{"id":2473,"date":"2021-01-19T01:44:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T01:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uncensoredarsenal.com\/?p=2473"},"modified":"2021-01-19T10:57:28","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T10:57:28","slug":"arsenals-trashing-of-newcastle-is-confirmation-of-life-after-ozil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uncensoredarsenal.com\/index.php\/arsenals-trashing-of-newcastle-is-confirmation-of-life-after-ozil\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal\u2019s Trashing of Newcastle Is Confirmation Of Life After Ozil"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Aubameyang breaks his drought in thrashing of Newcastle<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

It was itzy-bitzy during the first half as Arsenal huffed and puffed trying to find the measure of a poor Newcastle. In the second half they were blown away by the superior canons of the Gunners and the 3-0 scoreline is, to my mind, an accurate reflection of the gulf between both teams.<\/p>\n

The Premier league match stats don\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Arsenal<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\nNewcastle United<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

66.4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Possession %<\/td>\n\n

33.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Shots on target<\/td>\n\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Shots<\/td>\n\n

4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

798<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Touches<\/td>\n\n

462<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

632<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Passes<\/td>\n\n

322<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Apparently the Geordies and Bteve Bruce came to London with some notion they could make a game of it. It was a 4-4-2 setup with Andy Carroll and Callum Wilson as forwards with Jonjo Shelvey tasked as the main creative in the middle. I have barely watched them all season and whenever I do Andy Carroll is usually coming off the bench. \u00a0Clearly they must have thought, like all the poor teams that recently rocked up at the Emirates, that Arsenal is vulnerable.<\/p>\n

On the strength of the first half they must have felt heartened by their tactic of sitting back and counter-attacking with long balls aimed in the direction of Carroll. The Gunners defense was up to the task and neither Carroll nor Wilson had a serious sniff at goal.<\/p>\n

In return, Arsenal had plenty of possession, attacking primarily down the flanks, notably the combination of Saka and Smith-Rowe on the right and Tierney-Xhaka on the left. Apparently they were set up to create chances for Aubameyang who in the first half had at least four shots on goal. A weak left-footed effort in the 8:00 minute; hitting the post in the 14:00 minute after a neat combination by Smith-Rowe and Saka; a left-footed blast over the bar in the 26:00 minute after being sprung on the counter by Smith Rowe; and finally a 43:00 minute left-footed deflected shot, saved by their keeper, when he was again found by Smith-Rowe who had again drifted into the center.<\/p>\n

As the teams trudged off the field at the interval, like most Gooners I feared another night of frustration with the Gabonese obviously lacking in confidence. In my defense at half-time I tweeted the following:<\/p>\n

\n

Newcastle is just another Dundalk or Molde. We should be winning so far doing fuck-all. Only two saves by their GK so far. #ARSNEW<\/a><\/p>\n

— Shotta (@shotta_gooner) January 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n