Goals:

0-1: Xhaka (49, curled brilliantly inside Dubravka’s top left from 25 yards with a fine free-kick)

0-2: Ozil (59, side-footed low and beyond the keeper after reacting to Lacazette’s blocked effort)

1-2: Clark (90, headed Fernandez’s perfect delivery down and beyond Cech at the back post)

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) – never in the spotlight and kept his cards in his pocket, which was nice to see. 7

Bookings: None

Attendance: 52,165

Entertainment: **

Newc Arsenal

Shots on 4 2

Shots off 2 8

Corners 9 2

Offsides 2 1

Fouls 10 7

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-2-3-1):

5 Dubravka: Didn’t have too many saves to make but unable to get near the two that counted;

6 Yedlin: Did reasonably well to keep Aubameyang quiet and contributed to him going off

5 Lascelles: Did what he had to when the ball came his way even if he didn’t look fit

6 Fernandez: The pick of the defenders overall but was still the man who conceded the free-kick for the opener

6 Dummett: Put in plenty of effort and looked to join in with the attacks when he could;

5 Diame: Not one of his better days in the middle and didn’t link well enough with Hayden

5 Hayden: The game passed him by for the most part and will need to do more to stay in the side;

6 RITCHIE: Showed plenty of willingness and desire to get on the ball but didn’t do enough when he was

5 Perez: Started brightly along with Newcastle but soon faded and never looked like scoring

5 Murphy: Had Newcastle’s best two chances but unable to make them count;

5 Joselu: Did what he was asked to but never looked like really testing the Arsenal backline until it was too late

Subs:

Clark (for Lascelles 46): His introduction coincided with Arsenal’s goals but headed one in too. 5

Kenedy (for Murphy 69): Had a couple of runs that came to nothing. 5

Muto (for Ritchie 79)

(not used): Darlow (gk), Shelvey, Rondon, Manquillo.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Bellerin 6, Mustafi 6, Sokratis 7, Monreal 6; Guendouzi 5 (Torreira 46, 7), XHAKA 7; Ozil 7, Ramsey 6 (Welbeck 80), Aubameyang 5 (Mkhitaryan 69, 5); Lacazette 7. Subs: Leno (gk), Elneny, Lichsteiner, Holding.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Granit Xhaka – hit the sweetest of openers and did the defensive side of his game well too.