Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud
Subs: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Kallstrom, Flamini, Rosicky, Sanogo
—
Arsenal moved four points clear of Everton in the Premier League with just two games remaining, after a comfortable 3-0 win over Newcastle at the Emirates this evening.
Arsene Wenger named an unchanged side from the one that won 3-0 at Hull, and the scene was set in the early stages with the visitors sitting very deep when the Gunners had the ball, looking to break quickly behind when they got it.
Santi Cazorla sent Mesut Ozil into space down the right in the 11th minute, but Coloccini got back well to defend the cross aimed at Aaron Ramsey, and the Argentine had to head a Sagna cross behind for a 16th minute corner.
From the set-piece Krul punched clear and while still trying to find his bearings Ozil volleyed a shot just wide of the far post. Newcastle responded with a fine run from Sissokho but his shot was high from the edge of the Arsenal box.
The midfielder was then booked for a foul on Giroud presenting Arsenal with a free kick from about 40 yards out. Cazorla curled it in, Newcastle allowed the ball to bounce in the area, and Koscielny poked it home from close range. 1-0.
Bizarrely, referee Neil Swarbrick booked the Frenchman for kicking the ball away during his celebration. Moments later it was almost two when Podolski was sent clear down the left but his goalbound shot deflected just wide off the onrushing Krul. The Dutch keeper was in the action again after a series of corners, making a fine save from Podolski’s powerful header.
At the other end Szczesny was alert to a stinging Tiote drive from 35 yards, while Aaron Ramsey joined Koscielny in the book for a ‘foul’ on Tiote (replays showed there was no contact). Debuchy smashed a shot wide, but in the 42nd minute Arsenal doubled their lead.
Arteta played Giroud in over the top, he came in from the right hand side and could have squared it to Ozil. Instead, he took one shot, which Krul saved. It rebounded to him, he shot again, Krul saved again but the ball fell to an offside Ozil at the back post who tucked it away to make it 2-0.
After a lovely piece of Ozil skill left a Newcastle defender on his arse, Arsenal looked to push home their advantage, and Santi Cazorla almost made it 3-0 just before half-time but once again Tim Krul pulled off a good save to deny the little Spaniard.
The scond half began with Podolski and Monreal trying to pick up where the team had left off in the first half, and when an Ozil corner fell to Cazorla in the box, he volleyed a difficult chance over the bar from inside the box.
Koscielny found space for a volley from another corner but saw it poked clear by the Newcastle defence, and it was all very comfortable for the Gunners. There was a warning sign, however, when Gouffran went clean through and forced Szczesny into a save, as Pardew’s team tried to get back into the game.
Aaron Ramsey split the Newcastle defence open but Giroud was offside, before Sagna tried to play his French teammate in but hit his cross just too close to Krul. The third goal wasn’t long coming though. In the 66th minute Aaron Ramsey played a cute reverse pass to Ozil who had overlapped down the left hand side. He drilled in a cross and Giroud thumped home the close range header for his 21st goal of the season. 3-0.
It was superb football from the Gunners, and no less than their domination of the half deserved. Lukas Podolski was next to benefit from Ozil’s creativity, firing a shot just wide of the near post from the edge of the box, before Ramsey miskicked a good chance, again set up by the former Real Madrid man.
Arsene Wenger made a double change, bringing on Flamini and Rosicky for Ramsey and Ozil, and Bacary Sagna found himself in the book for bouncing the ball in frustration after giving away a free kick deep in the Arsenal half.
Newcastle, quite literally, didn’t give a single shit about the game, booting the ball away at will. Arsene Wenger brought on Yaya Sanogo to replace Giroud in the 84th minute, and the Gunners were unlucky not to have a penalty when Rosicky was clearly fouled in the area only for referee Swarbrick to give a goal kick.
Nacho Monreal almost got on the scoresheet but again Krul made a save, this time at his near post, as the game fizzled to its inevitable conclusion.
In the end Arsenal were well worth their win and now have the chance to secure a top four spot this weekend against West Brom at the Emirates.
The Gunners celebrated St Totteringham’s day, finishing above the old, geographical enemy for the 19th consecutive year.
well, they were pretty shit
Oh dear Lord..
This is a ‘How to take away the glory of the win from the Arsenal players’ 101.
I don’t think the Hair is trying to take glory away the Arsenal players. It was a simple (and true!) observation on how Newcastle played today. Arsenal did not have to get out of second gear today, and I am totally ok with that.
I’m 100% certain he meant Newcastle.
And that is what I understood it to be, shown by the line “observation on how Newcastle played” in my comment.
I know he was speaking about NewCastle. And even though I agree, I mean we should credit our players for the way they’ve played rather than talk about how bad NewCastle were since, well, it’s basically taking away the credit.
If you come first in a competition, would you feel better getting praised or if people called your opposition crap?
And I was agreeing with you. No need to get all condescending like. Crossed purposes all up in this thread tonight.
@ Unnecessarilystupid
Apologies if my reply was condescending. That certainly wasn’t my intention. I guess I misunderstood your comment.
I was being straightforward, didn’t mean to come across as condescending 🙁
I see now that you were talking to Jagger, maybe I should keep my name as Unnecessarilystupid instead eh 😛
No harm done jagger. Apologies for any confusion on my part. Let’s enjoy the rest of the season eh?
Yea, in retrospect it wasn’t the right thing to say. I just thought that Newcastle was insultingly bad throughout the match. Definitely feel for their supporters who travelled all the way to London.
That being said, I’m not trying to take anything away from our performance. We were awesome today. Especially that Özil fella.
Yea they were shite! But you dont just come to a game and turn shite, we actually made them shite! Thats how to win games, you force your oponents to be shite, then roll them over!
He has a point. They were absolute dross. We are talking division 1 standard.
As such, I’d expect us to be putting teams like that away with the ease that we did.
Well done boys. Don’t you just love Ozils ‘I know I’m the sh*t’ attitude. His self confidence is infectious and it rubs off on the whole team.
He get’s it from Ramsey.
Could you please just enjoy the fact that we are sitting 4 pts clear of Everton and NOT be a twat about it?!
They were honestly shit and we were pretty good and boom 3-0. Nothing really surprising there…
There’s more spirit in a schoolyard game than what Newcastle showed today. Thank god we scored some goals otherwise it would’ve been frustratingly boring.
I’d be fucking fuming if I was a barcode. As I’m a gooner, I’m chuffed with three points. Job not done yet though. The baggies have looked ok recently.
But I’m eyeliner and eyeliners love three points.
It’s happened again, it’s happened agaaaaain. Tottenham Hotspur it’s happened again!
Happy St Tott’s boys and girls.
Uhm! 9goals in 3 matches conceding only 1?? Well almost forgot this team could do this! But I cant help but use the “if” word.. Like “if” we had all our players fit and rarely injured and Like “if” we had strenghtened properly in january! Anyways, good all round performance from everyone plus did cazorla ever made a bad delivery today?? And do we now have the best home record asin terms of not losing at home in the league? Think we are like 17 or so matches unbeaten at home! Its surprising though considering we have been anihilated severally… Read more »
Happy St Totteringhams day
If I were to call Micheal Owen a cunt that would be an insult to Cunts. He is one Despicalbe fool
Michael Owen is a no mark. Not worth the effort of disparaging
Em!! But I thought he attends the same cunt colledge with moaning-hoe! And infact is in the same cunt class with john cunt terry?
It would be insult to fools then…
Happy St. Totteringham’s Day!
I always wondered if the person who thumbs-downs everything I write would bother on something that is so completely un-thumbs-downable.
So congrats. Your commitment should be applauded (and probably ridiculed at the same time).
Don’t feed the trolls dude…
Nothing quite like a good St Tott’s day!
I loved the look Ozil gave Giroud after he eventually scored. Clearly saying you should have seen me from the start. Had a great game. Pretty sure we shouldn’t sell him to Barca for 30 million.
The problem isn’t Ozil – it’s Giroud. Could have netted about three quite easily today and Ozil was dribbling like a madman before delivering fantastic balls into and around the box. Ozil MOTM for me – brilliant form today!
The problem isn’t Giroud. The problem is the lack of another striker (world class) in the team.
Maybe so, but he absolutely failed his 1v1 with the keeper today and with noone near him. If you play for a top club like Arsenal you should really be finishing those kinds of chances every time without any excuses.
That’s a stupid and copout way to rephrase something that in fact bears the same meaning. When I don’t have enough money to spend on something, is the problem either money, a lack of money, or are both really the same damn thing?
Giroud’s vision to assist that 2nd goal was Ozil-esque
Wins the (deceptive) assist of the season award!
I agree, Ozil was never the problem.
Giroud was directly involved in making two of three goals happen today. We won 3-0. It’s St. Totteringhams day. We have a 4 point lead on Everton with two games remaining and they have to play City, who is chasing the title. I don’t see a problem.
Some people are just so unwilling to be happy that they always need a villain.
selling ozil now shouldnt even be a matter of discussion, theres absolutely no way, no chance, nothing! zero of Arsenal fc selling Mesut. also abit of “fuck off barca” i reckon is always in order.
Considering we broke our transfer record for this dude?? I think its not even proper to put his name in a post containing the amount *£30m*, unless its something like..
That pass from ozil is worth £30m! Barca! Can enjoy their xaveeez, and iniestaaaz!! But if the want ozil they have to pay £30m for each assit he gives SIMPLE!
and… Happy St Totteringham´s Day to all gooners around the world!
May we celebrate this day in many years to come.
Todays match showed that we can actually pose an aerial threat, and more importantly that we should stop playing corners to the near post and just lob it into the box. Nonetheless, great performance from the lads all around!
Why was there no man of the match awarded?
Was awarded to Koscielny on NBC 🙂
Ozil got it on Sky. Well deserved. Weird he didn’t want to talk in the interview though.
Last time BBC tried to interview him I think he got it all a bit uddeld and Posolski had a field day laughing at the poor fella, I expect that’s the most likely explanantion
It’s happened again!
The eternal woe of being a Spud. Happy St Totteringham day!
Brilliant game for ozil
Is it his first man of the match performance in an Arsenal shirt? (Even if actuallty Kos has a good shout for it too)
Nah, I recall several: He had a few this fall and at least one in January (could’ve been early February too I guess). I’m sure someone with better memory can give specifics.
Starting to think Pardew is better at head butting the players than managing them.
On the other note, Welsh Jesus resurrected our season, nice to see him fit.
and Ozil! Both of them have been superb after they’ve come back.
That’s true, Ozil played a nice game too.
Happy St Tott’s everybody. A celebration is in order.
By the way, Ozil was shit hot tonight.
Happy St. Totteringham’s Day everyone!
i want what ozil and ramsey were on. then after that i want abit of sagnas rage and go beat up john terry.
Nice to see you happy, mate 😉
thanks mate after month or 2 of holding on it feels great to finally winning comfortably…..also looking forward to the cup final helps.
Why was Ozil offside? There was a Newcastle player sitting on his ass ahead of him. I remember in World Cup tournament when a player was being treated behind the goal and goal stood…
need to be two players ahead of him. the goalkeeper counts for that second player around 99% of the times. in this case Özil was offside.
Watched the GIF again. From that angle, there are two defenders standing in front of the goal as Ozil tucks it in. The third on his ass is just outside the frame. Probably need another angle to decide it though.
Who gives a shit though: it’s staying 3-0.
From the angle which the broadcast I was watching used, he was offside, it looked fairly conclusive.
Takes nothing away from the performance though, if we hadn’t got the second I feel we’d have pushed harder to get it so don’t think it made much of a difference.
@shitbird: at the time of girouds second attempt (thats the one that matters, not when he tucked it in) özil is a fraction in front of the Goalkeeper and offside, but who cares? maybe the linesman was so confused because giroud hasn´t passed before or scored with his two attempts 😉
btw, i just can´t figure out what özil did just before half time, simply amazing…
Ozil was offside, one of the defenders arrived after the ball was passed to him.
Ozil didn’t even celebrate cos he thought it was off.
Fuck that! I’ll take it.
The rule is that two players need to be between the attacker and the goal. It is usually the goalie and one defender. In this case the goalie was playing Ozil offside. Not that I’m complaining mind you…
If Özil and Ramsey were my parents.
I would feel like the safest kid in the world.
They are brilliant, love having them back finally.
Happy St. Totteringham’s Day, everyone!
Great to see Ozil back at the top of his form today. If only, if only … still, we’re going to be in the CL and we’re going to win the Cup, so in my books that’s a good season.
Özil, Ramsey and Cazorla were simply magnificent
…and Koscielny too
Can someone please explain how ozil was offside for his goal. Wasn’t there a defender on the floor ahead of him?
That’s what I thought. There was one on his ass at the far post.
There must be TWO players ahead of the receiver – at the time the pass is made – for him to be ONSIDE. Normally one is the goalkeeper. In tonight’s case there was only one player ahead of Ozil when the ball was passed to him – that player was a defender. The goalkeeper, Krul, was actually behind Ozil when the ball was passed.
That’s why Ozil was offside.
But who gives a fuck?
Then there’s the fact that, the ball comes off of Krul too, so it’s not a pass. But whatever.
Two players if the last one is the goalkeeper. If the goalkeeper is not involved, or out of position, then the last player being a defender is taken as the player that plays the attacker onside. Mentioning two players just confuses people. Its basically the one outfield player. Did not get to see the offside goal, but Im amazed people are yapping away about the offside rule, like its rocket sprocket fucking science fiction. Jeez.
Sorry injured, you’re incorrect. Keeper does not have to be last man back. It’s two players on the defending team, period. That’s why the yapping about two players. Because that’s what it is. Just helping fellow Gooners understand the rule.
Giroud getting stick on Twitter but he had a good game, always putting himself about, making runs and got rewarded. When fresh he’s a real asset to the team.
We won, he scored, and he’s the best striker we have. I swear some people would rim a hedgehog just to have something to complain about
I think they do.
I like this new 3-0 thing we got going on. It’s like the 2-0’s from earlier in the season but with no heart attacks at all.
Happy st totteringham’s day everybody!
‘nother clean sheet for golden glove contender Sir Chezney
Ozil was offside because there must me 2 players between him and the goal and Krul was beyond him at the time of Giroud’s shot!
Hooray Arsenal. Slow start, but cruising by the end of the first half. Ozil MOTM.
Newcastle obviously playing to get Pardew fired you would think, or just to spite the Premier League. I can see them shipping 10 goals at Liverpool on the last day, just for the hell of it. If I were a City fan I would be worried.
Probably going to get scalded for this but I actually think Krul is a better goalkeeper than Sczesney. I rate Sczesney, but he doesn’t have the size and presence of Neuer, whereas I feel Krul does. Great win though, happy St Totteringhams day.
Wha?
It was actually Krul’s lack of presence that allowed our first goal. The ball landed a yard in front of him but rather than get stuck in and make the save, he backed up and allowed Koscielny all the space he needed
First person I ever thumbed down
Well, it’s an opinion.
Krul is certainly a decent keeper, doesn’t make any fewer mistakes than Szczesny though and isn’t as good a shotstopper imo…I tend not to trust the ‘he has/doesn’t have presence’ argument though, as everyone has different opinions on what it is and ultimately it’s completely subjective.
Neither is as good as Neuer but Szczesny has the potential to be better.
That Rambozil combo!! Very very interesting!!
i can always tell when commentators are rooting for the other team, today one was and it was really funny seeing michael owen sort of praise Arsenal, must have dug a deep hole inside his miserable heart. always a pleasure twat.
1. Excellent Professional performance against a dreadful, lacklustre Newcastle side.
2. Ozil and Carzola were the star men.
3. Good hard-working performance by Giroud too – he deserved his goal.
4. This should be fourth now – Everton will drops points against City and maybe Hull too.
5. Fuck off Spurs.
6. If Liverpool have to beat Newcastle to win the title then they should just hand them the trophy.
funny thing is if Everton beat city they will effectively be handing the title to Liverpool!!, their bitter rivals.
it is gonna be interesting. hehe
not that i like everton or Liverpool but can i have one wish please? (apart from the fa Cup of course): pleeease not man City or even chelski as Champions…..
But.. I haven’t forgive Stevie G. for telling Suarez that Arsenal is not a bigger club than Liverpool.. ah.. Can’t decide who I prefer to win the league…
Nice to see a positive comment from FG. Good performance all round today
Giroud should have easily scored 3+ goals today cuz Newcastle clearly didnt turn up today. Go job to everyone! Well Played!
Happy St. Totteringham’s Day
what´s a “go job” btw? sounds interesting…
Arsenal seven points
above Spurs. First objective achieved.
*hit! I didn’t realise they were that close!?!
Nice win Gunners!
Happy S’nTott’s to all…”and to all a good night!…”
2 points lost at home against swansea and 3 against villa . that’s 5 points , we could still have been in the run-in, even all with those injuries.
and one/three at stoke, two more at soton also spring to mind, sigh…
Happy St Totts one and all
Remember when Tabloids linked Yanga-Mbiwa to Arsenal? What happened to that guy?
For the life of him Steve Bould couldn’t pronounce his name.
Another win, another clean sheet, the lads showing form. A Happy St Tott’s to all!
I think we have a decent Chance of making the CL.
ÖZIL IS GÖD
Man they need to come up with some new chants at the Emirates. Too much obsession with Spurs ffs.
Good game all round, well done lads
Really missed that feeling of watching the Arsenal and not tearing your hair out in desperation or worse soiling yourself in fear for a couple months there over Feb-Mar
Table says 1 more win will do it.. i want 2 because we fuckn can not because we have to.
i´ll take three wins, especially on may 17th
Our form has picked up.
The reality of the PL was we could have been better of by 8 points (Stoke, Swansea & Everton) and would have been quite close to the title – with the same chance as Chelsea for the title & still could have finished 3rd or 4th. Ofcourse would have liked that excitement of the race till the last day.
So quite pleased with the cup final. Let’s break the 8 yr drought.
Then a key summer for some small but probably expensive changes.
yeah a small but effective striker will do (apart from 2nd Goalkeeper, right back and probably a speedy winger) some work to do Arsene?
Giroud constantly tried to get into space today, and made runs. Never thought i would see the day :p Well done.
Özil MOTM imo.
Coyg!
Jolly good stuff.
£100M down the drain.
Happy St. Tottenham’s day!!!
They spend £100 million on new players, crow all summer about how much better they are than us, change their manager and appoint a muppet in a gilet, lose to us three times, have to bench their most expensive signings because they are so woeful and – obviously – finish below us for the 19th successive season. What dross we have for neighbours. Happy St Totteringham’s Day to Spurs fans everywhere.
They spend 100 million but we have Ozil, Rambo, Per and Kos to name a few 🙂
It will be interesting to see the player scores.
Despite the win, I really feel for the Newcastle fans – it’s been a long time since I have seen a team just give up a match against us so clearly…
Normally as an Arsenal fan you can say “We made them look bad” when we win 3-0, but in this case I think Newcastle took care of that part themselves.
Routine win,but we need to add to the class of Ozil and Ramsey