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| HT:0–1 Report | |||||||
| Event | Premier League 2020-21 | ||||||
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| Date | Sunday 2 May 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | St. James' Park, Newcastle | ||||||
| Player of the Match | Gabriel Martinelli | ||||||
| Referee | Mike Dean | ||||||
| Attendance | 0 | ||||||
| Weather | 10 °C (50 °F) | ||||||
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Newcastle United v Arsenal was a match which took place at the St. James' Park on Sunday 2 May 2021.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored on his first start since recovering from malaria as Arsenal prepared for their Europa League showdown against Villarreal with a confidence-boosting win away to Newcastle at St James' Park.
Mohamed Elneny scored his first Premier League goal for the Gunners, before Aubameyang - on his first start since 3 April - secured the points in the second half.
Speaking after the game, the Gabonese striker paid tribute to his "incredible" doctors for their part in his recovery.
"The last five minutes I was dying a little bit but to tell the truth I felt good for most of the game and I was happy with that," Aubameyang told Sky Sports.
"The doctors did incredible work with me and I am really pleased with them and have to say thank you to them."
Arsenal trail 2-1 after the away leg of their semi-final tie with Villarreal and victory in the north east of England was their first in four games.
The Magpies had an excellent April to distance themselves from the bottom three but they struggled to impose themselves on Sunday.
Steve Bruce's side, who lost Fabian Schar to a straight red card after a late challenge on Gabriel Martinelli, remain nine points above the relegation zone with four games remaining.
Arsenal, who host Villarreal on Thursday, move back above Aston Villa into ninth place in the table.
Arsenal travelled to Newcastle in need of victory after what manager Mikel Arteta described as a bad week of results before kick-off.
A disappointing draw against relegation-threatened Fulham was followed by defeats at Everton and Villarreal.
But with morale low, the trip to St James' Park came at the perfect moment.
The Gunners had won their previous six games against the Magpies, keeping five clean sheets in the process, and they got off to an impressive start.
Elneny was the beneficiary when Aubameyang mistimed his shot, to open his league account on his 66th appearance.
Granit Xhaka also forced Martin Dubravka into an smart save in the first half, before Aubameyang made it five goals in five appearances against the Magpies with an acrobatic finish after Martinelli's pin-point cross.
The Gunners' season now rests on whether they can overturn the deficit against Villarreal to reach a second European final in three years.
Newcastle never got going and they registered just one shot on target, when Allan Saint-Maximin's attempt looped towards goal after ricocheting off his standing leg.
The hosts will have been boosted by Callum Wilson's return to the side in attack, but he was limited to just one touch in the opposition box in the first half.
Eight points from four unbeaten games in April looks as if it may have secured Premier League football for another season, but the Magpies' potency will be a concern during the summer.
Keeping top scorer Wilson, who is the only player to hit double figures (10) for the season, fit will be crucial for Bruce's side.
But with just 10 goals contributed between Joelinton and Miguel Almiron, he will need assistance.
Match[]
Details[]
| 2 May 2021 14:00 GMT |
Newcastle United 
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0–2 |  Arsenal
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St. James' Park, Newcastle Attendance: 0 Referee: Mike Dean |
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Schär  90'
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HT:0–1 Report |
Elneny  5'Aubameyang 66'
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         Newcastle United
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     Arsenal
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Match rules
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Match Stats[]
| Overall | Arsenal | Newcastle United |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 0 | 2 |
| Total shots | 5 | 19 |
| Shots on target | 1 | 5 |
| Ball possession | 39% | 61% |
| Corner kicks | 3 | 7 |
| Fouls committed | 10 | 9 |
See also[]
External links[]
| Newcastle United F.C. matches - 2020-21 |
| 2020-21 Premier League |
|
Arsenal (a) · Arsenal (h) · Fulham (a) |
| 2020-21 FA Cup |
| 2020-21 EFL Cup |
| Arsenal v Newcastle United
|
| Premier League |
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