Arsenal secured a second-place finish in the Premier League after grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium, in a match where David Raya’s heroics proved crucial.
The Gunners endured a turbulent start to the contest, with Newcastle bursting out of the blocks and threatening to overwhelm Mikel Arteta’s side in the opening 20 minutes.
Dan Burn, Sven Botman, and Bruno Guimarães all came close to giving the Magpies an early lead, only to be denied by a series of stunning point-blank saves from Raya.
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The Spanish goalkeeper’s performance was the difference-maker during a period where Newcastle generated 1.2 of their total 1.60 expected goals.
Despite weathering the early storm, Arsenal failed to establish any real attacking rhythm in the first half. The hosts registered a mere 0.37 goal before the break, struggling to penetrate Newcastle’s low defensive block and lacking the creativity to fashion clear-cut opportunities.
However, Arsenal were much more clinical in the second period. Declan Rice emerged as the match-winner just five minutes before the hour mark, calmly slotting a first-time finish into the bottom corner to break the deadlock. It was a rare moment of incisiveness from a side that ended the match with just over 0.65 goal overall.
Ben White had a chance to double the lead late on, but his miss ultimately mattered little as Newcastle were unable to rediscover the energy and dominance they displayed in the first half.
Eddie Howe’s men faded after the interval and failed to mount a meaningful comeback.The win guarantees Arsenal second place in the Premier League, capping off another season of progress under Arteta.
They will wrap up their campaign next week against already relegated Southampton, with their final position secured.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United will look to bounce back in their season finale at home to Everton on May 25, where a win is crucial to their hopes of European qualification.
While not the most fluent of performances from Arsenal, it was a display of resilience and clinical finishing — attributes that have defined their season.
