Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gleefully hailed his side for going to “the next level” in a cathartic victory over Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
After being denied a first-half penalty, all the momentum built from Arsenal’s commanding start to the clash at St James’ Park was punctured by Nick Woltemade’s well-taken header on 34 minutes. The Gunners, who had lost their previous three trips to Tyneside without scoring a single goal, threatened to sink to another frustrating defeat.
There was a noticeable wobble throughout the reminder of the first half before Arteta’s side emerged from the interval revitalised. The weight of Arsenal’s pressure eventually told via the most familiar avenue of success, with two headers from a pair of corners snatching all three points.
The win was a seismic one in the context of Arsenal’s dire record against Newcastle and the wider Premier League title race. Liverpool had their perfect start to the campaign curtailed by a stoppage-time defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, offering their title rivals the chance to close the gap at the table’s summit.
Having so often failed to capitalise upon Liverpool’s rare missteps last term, Arteta revelled in their dramatic triumph on Sunday.
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“There are moments in the season and obviously with the start that we had already and the difficult fixtures that we had, today we had the opportunity to close that gap and do it in a stadium that has a very recent and difficult past for us. I think it shows how much the team wants it,” Arteta beamed at full time.
“We discussed to go to the next level, first of all you have to learn from the past and certainly we take some lessons and very different and sore moments in this ground.
“Today was an opportunity that the game brings you again in a really important week in the Premier League after all the tough places that we’ve already been very early in the season to show who we are, who do we want to be, our ambition and the way that we want to play. I think the team has done that today in a remarkable way.”
Arsenal were handed a daunting opening run of fixtures. Yet, despite already facing four of last season’s top seven, the Gunners have emerged with 13 points from six games. Liverpool are just two points better off at this early stage of the campaign despite playing just two sides which finished higher than ninth last term.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Next Level’—Mikel Arteta Fires Title Warning to Liverpool After Arsenal Banish Demons.
