Two-and-a-half years ago, their challenge for a Champions League place ground to a halt against Newcastle at St James’ Park. Now a title challenge may have reached a premature end on Tyneside. Certainly, Arsenal have seven months to assess just how damaging a third defeat in four visits will prove.
With one point from a possible nine, with a second successive away loss, they have stumbled when they needed to surge. This time, the loss of points was not due to a loss of players. Arsenal finished with the full 11 but with a solitary shot on target. Nor could this be attributed to the officiating, unlike last autumn’s loss to Newcastle. Instead, they were unsuccessful and uninspired, shorn of ideas and incision. “We deserved to lose,” admitted Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta. “It is not about winning the title, it is about being our best version every week.” They weren’t, leaving him speechless: “We will struggle to find the words today.”
They needed a footballing eloquence, too. It seems as though Arteta’s gameplan has been pared back to keeping a clean sheet and scoring with a moment of quality. Instead, Newcastle did that, Alexander Isak’s early goal stemming from Anthony Gordon’s pinpoint cross. Just as they had done at Bournemouth, Arsenal failed to score.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 03, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 03, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
'Last thing I saw was that half of Syria was liberated'
Former Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini speaks candidly to Jack Rathborn about her country's future after the dramatic removal of the dictator Bashar al-Assad earlier this month
The 30 medal sports legend you may not have heard of
A Paralympic veteran, Sarah Storey tells Luke Baker why we struggle to celebrate para-athletes doing incredible things
Haaland's spot-kick sums up limp and lifeless City
So, no Christmas miracle for the man christened Josep. Instead, his new normal continued.
Gakpo emerges as Reds' latest game-changing star
Liverpool are accustomed to singing about walking through the storm.
Labour won't kill the British pub - but some will still die
The institution is safe for the time being but Budget tax hikes will affect those that are already struggling
China greenlight 'world's biggest' hydro dam in Tibet.despite flooding concerns
China has approved the construction of the world's largest hydropower dam on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau despite protests over its ecological impact and concerns it could affect millions of people downstream in India and Bangladesh.
Asia marks 20 years since.tragic Boxing Day tsunami
One of world's worst natural disasters claimed 228.000 lives
Israel confirms attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen
Israel's military has confirmed that it struck multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen yesterday, including Sanaa International Airport and three ports along the western coast.
Syria's rebels planned years ahead for life after Assad
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commanders talk to Bel Trew about the planning and military innovations that brought them victory
Moscow 'foiled' multiple Ukraine assassination plots
Russia has claimed it has foiled several Ukrainian plots to assassinate senior officers and their families using bombs disguised as power banks or document folders.
