Arsenal beat Newcastle, Mikel Arteta reaction, ladder, Aston Villa beat Fulham

Arsenal produced a dramatic late fightback to win 2-1 at Newcastle and lay down an early marker in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners were heading for a fourth consecutive defeat at St. James’ Park after falling behind to Nick Woltemade’s first-half header.

However, Mikel Merino headed in the equaliser before Gabriel Magalhaes powered in from a 96th-minute corner to lift Arsenal into second and within two points of leaders Liverpool.

“To win in the manner that we have done it, wow, what a feeling!” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.

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“Football is about emotion and going through things and today we had a beautiful one at the end of the match.”

Liverpool’s first defeat of the season at Crystal Palace on Saturday had handed Arsenal the chance to close in at the top of the table.

For a long time it looked like Arteta’s men would let that opportunity slip by in a bad-tempered encounter on Tyneside.

But the manner of victory will give the Gunners belief this is their season after finishing second in each of the last three campaigns.

“There are moments in the season and obviously with the start that we had already, and the difficult fixtures that we had, we have the opportunity to close that gap,” Arteta said.

“To do it in a stadium that has a very recent and difficult past for us I think it shows how much the team wants it (the title).

“...We discussed that to go to the next level, first of all, you have to learn from the past and certainly we take some lessons and very sore different and sore moments in this ground,” said Arteta of Arsenal ending their Newcastle hoodoo.

“Today was an opportunity that the game brings you again in a really important week in the Premier League after all the tough places that we’ve already been, very early in the season, to show who we are, who do we want to be, our ambition, and the way that we want to play.

“I think the team showed that today in a remarkable way.”

Arteta’s conservative team selection in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City was much criticised, with calls from legends for him to remove the “handbrake” from his side.

There was no sense of the Spaniard holding back as Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze returned to the starting line-up.

Eze nearly made his mark within five minutes as his low drive was brilliantly turned behind by Nick Pope.

Arsenal were furious moments later when Pope escaped conceding a penalty. Referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed to the spot but was instructed by VAR to review the incident and overturned his original decision for a touch on the ball by Pope before he wiped out Viktor Gyokeres.

Instead Newcastle broke the deadlock on 34 minutes.

Alexander Isak had repeatedly been the scourge of Arsenal in meetings between the sides in recent years.

Woltemade stepped into the departed Swede’s shoes with his second goal since becoming the Magpies’ record signing to replace Isak.

The giant German outmuscled Gabriel, who went down looking for a free-kick, to head Sandro Tonali’s delivery into the bottom corner.

Arsenal dominated the second period but struggled to break down the well-organised mass ranks of Eddie Howe’s back line until Arteta’s substitutions changed the game.

Merino had a difficult one-season spell at Newcastle early in his career and came back to haunt his former club with a deft header into the far corner from Declan Rice’s inviting cross.

Arsenal could still have lost it. This time a VAR review went their way when Gabriel blocked Anthony Elanga’s cross with an outstretched arm.

The Brazilian swiftly went up the other end to become the hero when he beat Pope to Martin Odegaard’s corner to spark celebrations of what could be a huge three points when the title is decided in May.

“Two really late goals here at home hurts. We have to reflect and acknowledge that we weren’t at our best,” said Howe.

“There was not lack of effort but from a footballing side, it wasn’t quite there.” Newcastle remain 15th with just one win from their opening six Premier League games.

WATKINS SPARKS VILLA REVIVAL

Ollie Watkins ended his barren spell in front of goal as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Fulham 3-1 for their first Premier League win of the season on Sunday.

Champions League quarter-finalists last season, Villa began the day in the relegation zone after taking just three points from their opening five league games.

Unai Emery’s men got off to another woeful start when Raul Jimenez headed in Sasa Lukic’s corner after just three minutes.

Fulham felt aggrieved not to be further ahead after bossing the opening half hour.

Twice the visitors were denied strong penalty appeals.

Josh King was harshly booked for diving when he was clipped trying to round Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

Matty Cash then escaped claims for handball when he blocked King’s goalbound effort.

Watkins’ long wait for a goal has played a major factor in Villa’s slow start to the season.

The England international even missed from the penalty spot in Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win over Bologna.

However, his 11-game scoreless streak came to an end with a cushioned lob over Bernd Leno to turn the game around just before half-time.

Villa then took control with two goals in as many minutes just after the break. John McGinn blasted into the bottom corner from outside the box to give the home side the lead.

Another Watkins burst in behind created the third as his low cross was fired in by Emi Buendia.

Victory lifts Villa up to 16th, two points behind Fulham, who slip to 10th.

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