What I Learned as Arsenal Rewrote the Script at St James’ Park

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·29 September 2025

What I Learned as Arsenal Rewrote the Script at St James’ Park

Arsenal have often found St James’ Park to be a difficult venue, but on Sunday 28th September, they finally broke that pattern.

Late goals from Mikel Merino and a trademark Gabriel header from a corner sealed a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Newcastle United.

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There were several notable takeaways from the performance from my perspective.

Eze Shines as Central Creator

Eberechi Eze did not record a goal or assist, yet produced one of his finest displays in an Arsenal shirt.

Operating centrally, he consistently probed Newcastle’s defensive lines, threading passes that few others would even attempt. The issue was not his vision but the lack of teammates on the same wavelength to capitalise on his creativity.

This performance underlined that Eze thrives as a central playmaker. Arsenal may still need another player alongside him who can read and respond to his style.

Eze (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Gabriel’s Redemption and the Title Race

Arsenal had lost on their previous two Premier League trips to St James’ Park and by the 83rd minute another defeat looked imminent at 1-0 down.

This time, however, Arteta’s side refused to give up. The 84th-minute equaliser sparked belief, and with eight minutes added on, the Gunners surged forward for the winner.

Gabriel had been criticised for his role in Newcastle’s opener but responded with a commanding display at both ends of the pitch. His performance was capped by the decisive late header and underlined by his numbers on the day:

1 goal
Most defensive contributions
Most headed clearances
Joint-most tackles
Joint-most interceptions
100% ground duels won
81 touches

It was a complete modern centre-back showing, reflecting both resilience and outright leadership.

Beyond the individual performances, this result carried major significance in the title race. With Liverpool losing 2-1 at Crystal Palace, Arsenal’s win narrowed the gap at the top to just two points. The dynamics of the campaign may have shifted in Arsenal’s favour as a result.

Do you believe this victory proves Arsenal can go the distance in this season’s title battle?

Daniel O

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