Erling Haaland is the Premier League’s most wasteful striker on current form, toothless Arsenal miss Martin Odegaard & Trent Alexander-Arnold goes tackle crazy to silence Karou Mitoma
Mikel Arteta said before the game that his Arsenal team thrive when they “show their teeth”. Instead, this was a toothless display on the road.
One shot on target, none from open play and Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope was not required to make a save all game. Arsenal’s attack went completely missing.
The Gunners created 1.11 expected goals, so should have found the net at St James’ Park. But the vast majority of the total came from Mikel Merino’s blocked shot and Declan Rice’s late miss. For long periods of the game, Arsenal failed to break down Newcastle’s mid-block and they were missing something.
It appears that if Arsenal have any ambitions to win the Premier League title, or even challenge for it, then Martin Odegaard needs to return from injury quickly. Even after missing the last six weeks of the season, the Arsenal captain has more chances created from open play than any top-flight player.
Odegaard would have provided that killer touch Arsenal missed at Newcastle. He may return in midweek for Inter Milan, but has his reintroduction to the side come too late?
Erling Haaland is officially the most wasteful Premier League striker right now.
Following Man City’s shock defeat to Bournemouth, the Norwegian striker has now missed six big chances in five matches since September 28. He has just one goal in that period.
Haaland is the most under-performing Premier League player in terms of Expected Goals since that date – by quite some distance. Team-mate Bernardo Silva is third on that list.
He had the chance to score a leveller as City applied intense pressure deep into stoppage time, but his header was saved by Cherries goalkeeper Mark Travers. To add insult to injury, he put his rebound onto the post from point-blank range. The first effort had an xG of 0.21, the second one had an xG of 0.35.
It was an off-day all round and a reminder that Haaland is, in fact, human. But City could do with him returning to his robotic best sharpish.
Dan Long
Twice in the second half, Newcastle players celebrated successful defensive actions as if they had scored a goal. Bruno Guimaraes winning a throw-in – cue exuberant fist pumps. Joelinton outmuscling Gabriel at the far post – bring on the roar in front of thousands of baying home fans
This was the kind of Newcastle performance that has made Eddie Howe’s side such a tough nut to crack during most of his time in charge – and also served to remind us what they had been missing during a five-game winless run.
The Magpies had been too easy to run through, too easy to score against and too easy to overpower for much of this campaign. But this all changed against Arsenal, who have now suffered defeat – and failed to score – on three of their last four visits to St James’ Park.
Newcastle seem to relish taking on Arteta’s side, embracing the opportunity to frustrate, battle and bruise their title-chasing opponents. Maintain this level, and Howe’s outfit will be back in the mix for the top four.
