Arsenal Beat Newcastle 1-0 To Secure Champions League Football

Arsenal Beat Newcastle 1-0 To Secure Champions League Football

Arsenal have qualified for the UEFA Champions League next season, after a 0-1 away win at Newcastle United ensured the fourth and final qualification spot for the Gunners.

The fixture was the 38th and last round of matches to be played in the Barclays Premier League, and a Laurent Koscielny winner in the second half gave Arsenal all three points.


Newcastle

Harper, Debuchy, Collocini, Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Gutierrez, Tiote, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Gouffran, Cisse.

Arsenal

Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Walcott, Cazorla, Rosicky, Podolski.

The game started poorly with neither side creating many chances, and being the last game of the season, tired minds and tired legs reflected on the players, especially on the Newcastle troops. Arsenal tried to implement their natural passing game, but were unable to create any clear chances in the first half. Even though midfielder Mikel Arteta passed late fitness tests to start the game, he was taken off inside 30 minutes of the match and replaced by Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

The first half ended goalless, and the second half started with Arsenal beginning to show their quality through a packed midfield, with Cazorla, Rosicky and Ramsey combining crisply to create openings in the leaky Newcastle defense. They finally found their way through a scrappy goal after a free kick in Newcastle’s half saw Walcott whip in a ball that deflected of Per Mertesacker and into the path of Koscielny, who scored with an acrobatic finish to put his team in the lead.

News that Tottenham had not scored in their fixture eased pressure off the Gunners, and the London club got into their stride of play. Newcastle lacked creativity and quality, with the help of effective tactics from Arsene Wenger, who man-marked Hatem Ben Arfa and did not let the Frenchman get any space to use his magic feet.

Despite bringing on young striker Adam Campbell and winger Sylvain Marveaux, Alan Pardew’s side lacked team spirit, and struggled to get an accurate ball in Arsenal’s penalty area with enough men to attack it.

Good news for Arsenal fans, as they are finally assured Champions League football next season, something the club has never missed out on since the inception of the Premier League in the early 90s.