After another campaign that is destined to end without silverware, Mikel Arteta will be thankful for small mercies. Sealing second place in the Premier League for a third successive season is not exactly the scenario the Arsenal manager would have envisaged for his side’s last home match when they kicked off against Wolves in August.
Celebrations were noticeably muted as Arsenal’s players paid their respects to the home supporters on the customary lap of honour.
“It was emotional because of the way I feel,” Arteta said. “We had a dream to win trophies and we haven’t achieved that. But we have to make sure we are still valid – just expecting something, that’s a really dangerous thing.
“I know [the fans] don’t want us to be knocking on the door every year, but we have to stay very clear and ambitious about what we want to do in the summer.”
At least Arteta had the immediate satisfaction of finally getting one over Eddie Howe at the fourth attempt this season thanks to another blockbuster from Declan Rice. It leaves Newcastle needing to beat Everton at home on the final day to ensure they join Arsenal in the Champions League.
After ending their long wait for silverware by winning the Carabao Cup, their manager will be desperate for Alexander Isak to recover from a nagging groin problem that forced him to miss their trip here. Newcastle have not won any of the four Premier League games he has missed this season.
Other than a goalmouth scramble in stoppage time, Arsenal were able to see out victory relatively comfortably despite losing William Saliba to a suspected hamstring injury at half-time.
Declan Rice (left) and Bukayo Saka (centre) are all smiles after the match during a lap of appreciation. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Howe vented his frustration beforehand that some of his players have been linked with moves away in the summer even after their undoubted progress as a club this season. But the absence of Isak – who has long been coveted by Arsenal and proved their chief tormentor in the 4-0 aggregate victory in the Carabao Cup semi-final – meant Newcastle were toothless in attack apart from a 17‑minute spell at the start when they managed five shots on target but could not score.
“He went for a scan as a precaution but then it became obvious he wasn’t going to be able to play,” Howe said of the Sweden striker. “A lot will depend on how he reacts in the next few days. It’s in our hands and we have to look at that as a positive.”
Arsenal’s comeback against the champions, Liverpool, at Anfield last Sunday was evidence his players still know they had plenty to play for. When Ben White burrowed into the area before he was stopped in his tracks by the lunging Dan Burn, they certainly seemed up for dishing out a dose of revenge against opponents whom they had failed to score against in four of their past five meetings.
But David Raya was the busier of the two goalkeepers during the first half. The Spaniard pulled off a strong save from Bruno Guimarães to redeem himself after losing possession to Sandro Tonali and was then required to make a quick readjustment after a Harvey Barnes effort deflected off the heel of Thomas Partey. Raya was back in the thick of it again when he produced a brilliant double save to deny Burn and then Sven Botman from a corner.
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Unsurprisingly, Arsenal’s best chance had also come from a set piece, when Nick Pope somehow managed to tip over Partey’s close-range header. That they lacked creativity in the final third is nothing new. Martin Ødegaard’s skied shot into the Clock End after a short corner routine summed up the captain’s prowess in front of goal this term.
Dan Burn (right) and Kai Havertz clash as Newcastle search for a late equaliser. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA
Saliba’s failure to emerge for the second half was another concern for those of an Arsenal persuasion as Riccardo Calafiori was summoned from the bench. The hosts seemed to have found more of their rhythm and the breakthrough came when Anthony Gordon was robbed by Bukayo Saka in his own half and Ødegaard’s perfectly weighted pass picked out Rice to sweep home from outside the area. It was only his fourth Premier League goal of the season but, after his Champions League heroics against Real Madrid, underlined why the England midfielder has been Arsenal’s outstanding player.
Howe made a triple change and withdrew the ineffective Callum Wilson just after the hour mark. But it was Arsenal who almost doubled their lead when White arrowed a shot just wide.
Kai Havertz’s introduction drew a massive ovation from the home supporters, although hearts were in mouths when another substitute – the Arsenal old boy Joe Willock – fired over from a great position inside the area at the other end.
Kieran Tierney and Jorginho were given one last chance to experience the Emirates Stadium atmosphere off the bench as they prepare to depart. With the co-chair Josh Kroenke having stated in his programme notes: “We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season,” the hard work starts now for Arteta.
