Premier League 2018-19, Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#3 Newcastle dreadful all across the pitch

Newcastle United had a day to forget

Newcastle United came into the game at the Emirates amidst a patchy run of form. After having enjoyed a decent February, the loss to West Ham and the draw to Bournemouth in March showcased their deficiencies as a team. On Monday, those shortcomings came to the fore again.

For long periods of the game, the visitors weren’t able to get a sniff of the ball. Their midfield looked listless with them being out-passed with worrying regularity. In addition, they couldn’t get close to Arsenal’s wing-backs as Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles had another field day in the attacking third.

Defensively, they looked organised but losses of concentration at crucial junctures cost them dearly. Though they were pretty dreadful across the pitch, their offensive play deserves special mention for being absolutely dire.

Salomon Rondon waged a lone battle in the attacking third as none of his teammates portrayed the bravery to make use of his hold-up play. Miguel Almiron had his first poor game for Newcastle while Ayoze Perez blew more cold than hot.

For a major chunk of the 2018-19 season, the Magpies’ attack has malfunctioned. The Tyneside outfit has only mustered 31 goals across 32 games, which incidentally is the lowest tally apart from that produced by the current bottom three.

With 35 points, Newcastle seems to be relatively safer than their rivals to avoid the drop. Yet, if such toothless displays characterise their upcoming games, they could well find themselves embroiled in a scrap they thought they had avoided.