Arsenal continue descent into Arsene Wenger-inspired adequacy under Mikel Arteta

Arsenal are back where they’re comfortable, battling for Champions League qualification. It’s like the Arsene Wenger days, in the style of Jose Mourinho.

Mikel Arteta has mellowed somewhat since describing the officials as an “absolute disgrace” in the same fixture last season, distancing himself from the Arsenal conspiracy theorists on social media by brushing off three red cards he would previously have had much more to say about.

But there’s been a less positive change in his team from then to now. They were level on points with Manchester City heading into that clash almost exactly a year ago but were (and still are) five points shy of the champions on this occasion, and playing rather less dominant and attractive football, with comparisons to Jose Mourinho that Arteta claims he took as a compliment seen as a slight by many, and by all when the more pragmatic, physical style doesn’t lead to results.

Arsenal had lost on three of their last four visits to St James’ Park but Newcastle went into this game having claimed just two points from their last five games, albeit on the back of a confidence-boosting win over Chelsea’s second team in the Carabao Cup.

After Manchester United finally put Erik ten Hag out of his misery this week we suggested Eddie Howe may come under increasing pressure without the sack buffer the Dutchman has been providing. But this was the most Newcastle display we’ve seen from Newcastle in a long time.

Everything, whether in defence or attack, was done with intensity, and although Arteta has built a team of giants, Arsenal were outfought and overpowered by their opponents.

Anthony Gordon’s first thought was to run at defenders, Alexander Isak gave Kai Havertz a lesson in how to lead a line, Joelinton was pumped up from minute one, Bruno Guimaraes was similarly enthused but showed the requisite poise in his deeper role, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall were impeccable, and Joe Willock was back to his best.

It was a simply wonderful, wonderfully simple, throwback goal from Newcastle. A pass wide to right-footed right winger Gordon, who swung a pinpoint cross first time straight onto the head of Proper Centre-Forward Isak to nod past David Raya. Brilliant.

One of Arsenal’s reinstated centre-backs could perhaps have been closer to Isak, Jurrien Timber could have closed Gordon down quicker, but the final ball and finish were far more about attacking excellence than lax defending.

It was a poor header from Thomas Partey that led to the goal but Newcastle carved out other opportunities by progressing the ball through midfield far more easily than is typical against an Arsenal side whose greatest strength is usually in defending as one.

It was a bold selection by Arteta, who fielded Leandro Trossard behind Havertz, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the wings. And although anyone would be hard pushed to suggest the thing they miss most about Martin Odegaard is his pressing and desire to block passing lanes – particularly after a game in which they struggled to open Newcastle up and create chances – Trossard’s defensive inferiority was at least as evident as his failure to produce key passes and moments of magic in the final third.

Nick Pope didn’t have to make a save – not one. Mikel Merino had an effort blocked after a bit of set-piece pinball, there was a Saka cross early in the piece that flashed across the six-yard box and Declan Rice forged a half-chance for himself before fluffing a header in stoppage time. But that was about it.

Arsenal never looked like scoring until that last-gasp chance for Rice and wouldn’t have deserved a point had they bungled it. They are a team hugely lacking in belief, which has slowly but steadily ebbed away this season to a point where they’re as low as they’ve been since the end of the 2022/2023 campaign when their unlikely title challenge fell apart.

With the high likelihood of Arsenal being eight points behind Manchester City and seven behind Liverpool by 5 o’clock they’ve ducked out of the title race rather earlier this time around, and given their concerning lack of confidence their heads may now turn to look over their shoulder, at Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham and the battle for Champions League qualification, as was deemed adequate for over a decade under Arsene Wenger.

Having been a team that’s churned out results at a slightly inferior level to Manchester City over the last couple of seasons, they now look more like the flaky, getatable sides of Wenger’s latter days, without the joy those teams would provide for the neutral through a style of football directly opposed to the Mourinho-ball we’re now enduring from Arteta’s Arsenal.