LONDON – Arsenal finally broke their season-long struggle against Newcastle United with a tense 1-0 victory in their final Premier League home match on May 18, effectively securing the runners-up position and a coveted spot in next season’s Champions League.
Despite three earlier defeats to Eddie Howe’s squad this season, Arsenal managed to hold their ground. Newcastle had several early chances but failed to capitalize, allowing Declan Rice to ease the tension. In the 55th minute, he made them pay by perfectly connecting with a pass from Martin Odegaard, unleashing a stunning curling shot from outside the box that left Nick Pope with no chance.
Having gone winless in their previous three league outings, Arsenal were grateful for key saves from goalkeeper David Raya during the first half, where he thwarted efforts from Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento, Harvey Barnes, and Dan Burn while Newcastle dominated play.
Whatever pep talk was delivered at halftime seemed to reinvigorate Arsenal. With an away match against bottom club Southampton next weekend, they are poised to finish second for the third year in a row, although this season feels much more distant than previous ones. Arsenal now has 71 points from 37 games, and the only team capable of tying that total is sixth-placed Manchester City, who have two matches left.
“We had a few objectives today. The Champions League spot and runners-up position, and finishing for our supporters in the right manner — we’ve managed to achieve that,” Arteta expressed to reporters following an emotional address to the fans on the pitch.
Newcastle remains in third place with 66 points, but they find themselves only one point ahead of seventh-placed Nottingham Forest, meaning the fight for the remaining Champions League spots will extend to the final day on May 25. A win against Everton at home would secure their qualification for the Champions League.
“It’s going to go down to the wire, and you never know what twists and turns may happen; we need one big effort in the last game,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. “We have to stay calm.”
As the season wore on, Arsenal’s early promise began to fade; a League Cup semi-final loss to Newcastle, a weak challenge for the title against Liverpool, and a Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain meant their campaign lost momentum. They entered the May 18 match knowing that a victory would guarantee a top-five finish and a Champions League spot.
However, the specter of potentially finishing sixth loomed large due to a disappointing record of just one win in their last six league games, despite what had looked like a two-horse title race for most of the season. The absence of Newcastle’s dangerous striker Alexander Isak, sidelined with a groin injury, benefited Arsenal, yet they still appeared anxious, aware that they had not scored a goal against Howe’s men in their first three encounters of the season.
Arsenal was immediately under heavy attack from Newcastle, and only Raya’s bravery kept them in the game. Arsenal made 52 attempts against Newcastle this season, but it was their first goal.
Newcastle posed less threat after conceding, though former Arsenal player Joe Willock did manage to break through but ended up blasting an angled effort over the bar.
