Gunners melt in feisty cauldron: Newcastle beat Odegaard-less Arsenal in a bad-tempered clash

If it wasn't for the calendar showing we're heading towards the end of 2023, one could conclude we're in the mid-90s after today's Newcastle United vs Arsenal Premier League tie.

It was a super-intense game, with at least a dozen nasty tackles on both ends, endless duels and skirmishes, but not a single praiseworthy moment in footballing terms.

That was the scenery for Saturday's EPL derby, which eventually ended in Newcastle's 1-0 home win, thanks to Anthony Gordon's second-half winner.

As the result suggests, Mikel Arteta's side failed to accommodate to such conditions, losing their usual balance and rhythm in a St. James' Park cauldron.

Straight from the kick-off, we saw an intense game packed with energy, excitement and pace everywhere. What was lacking were the chances on both ends, especially for the visitors, who struggled to find Nketiah and Saka in the absence of their playmaker Martin Odegaard.

On the other end, the Magpies were close to scoring around the 30-minute mark, but Callum Wilson's effort from close range went over the bar.

Instead of goal-scoring opportunities, the rest of the first half provided us with a handful of bad-tempered tackles on both sides. Bruno Gimaraes elbowed Jorginho, while Kai Havertz earned himself a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Longstaff, which could have ended in a sending-off. After the VAR consultancy, referee Stuart Atwell decided only to book the German forward, along with several Newcastle players, who were protesting the decision afterwards.

The chaos launched before the interval continued even after the squads returned from the break. Declan Rice collided with Joellinton, and several other skirmishes broke out. Amid those fights, Newcastle displayed a proper out-of-the-books counter, with Wilson and Almiron setting up a perfect chance for Gordon on the left flank, but the former Everton winger squandered it eventually.

However, the same player netted some 15 minutes later in a complicated situation, which saw as many as three potential reasons to void the goal - possible offside, offensive foul, and out of the bounds! After almost five minutes of checking the footage, in consultancy with his assistants, Atwell decided the goal stands, 1-0.

With their backs to the wall, the visitors opted for a total offensive. Still, it brought them nothing but plenty of ball possession, dropping tons of crosses straight on the heads of the Toon's defenders.

Eddie Howe's crew barricaded themselves successfully inside the six-yard area, and, thus, clinched this critical win, which - believe it or not - saw only two shots on target for the entire 90 minutes.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 11

Saturday

Fulham - Manchester United 0-1 (0-0)

/Fernandes 90+1/

Brentford - West Ham 3-2 (1-2)

/Maupay 11, Mavropanos 55 og, Collins 70 - Kudus 19, Bowen 26/

Burnley - Crystal Palace 0-2 (0-1)

/Schlupp 22, Mitchell 90+4/

Everton - Brighton 1-1 (1-0)

/Mykolenko 7 - Young 84 og/

Manchester City - Bournemouth 6-1 (3-0)

/Doku 30, Bernardo 33, 83, Akanji 37, Foden 64, Ake 88 - Sinisterra 74/

Sheffield United - Wolves 2-1 (0-0)

/Archer 72, Norwood 90+10 pen - Bellegarde 89/

Newcastle United - Arsenal 1-0 (0-0)

/Gordon 64/

Sunday

17:00: (4.40) Nott.Forest (3.50) Aston Villa (1.85)

19:30: (11.0) Luton (7.00) Liverpool (1.22)

Monday

23:00: (2.20) Tottenham (3.50) Chelsea

***odds are subject to change***