Watching Arsenal take on Newcastle at the Emirates, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My team, Arsenal, was playing against Newcastle and it was clear that we were the better side. We controlled possession, dominated the game, and created multiple scoring opportunities. But despite all of our efforts, the score remained 0-0.
I was frustrated, to say the least. It wasn’t just that we didn’t come away with the win, but the way Newcastle played was downright unacceptable. They were physical, dirty, and constantly surrounded the referee to whine about every single call. It was clear that they were more interested in getting a draw than actually trying to win the game.
And don’t even get me started on the referee and VAR. They made some outrageous decisions, denying us not one, not two, but three penalty shouts. The first came when Gabriel Magalhaes was nearly shirtless after being grabbed on a free kick. The second came when Eddie Nketiah was grabbed from behind. And the third came when Jacob Murphy clearly used his arm to block a cross in the 95th minute.
If you took the team crests off the kits and watched the game objectively, I have no doubt that anyone would agree that we deserved at least one of those penalties. But alas, we didn’t get any of them and were left with a frustrating draw.
Despite the result, I have to give credit to my team. They played well and could have been a bit sharper in the final third. Granit Xhaka forced things a bit too much and Gabriel Martinelli wasn’t as effective on the dribble as usual, but overall we put in a strong performance. Bukayo Saka had a great matchup against Dan Burn, but we didn’t make the most of it due to Burn’s fouls going unpunished.
On the other side, Newcastle had a few standout players, but overall they were outplayed. Miguel Almiron, who had been in top form recently, was completely ineffective. Bruno Guimaraes was outclassed by Thomas Partey, and Callum Wilson was shut down by Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. Alex Zinchenko, whose passing was a joy to watch as he broke through their lines again and again.
In the end, a draw against Newcastle, even at home, isn’t a terrible result. But it’s certainly frustrating given how the game played out. And with Manchester City lurking in second place, it’s even more disappointing.
I know I shouldn’t be too hard on our opponents, but the way Newcastle played this evening was unacceptable. They tried to kick us off the pitch, faked injuries, and time-wasted at every opportunity. It’s a tactic that Eddie Howe has been known to use with his teams at Bournemouth, and it’s just not what football is about.
In conclusion, while it wasn’t the result we wanted, I’m still proud of my team and the way they played. We dominated possession and controlled the game, and could have come away with a win if not for the poor refereeing and Newcastle’s negative, anti-football approach. It’s frustrating, but we’ll just have to move on and focus on our next match.
