3️⃣ points as Pépé shines to lead Arsenal to win over Newcastle | OneFootball

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Joel Sanderson-Murray·16 February 2020

3️⃣ points as Pépé shines to lead Arsenal to win over Newcastle

Article image:3️⃣ points as Pépé shines to lead Arsenal to win over Newcastle

Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 4-0 victory over Newcastle United thanks to goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pépé, Mesut Özil and Alexandre Lacazette.

The Gunners have moved up to tenth in the Premier League table, five points behind sixth-placed Sheffield United.


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Here are our main takeaways from the Emirates Stadium…


Gunners turn on the style

Article image:3️⃣ points as Pépé shines to lead Arsenal to win over Newcastle

It’s early days in the Mikel Arteta era at the Emirates.

The former assistant to Pep Guardiola has not had a pre-season with his players yet, but would have made the most out of their training camp in Dubai during the winter break.

What we have seen in previous games is a team that struggles in patches but also has the ability to dominate proceedings, and this was on display this afternoon.

Newcastle were the better team for much of the first half.

They were dangerous on the counter-attack and caused the Arsenal defence some real problems, spurred on by the impressive Allan Saint-Maximin and Valentino Lazaro, who was making his first start for the Magpies.

However, the second half was really impressive from the Gunners.

Arsenal grabbed hold of the game and were much quicker in their approach play.

A quick-fire double from Aubameyang and Pépé at the start of the second-half took this game away from the visitors.

The Gunners were clinical late on to produce some brilliant patterns of play to add to their tally through goals from Özil and Lacazette, although it must be said that Martin Dubravka should have done better for the former.

Arsenal fans may have to be prepared for some inconsistency until the end of the season, but this is a team that has the capability of turning on the style which is promising going forward for Arteta.


The real Nicolas Pépé?

Article image:3️⃣ points as Pépé shines to lead Arsenal to win over Newcastle

Expectation has followed Nicolas Pépé round all season.

Which is only fair, considering he became Arsenal’s record signing when he made the €80m switch from Lille in the summer.

And it has not exactly taken off for the forward just yet, with just three goals and two assists to his name before today’s game.

But the 24-year old shone in the second half to inspire his side to victory.

His cross for the first goal may have been a little hit-and-hope but his finish for the second was emphatic.

This was a much more confident Pépé, he had the look of a player who had a point to prove and he may well be on his way to starting to prove it.

He wasn’t afraid of taking on players, taking responsibility for the ball and posing a threat in a three-man attack with Aubameyang and Eddie Nketiah.

You wonder whether Arteta and his staff made a breakthrough with the forward during the winter break.

Only time will tell.


We love watching Allan Saint-Maximin play 😍

Article image:3️⃣ points as Pépé shines to lead Arsenal to win over Newcastle

Nobody knows what is going to happen when Allan Saint-Maximin gets the ball.

He probably doesn’t even know what he is going to do himself.

But it is sure to be followed with pure excitement, the type of footballer that forces fans to take residence at the edge of their seats.

The Frenchman inflicts fear into defenders. If doesn’t know what he is going to do, then they’re not going to.

Saint-Maximin perhaps brings an interesting debate to the table, because he certainly isn’t a player who is producing unbelievable numbers to help his team. The 22-year old has just one goal and two assists to his name this season.

There has to be a question about his end product, although he could have had an assist today had Joelinton finished off his clever pull-back in the first half.

But you can’t deny that the lad has talent, and he more often than not, lights up the pitch he is playing on.

An unpredictable and eccentric mercurial footballing talent.