Arsenal battled to a 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Emirates on Saturday evening, climbing back to the summit of the Premier League with Manchester City occupied in the FA Cup.
The goal was a moment of magic, converting a clever short corner with Eberechi Eze curling a shot into the top corner from outside of the box.
It was both a creative routine aimed at managing Newcastle’s post-corner counter-attacks and a piece of brilliance from Eze, showcasing his game-changing quality.
Eze has looked Arsenal’s most dangerous attacker in recent games since his shift to the left wing, drifting infield and adding extra spark like he did in his Crystal Palace days.
The other benefit of his position shift is adding Martin Ødegaard back into the midfield to raise the technical level of the attack.
But just as he’s started to find his feet, he was taken off injured, with the Gunners also losing Kai Havertz during the game. While both injuries are reportedly not as bad as they appeared, missed time would still be a big miss with so few games remaining.
On the flip side, Mikel Arteta was handed a huge boost with Bukayo Saka returning off the bench against Newcastle, giving hope of seeing a forward line of Havertz, Saka, Eze and Ødegaard before the season is out.
That group would give Arsenal the greatest level of technical security and creativity in forward areas, which could be a difference maker in these final games.
One of Arteta’s biggest challenges will be managing fitness between the Premier League and Champions League games for a side that’s already struggling for fitness. Most of the players were hands on knees after the Newcastle game and a trip away to Atlético Madrid won’t help that.
The Gunners host 10th-place Fulham at the Emirates at 5.30pm on Saturday afternoon next in the league.
Fulham are just two points off the Europa League places and will be up for the fight with that on the line. The players may be tired, but it’s the point of the season where they have to leave everything on the pitch.
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