Premier League 2019/20: Newcastle United 0-1 Arsenal - 5 Hits and Flops

After a positive summer, Arsenal started their Premier League campaign with a trip to Tyneside, facing Newcastle United. For the first time since 2011, Gunners were playing their opening league fixture away from the Emirates Stadium.

Despite making six signings, Unai Emery had a few selection headaches ahead of the clash, with Lucas Torreira and Alexandre Lacazette deemed not fit enough to start against the Magpies.

Amid the issues, the Spaniard set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 shape with last season's top-scorer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the line. On the opposing side, Newcastle United's new manager, Steve Bruce preferred the 5-3-2 formation used by his predecessor Rafael Benitez.

However, both sides fail to make any substantial impact during the opening 45 minutes, resulting in a drab first-half. But, after the break, Unai Emery's men worked as a cohesive unit and capitalised on the mistake made by Paul Dummett to secure the all-important advantage.

Eventually, Aubameyang's solitary strike proved to be enough as Arsenal managed to emerge with all three points from Tyneside.

Without further ado, let us glance through some of the best and the worst performers from this game.

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#5 Hit: Matteo Guendouzi

Guendouzi (L) was a solid presence in midfield

In the absence of Torreira, the onus was on Matteo Guendouzi to provide industry and purpose to Arsenal's midfield. The French youngster proved to be a calming presence in the middle of the park, staving off Newcastle's initial pressure with aplomb.

At the start, Guendouzi committed a few fouls, but, the midfielder was comfortable against the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron as the game progressed. To negate Newcastle's high press, the France U-21 international used his vision to ping accurate aerial balls accurately towards the wide players.

Also, Guendouzi's combination play with Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock looked promising. However, the moves never materialised due to a lack of quality final balls. The 20-year-old, alongside Granit Xhaka, formed a dynamic engine room, allowing the back four to retain their defensive shape.

All in all, Guendouzi's performance was pivotal for Emery's side as they gained three points at St. James' Park.

#4 Flop: Miguel Almiron

Miguel Almiron had a promising start to the game

With his direct running in the channels, Miguel Almiron asked all sorts of questions from Sokratis, Nacho Monreal and Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the opening quarter of the game. Thus, the Paraguayan's name under this bracket could come as a surprise for a few people, especially after his encouraging start.

Almiron's performance started to deteriorate after he got booked for simulation inside the Arsenal box. That incident marked a change in his game as the Paraguay international tried to win fouls with his play-acting.

Throughout the game, the 25-year-old's decision-making was sub-standard and he struggled to time his final passes and runs behind Arsenal defence. Also, in the second half, Almiron failed to combine well with the wing backs, Javier Manquillo and Matt Ritchie.

However, Almiron's linkup with Joelinton looked promising, suggesting that the Magpies have a lot of potential on that front. These two have the ability to create a mouth-watering partnership. The Brazilian's brilliant hold-up play could be a key factor in releasing Almiron to make his trademark thrusts behind the opposition defence.

#3 Hit: Paul Dummett

Paul Dummett played an important role in restricting Arsenal to a solitary goal

Despite losing the game, Newcastle United were a tough nut to crack as they conceded courtesy a misunderstanding between Paul Dummett and Jetro Willems.

Apart from his misplaced pass, Dummett provided solid cover to marauding left wing-back, Matt Ritchie. The 27-year-old also read Aubameyang's darting runs to perfection, managing to push the Gabonese forward to his weaker left-side almost invariably. Ainsley Maitland-Niles' purposeful runs on the flanks were kept in check by the Welsh international.

Thus, he played a pivotal role in the Magpies' solid defensive showing.

In addition to his defensive discipline, Dummett has developed a blooming partnership with Ritchie, finding the wing-back with his aerial dinks on a consistent basis. His awareness allowed a smooth defensive transition from three central defenders to a five-back for Steve Bruce's XI.

Regardless of his lack of communication with Jetro Willems in the situation that led to the goal, Dummett's solid performance hints towards a few clean sheets for Newcastle this season.

#2 Flop: Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan lacked end product in his game

In spite of dominating ball-possession in the first half, Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances. There was a lot of mobility among the players but they lacked the final pass to penetrate Newcastle United's defensive block.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with his wasteful outing in the first half, pretty much summed up Arsenal's performance in that duration. The Armenia international occupied threatening positions in between the lines, but, he often overcooked, under-cooked or mistimed his passes, failing to unlock the defence.

The 30-year-old failed to release Aubameyang with his through balls, often finding the striker in an offside position. Mkhitaryan also failed to hit the target from the edge of the box after finding himself unmarked in the 23rd minute..

To sum up his average evening, Mkhitaryan was shown the yellow card for a late challenge on Isaac Hayden. Similar to his poor outings in the past, the Armenian struggled due to a lack of concentration, leading to inconsistent decisions.

#1 Hit: Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang proved to be the difference between the sides

Similar to his side's performance on Sunday evening, it was a tale of two halves for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international struggled to find space behind Newcastle's defence as the wide defenders constantly blocked the deliveries projected into the box.

Aubameyang looked sluggish as he failed to time his runs and fell into Newcastle's offside trap in the first 45 minutes. The break proved to be a turning point as the Gabonese stretched the defence with his darting runs across the channels in the second period.

In the 58th minute, Maitland-Niles capitalised on a moment's hesitation between Jetro Willems and Paul Dummett. The right-back then delivered a cross into the box and Aubameyang used his predatory instincts to occupy the perfect position, finishing the chance in a one-on-one situation with Martin Dubravka.

Towards the dying moments of the game, Aubameyang did well to run the clock by shielding the ball in wide channels with Granit Xhaka alongside him.