We went goal crazy for the third league game in a row to thrash Newcastle United, and keep pace with Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
A Sven Botman own goal on 17 minutes got the ball rolling before Kai Havertz added a second six minutes later, meaning that our 12-game unbeaten home record against the Geordies never really came under threat.
After the interval, Bukayo Saka scored for the fifth Premier League game in succession to end the contest midway through the half and Jakub Kiwior swiftly added a fourth as we clocked up 15 goals in our last three matches. Even though former Gunner Joe Willock netted a late consolation, nothing could spoil a tremendous display from Mikel Arteta’s men.
Excellent start
The boss called for the Emirates atmosphere to be ramped up ahead of the game, and the home supporters responded to the call by boisterously backing their boys in the early stages, spurring them on to completely dominate the first half.
All the action in the opening 45 was in the Newcastle half with Eddie Howe’s team sitting deep and attempting to soak up pressure. However, it wasn’t as effective as in recent meetings between the teams as Saka and Declan Rice both fired straight at Loris Karius early on, who was making his first Premier League appearance since 2018.
But on 17 minutes we took the lead - albeit through a visiting defender. Our set-piece practice came to the fore again when Saka fizzed a dangerous delivery into the area for Gabriel to head goalwards powerfully, but Karius made a solid save to keep it out.
His defenders panicked with the ball bouncing on their goalline, and Tino Livramento tried to clear but it struck Botman and Karius was unable to prevent the ricochet from crossing the line as we took a deserved lead.
Havertz scores again
That raised the decibel levels further, and six minutes later they reached record highs when we doubled our advantage.
A gorgeous chipped pass from Jorginho over the backline fell nicely for Gabriel Martinelli who got to the byline and cut the ball back into space, which Havertz seized to finish a nice move and score in successive league outings.
Such was our control of proceedings that 2-0 didn’t flatter us at the midway point in the half, and we continued to carve out further opportunities to try and blow an opponent out of the water before half-time.
Martinelli continued to be in the thick of action, firstly heading over a Saka cross before blasting into the Clock End, and in a similar vain to his goal at Burnley last week, Saka hammered a shot goalwards which Karius did well to steer away for a corner.
Newcastle failed to register a shot in the first half, meaning the victory virtually seemed in the bag at the break. It was nearly sealed 90 seconds after the restart when Havertz was sent through on goal but a big chance went begging when he scuffed wide of the far post.
The visitors looked to capitalise on that let-off and during their best spell of the game, Anthony Gordon fired low after cutting inside from the left but David Raya found it comfortable to stop, before Alexander Isak went down the same avenue and produced some good footwork but curled over the crossbar.
Two more in quick succession
But the win was sealed midway through the second half when Saka continued his goalscoring purple patch. Some slack Newcastle passing in the final third was punished and the ball found its way out to our No. 7 on the right, but he turned Livramento inside and out before accurately slipping the ball into the bottom corner despite a tight angle.
Having scored 21 goals in our previous five games coming into this one, we were hungry for more and a fourth arrived on 69 minutes. Another dangerous corner was fired into the box by Rice which Kiwior flicked goalwards, and the ball found the net off Lewis Miley with Karius once again helpless to prevent it dribbling over the line.
The Magpies were playing for pride at this stage, and there was a moment of cheer for their travelling fans with five minutes to go when back on familiar ground, Willock headed in a Dan Burn cross to register the Black and Whites’ first goal on our patch since December 2014.
The four-lead was nearly restored in stoppage time when Emile Smith Rowe took aim for the bottom corner and beat Karius, but not Burn who had stepped onto the goalline to clear, but our sixth-straight top-flight victory had long been secured.
Facts and stats
We have scored 2+ goals in our last seven halves of Premier League football, the first team to do so in the competition’s history.
Joe Willock’s goal was Newcastle’s first away to us in all competitions since Ayoze Perez’s strike in December 2014. It ended a run of 860 minutes without a goal for the Magpies at the Emirates Stadium.
This was the fourth time Newcastle have conceded 4+ goals in a Premier League game this season – only in 2021/22 (6) have they done so in more different games across a campaign.
We have scored more goals from set pieces (19, excluding penalties) and more goals from corners (13) than any other side in the Premier League this season.
Bukayo Saka has scored in his last five Premier League appearances. He’s the first Englishman to do so for the club since Ian Wright (a run of seven between September and November 1994).
We have become the sixth side to win at least each of their first six Premier League games from the start of a calendar, with each of the last three going on to win the league that season (Man City in 2021, Liverpool in 2020, Man Utd in 2009, Blackburn in 1994 and Sheffield Wednesday in 1993).
We have won all seven games in which Kai Havertz has scored for us in all competitions. Today was the first time he’s both scored and assisted in a Premier League game since December 2022 (vs Bournemouth).
Newcastle failed to have a single shot in the first half of this match, the first time they’ve done so in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since March 2014 (vs Southampton).
What's next
We have a nine-day gap between games now until we're next in action at Sheffield United on Monday, March 4. We then host Brentford at Emirates Stadium the following Saturday, before Porto head to north London for our Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday, March 12.
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