“Game one, done” says Arteta after Arsenal beat Newcastle

Dubai: Arsenal kept their composure in the Premier League title race, edging past Newcastle United 1-0 to bring an end to their recent winless run.

Eberechi Eze’s ninth-minute strike sent Arsenal back to the top of the table, though manager Mikel Arteta remains measured in his outlook.

Reflecting on the result, he said: “Game one, done! We've been talking about that reset after Manchester City, and do what is in our hands.

“We certainly approached the game the right way, started quite well, and scored a beautiful goal.

The goal marked Eze’s 10th in red and white as he reached double figures for the season, while it also extended the team’s remarkable set-piece record, with their 17th goal from a corner in the Premier League this campaign, setting a new all-time league record.

Notably, only two of those have come from short corners, both of which were scored against Newcastle.

“We believed it was the right thing to do against the physicality and the way they have adapted to us in set-pieces to try something else,” said Arteta.

“When we did it the first time, the crowd wasn't very sure about that, it didn't work out. So, the second time, do you have the courage to do the right thing? And the players did it, we did it. It didn't work out, he shot but it went off target.

“Then the big question is, do you have the courage to do it again? And the boys did it and I love that. When there’s so much at stake, when it's tense, when there is doubt and you make decisions, we believed it was the right thing to do and we got rewarded for that behaviour.”

Arsenal ended a two-game winless run in the Premier League with their victory over Newcastle, bouncing back after suffering a significant setback in the title race following a defeat to rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.

That loss allowed City to move three points closer, before they further closed the gap by winning their game in hand against Burnley in midweek.

However, with City occupied by an FA Cup semi-final this weekend, the momentum has swung back towards Arsenal, who have now shifted the pressure onto their rivals to win another game in hand in order to move ahead of the Gunners in the title race.