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The seven-match unbeaten streak that Arsenal had maintained over the past couple of months ended at the St. James Park on Sunday (April 15). The North London side opened the scoring when Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang combined in the 14th minute of the game.
However, as it so often happens with Arsenal, they were unable to hold on to the lead and eventually lost the match 2-1 to the hosts.
Here are three things that went wrong for Arsene Wenger's team on the day:
#3 Switching off in defence
Arsenal's indifferent form in their own box has hurt them severely this season and reared its ugly head once again against Rafael Benitez's resurgent team.
Shkodran Mustafi has been extremely error-prone and has not been able to remain vigilant consistently through the 90 minutes of a game. The long-ball ploy, which has worked so well for numerous teams against the Gunners, led to Newcastle's equalizer 15 minutes after Lacazette had put the away side in front. The German's inability to mark Ayoze Perez led to the same.
Petr Cech has been struggling for a long time now and keeping a clean-sheet seems like a steep challenge for the Czech keeper these days.
#2 Lack of clinical finishing
Arsenal had adequate chances to get their second goal of the night but were poor in the final third. Aubameyang went for too much in the first half and it seemed as if his patience was running out quickly.
Alex Iwobi's finishing was disappointing as well, as he continued to hit meek shots right at Martin Dubravka or overhit kicks over the bar. Calum Chambers too had a couple of chances to help Arsenal clinch a point from the tie but came up short at the end of it all.
It was a typical away display from the Gunners, who have now lost 11 games on the road in the league this year.
#1 Keeping a weak bench
Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, and Hector Bellerin were rested for this game, with Wenger's focus clearly on the Europa League for the remainder of the season. While it was a right move from the outset, it backfired in the context of this match alone.
Arsenal had no one to turn to on the bench after United took the lead in the 68th minute of the game.Youngsters like Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Eddie Nketiah were given opportunities, but could not grab their respective chances on the day.
The Gunners lacked creativity in the final few minutes of the game and the attacking impetus seemed missing from their build-up. Overall, it was a forgettable display from the North London side.
