Leaders Arsenal fell to a 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening, in the nineteenth round of the English Premier League.
Arsenal’s balance rose to 44 points, by 8 points from Manchester City, who plays Thursday evening against Chelsea, while Newcastle’s balance rose to 35 points, to maintain the third place, with a difference in goals against fourth Manchester United.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta relied on the 4-3-3 method of play, as the cooperation between Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba continued in the depth of the defense, with the support of the full-backs Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Thomas Partey played the role of the pivot player, and moved in front of Granit Xhaka and captain Martin Odegaard, behind The attacking trio of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Eddie Nketiah.
On the opposite side, Newcastle coach Eddie Howe resorted to the same method of play (4-3-3), where the back line consisted of Kieran Trippier, Fabian Char, Zven Putman, and Dan Born, and the trio Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joe Willock exchanged positions between them in the middle of the field, while Wingers Miguel Almiron and Joelinton played, around striker Callum Wilson.
Arsenal started the match attacking, as Martinelli stormed the penalty area, to rebound his attempt from Trippier, but the ball later reached Odegaard, who fired a shot over the goal in the fourth minute.
Arsenal missed a dangerous opportunity in the fifth minute when Saka manipulated the giant full-back Bourne before he shot toward the goal, but goalkeeper Nick Pope blocked the ball with his foot.
Arsenal continued his danger, and Martinelli passed a through ball towards Xhaka, who barely caught up with Xhaka, to hit the side net from the outside in the seventh minute.
Newcastle responded in the 11th minute, with a long-range shot from Wilson, which goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had no difficulty stopping.
Char’s header moved away from Arsenal’s goal after a corner executed by Trippier in the 17th minute, before the grunts on the two goals subsided, with unjustified tension from the players.
The danger returned in the 34th minute when Odegaard executed a free kick, which Magalhaes headed in, next to the far post.
And in stoppage time in the first half, Trippier executed a corner kick, and Joelinton reached the far post, so the Brazilian followed it up with his head over the goal.
Zinchenko played a smart ball towards Shaka, and the latter’s pass reached Odegaard, who in turn shot over the goal in the 56th minute.
Martinelli penetrated from the left, before hitting a ball that was easily controlled by goalkeeper Bob in the 64th minute.
The two teams exchanged control of the atmosphere of the meeting, but without real chances, until the 78th minute, when Odegaard executed a corner kick, Martinelli rose to it and headed it past the far post.
And Arsenal almost scored the precious winning goal in the 88th minute, when the ball reached inside the penalty area to Nketiah, who hit the ball, and goalkeeper Bob blocked it with his feet quite brilliantly.
Arsenal players demanded a penalty kick in stoppage time, after a handball inside the penalty area, but the referee ordered them to continue playing, amid great anger at coach Arteta, who had a conversation with the Newcastle coach.
