Arsenal Premier League hopes hit by unlikely rivals Newcastle

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England — The handshakes were cursory and the celebrations prolonged. Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe said Saturday’s 1-0 win over Arsenal “means so much more” because of recent poor results, but there is another reason; Alexander Isak’s 12th-minute header not only dented the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes, but also deepened one of the division’s more unlikely rivalries.

Howe and Mikel Arteta have attempted to make their sides more combative and streetwise as they eye grander prizes. As a result, when these teams clash, sparks tend to fly. This was another feisty affair — albeit without the acute flashpoints of the past — but the seismic consequences of Newcastle’s win creates a new chapter in the growing animosity between two clubs with no geographical or historical reason to square off until recent years.

Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian-led takeover in 2021 awoke a sleeping giant determined to gatecrash the established elite, a place where Arsenal have habitually resided despite waiting 20 years for a league title. Arteta refused to think in those terms despite missing an opportunity to close the gap on Liverpool (who won their match later on Saturday, while Manchester City also lost) at the top of the table but couldn’t help a small dig at Newcastle on his way out of St James’ Park.

“You know the game they want to play,” he said after the match. “It’s clear. You get dragged into that kind of game too often and we weren’t good enough and didn’t have enough answers to get out of that constantly.”

Howe dismissed Arteta’s assessment as “irrelevant,” like any other “outside noise.” Both managers are too savvy to be drawn into open warfare, but the enmity between Newcastle and Arsenal undoubtedly exists and has grown in recent years.

On-field frustration

Newcastle inflicted a damaging 2-0 defeat on Arsenal at the end of the 2021-22 season that effectively ended their hopes of Champions League qualification. Although the Gunners’ insipid performance that night triggered a furious reaction from Arteta, his ire was focused inward rather than towards his opponents given they mustered so little threat despite the stakes in play.

Things changed in January 2023. Newcastle held Arsenal 0-0 at Emirates Stadium in a match featuring escalating anger and frustration as the visitors defended resolutely and frequently slowed the game down. The ball was in play for around eight minutes less than the Premier League average for a match at the time. Arsenal were aggravated further in injury time as a late penalty appeal for a handball from Jacob Murphy was not awarded by referee Andy Madley and VAR did not intervene.

Arteta and Howe exchanged heated words on the touchline and afterwards the Spaniard said: “We had so many situations and then we had two scandalous penalties. They are two penalties, it’s very simple. I’m talking about what I’ve seen, now, and it’s two scandalous penalties. I am not sure why they set up like that. They haven’t set up like that against any team this season.”

A source has told ESPN that Arsenal subsequently used the example of Newcastle’s running the clock down that day — which began early in the first half — in subsequent conversations with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) on how to improve officiating. There was, then, particular satisfaction when Arsenal returned the favour during a 2-0 win at St James’ in May 2023.

Howe said: “They slowed it down. Lots of breaks in play, frustrating for us. Naturally, we wanted the ball in play more, especially when you’re chasing the game.” Arteta said in response: “For sure, our team isn’t like that.” Except they are.

Before Saturday, since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal have received 21 yellow cards for time-wasting. Only Aston Villa (34) and Chelsea (24) recorded more. After the first five games of this season, Arsenal delayed restarting play more than any other team, on average for 34 seconds.

In their first nine league games of the season, the Gunners had received seven yellow cards for time-wasting — a league high. That can partly be explained by Arsenal needing to manage games having gone down to 10 men on three separate occasions, but it is also a measure of the street-smarts Arteta has attempted to instill in his young squad.

Newcastle have a habit slowing the game down, too. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, only Leeds United (51 minutes and 58 seconds) have been involved in matches with less time where the ball is in play than Newcastle (54:06). Arsenal are 10th by that particular metric on 56:51.

In his customary style, Howe tried to diffuse the situation before Saturday’s game by claiming accusations of his side time-wasting and employing “dark arts” were “in part, over-hyped and talked about more because we were [winning and leading games] a lot that season.”

Yet on Saturday, Arteta bemoaned the number of fouls his team conceded — 18 to Newcastle’s 16 — and his frustration at the type of game this became. After starting well, Isak scored, the momentum shifted and Newcastle dug deep and defended — with a degree of comfort — for almost all of the second half as Arsenal struggled to break them down. This time, at least, Arteta kept his frustrations in check on the touchline.

Off-field friction

The tension between the two clubs truly exploded last season when Arsenal visited St James’ Park. A tight game was settled by a solitary goal which the Gunners believed should never have stood. Anthony Gordon’s 64th-minute strike secured a 1-0 win for Newcastle after surviving three separate VAR checks to determine whether the ball went out of play, if there was a foul in the build-up and for a possible offside.

Arteta was apoplectic afterwards, saying: “We lost the match because of the clear and obvious decisions. It’s embarrassing. A disgrace. That’s what it is — a disgrace. You cannot imagine the amount of messages I got saying this cannot continue. I am wasting my time. We are wasting our time. I don’t want to be in the hands of people.”

Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal had been engaging in what they felt was constructive dialogue in an effort to help improve the standard of officiating in the league, and Arteta’s postmatch comments should therefore be viewed through that prism rather than any abuse of the match officials. It was an argument which formed a key part of Arteta’s defence at an independent Regulatory Commission hearing after the FA charged him with misconduct.

At the hearing, Arsenal left nothing to chance. While the Football Association relied on two people to argue their case, Arteta had no fewer than six people in his corner: two barristers, Richard Garlick (then Arsenal’s director of football operations, now the club’s managing director) and three of Arsenal’s in-house legal team. Arsenal’s sense of injustice was fuelled by former midfielder Joe Willock — who was a second-half substitute for Newcastle in that 1-0 defeat — privately admitting to several Gunners players that he felt the goal should have been disallowed.

Arteta was subsequently cleared. One source with links to Newcastle said the club watched these proceedings with a “wry smile” from afar, noting that whatever complaints Arsenal had, in the same game Kai Havertz could easily have been sent off for a first-half lunge at Sean Longstaff.

Speaking on Friday, Arteta was asked by ESPN whether he felt there were any lasting consequences from such a public spat with PGMOL. He responded: “No, hopefully we are past it. We talked through it in depth and that’s done. It is a year. A year in football is a long, long time.” The Gordon goal, however, was a moment Arteta admitted skipping past in his video preparation for Saturday’s return.

What should concern him more after this latest defeat was how they wilted after a promising start and lacked the requisite invention in their play without captain Martin Odegaard. Even their set-piece plays were poor, chiefly because of Declan Rice’s unusually inaccurate delivery.

Touchline antics

Arteta has regularly been criticised for his past behaviour on the touchline. It is something the 42-year-old himself has sought to address after a series of clashes with officials and managers, including Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall during the 0-0 draw in Jan. 2023.

Together with PGMOL, the FA and the EFL, the Premier League attempted to tighten the rules around touchline activity at the beginning of last season by preventing more than one person standing at the front of the technical area during matches. Sources have told ESPN that Tindall’s behaviour was cited in discussions prior to the rule being implemented, something ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp later hinted at by joking in Aug. 2023 that “I think it’s only for one team a real problem: Newcastle. Sorry!”

Under the stricter new rules, Arteta was booked five times last season — a league high for managers alongside former Brighton & Hove Albion

“On the touchline I haven’t got to that point where I am in meditation mode yet, but maybe it is something that has to happen,” he said. “I just want the best for the team and I want to give the team the best chance to be as competitive as possible, to win the majority of the football matches. When they changed the rules and certain behaviours towards the touchline we need to adapt to that and evolve. That is what I try to do.”

That attempt to adapt at least in part explains Arteta’s palpable annoyance at Tindall on Saturday. He could be seen on more than one occasion pointing out to fourth official Darren Bond that Tindall was stood alongside Howe in breach of the rules.

Arteta also held up four fingers to Bond in pointing out the number of fouls Joelinton committed without being booked. There were handshakes at full-time but no lingering embrace and, doubtlessly, no love lost.

Transfers

It would be a stretch to suggest the two clubs are reluctant to do business with each other in the transfer market but there are many instances of admiring glances being cast in the direction of players on the opposing team. Willock left Arsenal for Newcastle in Aug. 2021 for £25 million and he started in midfield on Saturday alongside Bruno Guimarães, who the Gunners have previously shown an interest in. No offer ever materialised, but due to the potential transfer fee involved, Arsenal looked elsewhere.

The same is true of Isak, who in that context somewhat inevitably made them pay with a superb winning goal, benefitting from Gordon’s superb delivery to plant a firm header past David Raya on 12 minutes.

Arsenal have been scouring the market for a striker over recent months and looked at alternatives when their preferred choice, Benjamin Sesko, signed a new contract to stay at Red Bull Leipzig.

Isak — who now has 12 goals in his last 12 home games in the league — can count Chelsea among his potential suitors but all clubs were told by Newcastle in the summer that they were reluctant to let him leave and would not countenance anything less than a British-record transfer. That means they would hold out for a fee in excess of the £115m that Chelsea paid Brighton for Moisés Caicedo.

Newcastle explored moves for Arsenal fringe players Aaron Ramsdale — who eventually joined Southampton — and Kieran Tierney but without success.

Differing outlooks

These two clubs are increasingly opposed at a philosophical level. Arsenal self-funded their move to Emirates Stadium and are part of an established elite sometimes sceptical of new money motives and methodology. Owned outright by Kroenke Sports Enterprises since 2018, sources say the Gunners are broadly supportive of the league’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, at least in terms of trying to bring some sensibility to spending.

Newcastle were acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021 with the aim of “regularly competing for major trophies” — a goal that would be much easier to reach if spending was unchecked and authorities took a liberal approach to sponsorship deals involving companies linked to a club’s owners.

Manchester City’s recent legal case against the Premier League over those associated party transaction (APT) rules exposed the fault lines further. The argument centred on how APTs are controlled, specifically if and how potential sponsor agreements involving companies already closely tied to a club should be assessed by fair market value to avoid artificial inflation. Restrictions on fair market values were introduced by the Premier League shortly after Newcastle’s takeover in Dec. 2021, with clubs voting 12-6 in favour with two abstaining.

When the case was heard, City argued the rules were anti-competitive and therefore unlawful. Acting as witnesses for City were Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton — three clubs which have all been the subject of takeovers within the last three years. On the other side, Arsenal were called as a witness for the Premier League along with Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham among others.

A complicated verdict was announced last month — both sides claimed victory as the Premier League argued the APT framework was upheld but City pointed out some of their complaints were upheld. It was a prelude to City’s bigger fight with the Premier League regarding 115 charges of breaching financial rules — a case currently being heard — but also underlined the differing viewpoints at boardroom level that have created unexpected alliances and enemies among top-flight clubs.

Atmosphere

Earlier in his tenure as Arsenal boss, Arteta would regularly cite a desire to make Emirates Stadium a more intimidating venue for opponents by creating a stronger bond with supporters.

In Jan. 2024, he said: “We are really happy with the atmosphere that we have created at the Emirates. It has been really supportive. Can we tweak it and make it even more hostile? I think we can. That’s the next step in my opinion.”