In a match that came with connotations for both Arsenal and Newcastle United that perhaps had not been felt since the days of Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer, the Emirates Stadium played host to a bitterly-contested nil-nil affair as first vs third came to the fore on another Premier League night to ring in 2023.
Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners were unable to produce the same swashbuckling, all-action football that has seen them sprint ahead of the chasing Premier League pack this season as Eddie Howe’s disciplined Magpies remained top of the chart for the fewest goals allowed in the league in an otherwise entertaining affair in the north end of the capital.
FULL-TIME Arsenal 0-0 Newcastle
The points are shared after an entertaining encounter at the Emirates Stadium#ARSNEW pic.twitter.com/nRyldgug7R
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 3, 2023
The Gunners started brightly as many would now come to expect this season, with both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli already bubbling to the surface in the first few minutes of action in north London, and Saka already highlighting a potential mismatch down Arsenal’s right flank when he exposed Dan Burn for pace with relative ease before his tight-angled shot was kick-saved by England colleague Nick Pope.
But despite an early blitz from Arsenal, Newcastle’s expertise in the defensive third of the pitch withstood the onslaught giving Eddie Howe’s troops a chance to work themselves into proceedings, and by the 35th minute Arsenal was running the risk of finding pedestrian comfort given the Magpies had offered little at the other end.
Tensions reached a fever pitch in the latter stages of the first half as match official Andy Madley had seemingly lost control on the Emirates playing surface as a rash of challenges, player protests, and subsequent bookings began to dot the landscape as both sides looked to get into the dressing room for a valuable reset, which would eventually come after two minutes of adding time and a 0-0 scoreline in what was an expected hotly-contested tie.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies were the side to come out of the halftime interval on the front foot in the opening exchanges of the second half, however, with Newcastle nearly finding the match-opener before the 50th minute when Miguel Almirón’s cut-back across goal found Callum Wilson with enough space to redirect at goal but the England striker could only whiff at his attempt.
Newcastle United vs. “The Big Six” in the Premier League so far this season:
🤝 vs. Man City
❌ vs. Liverpool
🤝 vs. Man Utd
✅ vs. Spurs
✅ vs. Chelsea
🤝 vs. ArsenalNot bad. 👀 pic.twitter.com/BGYDAdj1jR
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 3, 2023
In the end, the two best defenses in the Premier League would ultimately cancel each other out but many in the Arsenal camp will feel as though this match could have – or should have – been won on a night that lacked attacking sharpness from Arsenal. Newcastle will no doubt return to Tyneside pleased with a shutout on the road against the current league leaders in what was a strong defensive performance that the club can build on moving forward.
📰 Table Of Contents
Arsenal Player Ratings
- GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 6.5
- RB: Ben White – 7
- CB: William Saliba – 6.5
- CB: Gabriel Magalhães – 7
- LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6.5
- CM: Thomas Partey – 7
- CM: Granit Xhaka – 7
- CAM: Martin Ødegaard – 6.5
- RW: Bukayo Saka – 7
- LW: Gabriel Martinelli – 6.5
- CF: Eddie Nketiah – 6
- Sub: Takehiro Tomiyasu – 6
Newcastle United Player Ratings
- GK: Nick Pope – 7
- RB: Kieran Trippier – 7
- CB: Fabian Schär – 7
- CB: Sven Botman – 7
- LB: Dan Burn – 6.5
- DM: Bruno Guimarães – 7
- CM: Sean Longstaff – 6
- CM: Joe Willock – 7
- RW: Miguel Almirón – 6.5
- LW: Joelinton – 6.5
- CF: Callum Wilson – 6
- Sub: Chris Wood – 6
- Sub: Jacob Murphy – 6
- Sub: Allan Saint-Maximin – N/A
Key Performers
Kieran Trippier’s first half by numbers vs. Arsenal:
80% pass accuracy
9 passes into the final third
4 ball recoveries
4/4 long balls completed
3/3 ground duels won
2 key passes
2 crosses completed
1/1 aerial duels won
1 blockWinning every battle. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/EJ9QbRQPc0
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 3, 2023
Miguel Almirón made more tackles (5) than any other player on the pitch in the first half.
Putting in a big shift as usual. 🔋 pic.twitter.com/eCDtAphnz5
— Squawka (@Squawka) January 3, 2023
Social Media
Arsenal are the only team with a 100% home record in the Premier League this season:
WWWWWWW
◉ Goals: 22
◉ Conceded: 8
◉ Clean sheets: 1Live Win gives them a 49.1% chance of continuing the streak.#ARSNEW
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) January 3, 2023
Arsenal’s last 10 Premier League home games:
WWWWWWWWWW
Arsenal’s last 11 home games across all competitions against Newcastle:
WWWWWWWWWWW#ARSNEW
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) January 3, 2023
Eddie Nketiah has scored in his last three home #PL starts, will he make it four in a row when @Arsenal host Newcastle? 🤔#ARSNEW pic.twitter.com/wKkhHIdvJ4
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 3, 2023
🗣| Big Dan Burn on tonight’s game 💪 #NUFC #PL #ARSNEW pic.twitter.com/yGCyE1rLPE
— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) January 3, 2023
Not looking like 1st v 3rd so far 😬#BBCFootball #ARSNEW pic.twitter.com/AaWc2AjKGh
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) January 3, 2023
Really good game for a 0-0!
Both teams showing great fight with no inch given. Arsenal shouldn’t worry about the dropped points, as Newcastle are the most organised team in the league!! #ARSNEW— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) January 3, 2023
A great defensive display from the Toon with a little help from the brilliant Nick Pope. Hard to beat, hard to play against. Love it 👏🏻👏🏻⚫️⚪️⚫️⚪️ #ARSNEW
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) January 3, 2023
