Newcastle United have snapped a five-game winless streak in the Premier League with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, thanks to Alexander Isak’s decisive goal. While Newcastle’s win was crucial, the spotlight is on Arsenal’s lackluster performance in front of goal. The Gunners failed to seriously challenge Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, who did not need to make a single save. With this result, Arsenal now trail Manchester City by five points. City are set to kick off against Bournemouth shortly and could extend their lead over Arsenal to eight points.
After an impressive start to 2024, where Arsenal lost just one of their first 25 Premier League games (winning 21 and drawing three), the Gunners have struggled in recent weeks, with two losses in their last three matches (drawing one). This defeat also marks consecutive league losses away from home for Arsenal, a situation they haven’t faced since May 2022.
Several trends highlight Arsenal’s recent challenges:
- Newcastle have now won three of their last four home Premier League games against Arsenal, a sharp improvement from their previous 23 matches at St. James’ Park, where they managed just three wins (drawing eight, losing 12).
- Arsenal have fallen behind 1-0 in four of their last six Premier League games, equaling their record from the previous 31 games. They have conceded the opening goal in three consecutive away matches, a first since December 2019, before Mikel Arteta took charge.
- Newcastle’s home form has been formidable, losing just once in their last 13 Premier League games at St. James’ Park (winning seven, drawing five). This season, they’ve won three of their five home league matches (drawing one, losing one).
Arsenal’s recent away performances have also raised concerns. In their five Premier League away games this season, they’ve managed only 37 shots (an average of 7.4 per game), with only Brentford taking fewer shots on the road this season.
Alexander Isak has been in exceptional form, scoring in three consecutive appearances across all competitions. He has now been involved in 18 goals in his last 17 Premier League starts at St. James’ Park (16 goals and two assists). Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was heavily involved, winning a career-high six fouls in this match, his 239th appearance for the club in all competitions.
