Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta castigated his side for throwing away a season’s work in a limp 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United that looks set to see the Gunners miss out on the UEFA Champions League for a sixth successive season.
Tottenham Hotspur remain two points above their north London rivals in fourth place in the English Premier League.
Spurs now realistically only need a draw away to already-relegated Norwich City on Sunday to secure a top-four finish thanks to their superior goal difference.
Photo: Reuters
Arsenal’s defeat also guaranteed third-place Chelsea’s place in the Champions League next season.
Ben White’s own-goal and Bruno Guimaraes’ late strike were the difference between the sides.
Yet the manner of the Newcastle performance was even more impressive as coach Eddie Howe’s men sent a message they could be challenging for a top-four finish themselves next season.
“A really difficult night to swallow,” Arteta said. “Newcastle deserved to win comfortably. They were much better from the first minute, we had nothing in the game.”
“They were much better than us in everything that a football match requires. We could not cope tonight with the game we had to play here,” he said.
Arteta’s men were in the driving seat with three games to go as they lead Spurs by four points, but Tottenham’s 3-0 derby win on Thursday cranked up the pressure on the young Gunners who failed to respond.
“Newcastle were 10 times better than us and the performance was nowhere near what we need to play in the Champions League,” Arteta added. “We weren’t at the races.”
Only Manchester City and Liverpool have won more Premier League points than the Magpies this year.
“It was a brilliant all-round performance. It was front foot, we never let up and that’s the most pleasing thing,” Howe said. “We have to improve and work incredibly hard to improve everything about the team over the summer. It’s a massive club, we have big ambitions, but I have to focus on how we do it rather than talk.”
Newcastle’s upturn under Howe had been lacking a scalp against one of the Premier League’s traditional top six.
Yet they got that and more as Arsenal were lucky to escape without a more comprehensive defeat.
Aaron Ramsdale was nearly embarrassed when Miguel Almiron blocked his clearance early on.
However, the England international kept his side in the game with a brilliant save to deny Allan Saint-Maximin at his near post.
The hosts’ pressure was finally rewarded when Joelinton’s dangerous low cross just evaded Callum Wilson and flew into the unfortunate White who touched it past his own goalkeeper.
Newcastle are firmly rooted in the middle of the table, but looked like the side with more on the line as they continued to storm forward.
Wilson fired over from Guimaraes’ cross and then sent an audacious effort floating inches past the post.
In between times Ramsdale produced another big stop from a one-on-one with Jacob Murphy.
A second Newcastle goal seemed only a matter of time and it duly arrived five minutes from time when again Wilson was denied by Ramsdale, but Guimaraes swept home the rebound for his fifth goal since a January move from Lyon.
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