Arsenal sealed their return to the Champions League with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Newcastle United, a end result that additionally leaves them getting ready to a second-place Premier League end.
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Having already misplaced thrice to Eddie Howe‘s facet this season, Mikel Arteta‘s males went into the sport realizing that victory would assure qualification and all however affirm runners-up spot. Defeat would have seen Newcastle leapfrog them with only one match remaining.
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Kai Havertz returned to the bench . Declan Rice, whose absence at Anfield was mistakenly reported as hamstring-related (it was his hip), began in midfield. Leandro Trossard, substituted final weekend with a suspected hamstring subject, was additionally named within the XI and was wonderful all through the sport.
Newcastle, in the meantime, had been with out Alexander Isak and Joelinton.
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Carrying their new 2025/26 residence package, Arsenal managed early possession, nevertheless it was David Raya who stored them degree with 5 wonderful saves within the first half. Newcastle had 10 photographs to Arsenal’s 5 earlier than the break, 5 of them on course.
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The Gunners struggled to shift out of second gear, enjoying like a facet who knew a sport towards already-relegated Southampton nonetheless awaited them subsequent weekend and so they may type all of it out then.
It was goalless at half-time, however solely due to Raya.
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One massive concern got here at halftime when William Saliba was changed by Riccardo Calafiori with what’s, on the time of writing, an unspecified damage.
Arsenal had been sharper within the second half. Declan Rice, largely absent within the opening 45 minutes, produced the match-winning second with a elegant end that curled past Nick Pope into the far nook from a Martin Odegaard help.
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As Newcastle pushed for an equaliser, Arsenal resisted a short spell of stress, however Raya remained comparatively untested after the break.
Kieran Tierney got here on within the 88th minute for a farewell look earlier than his return to Celtic. Kai Havertz additionally featured within the remaining quarter-hour, making his first look since February. In stoppage time, Jorginho was launched in what is anticipated to be his final sport on the Emirates forward of a transfer to Flamengo.
The sport resulted in a skirmish following a late nook, with Jakub Kiwior and Dan Burn each booked after a short melee.
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Talking after the match, Declan Rice admitted Arsenal’s league kind had faltered in latest weeks.
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“We’ve been poor by our requirements the previous few weeks within the Premier League. We clearly went so exhausting within the Champions League, our kind dropped off,” he mentioned.
“We confirmed that grit,” he added, saying Mikel Arteta had challenged them to indicate how a lot they wished it.
“We felt like we had such a very good likelihood within the Champions League, we had the momentum in that, and clearly the league slipped away a few weeks in the past.”
Requested about scoring once more, he mentioned, “About time I began scoring steadily. I favored that end so much, the place I can whip it.”
“Actually tough after coming so shut within the Prem,” he continued when requested for his view on the season. “We had been, by our requirements, poor, let’s be actual.
“We’re going to come back again subsequent season, be much more hungry, and win one thing for this membership. That’s what all of us need.”