that has a very recent and difficult past for us. I think it shows how much the team wants it.”
When asked what the result does to the squad’s belief, Arteta added: “Yeah, the belief, the conviction of the team that we are and that we can play various types of games and the team still can deliver and win it in a convincing way. And for me today, it’s one of the most difficult grounds.
“Again, praise Newcastle, the way they play, compete, how difficult it is to play in this place. But the team really took the game to a different level, and I’m very proud to see that.”
Arsenal could go top of the table next Saturday with a win over London rivals West Ham. That’s because Liverpool play Chelsea in the Saturday evening kick-off, although a win for Slot’s side would ensure they regain top spot.
Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london’s dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!
By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.
To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!
If you’re curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.
