Anthony Gordon’s controversial goal secured a 1-0 victory for Newcastle over Arsenal, ending the Gunners’ unbeaten start in the Premier League at St James’ Park.
Gordon’s close-range finish stood as a goal after undergoing a triple VAR check and served as the only difference in a match with few chances. This defeat was Arsenal’s first in 11 league games this season, while it affirmed that Newcastle could compete with top teams.
As a result, Arsenal is in third place on the table, trailing the new leaders Manchester City by two points, while Newcastle is in sixth place, four points behind.
After a scrappy first 15 minutes, Arsenal gradually gained momentum, but despite winning several corners, they only had Jorginho’s skied volley and William Saliba’s wayward header to show for their efforts.
In the 29th minute, Newcastle had barely threatened until Callum Wilson blazed Dan Burns’ knockdown over the crossbar from point-blank range.
The first half was physically intense but lacked quality, with some robust challenges that led to yellow cards for Havertz, Longstaff, and Anthony Gordon.
Arsenal vs Newcastle: Arteta’s men were toothless at St. James’ Park
The Newcastle assistant expressed his displeasure with Havertz’s mistimed challenge to the Arsenal bench. A third Newcastle player, Fabian Schar, was booked shortly afterward, much to the dismay of the Magpies’ fans.
In the closing moments of the first half, Arsenal came close to scoring, but Nick Pope comfortably saved Gabriel Martinelli’s powerful shot.
In the 64th minute, Newcastle broke the deadlock with a goal involving substitutes Jacob Murphy, Joe Willock, and Joelinton, leading to Gordon’s finish. A lengthy VAR check followed to confirm the goal, reviewing whether the ball had gone out of play before Willock’s cross, whether Joelinton had fouled Arsenal’s Gabriel, and whether Gordon had been offside.
Newcastle suffered an injury blow when Murphy injured his shoulder, leading to his replacement by Matt Ritchie. Despite Arsenal’s efforts to equalize, their forward line struggled to create further chances on a disappointing afternoon.
