Well, this is the real reason why Mikel Arteta was so upset after Saturday’s game at St James’ Park.
A stat I kept heard getting quoted after yesterday’s match, was that before Saturday, the previous 24 matches between the two clubs had seen only two Newcastle United wins.
That stat is true BUT so is this one.
After Saturday, the most recent AND relevant stat is that, in the last four meetings between the two clubs, Newcastle United have now won twice, drawn once and lost just the one time.
Mikel Arteta is so upset after Saturday because he knows that Eddie Howe has got his number.
In three of these last four games between Newcastle and Arsenal, Arteta’s team haven’t managed to score a single goal.
This is quite astonishing, considering that Arsenal in recent times have been second best to only Man City, that last season only Man City scored more goals than Arsenal, that in their previous 17 games (all competitions) this season, the Gunners had never failed to score.
Yet Arsenal have lost twice and had a goalless home draw in these last four matches against Newcastle and yesterday couldn’t even manage a single proper shot on target.
No wonder Mikel Arteta has been acting like an oversized baby / toddler, launching his toys out of the pram.
Mikel Arteta is getting repeatedly schooled by Eddie Howe and he doesn’t like it one bit.
If you don’t believe me, just look at Arsenal’s recent record against the other top teams…Manchester City – Arsenal beat Guardiola’s side in the Community Shield in August and then did it again in October, winning 1-0 at the Emirates.
Manchester United – Arsenal have won three of their last four matches against Man U, scoring three goals each time. The two most recent saw the Gunners win 3-2 in January and 3-1 in September.
Liverpool – Last couple of matches have seen Arsenal win 3-2 against Klopp’s side in October 2022, then in April 2023, the Gunners going 2-0 up at Anfield and the scousers getting a very lucky eventual 2-2 draw having been outplayed for most of the match, needing an 87th minute equaliser.
Chelsea – Last three matches have seen two Arsenal wins and one draw.
Tottenham – Same story, last three matches seeing Mikel Arteta with two wins and a draw.
It is glorious to see.
All of those years under Mike Ashley, where a resource starved NUFC club and team helped allow the likes of Arsenal to dominate Newcastle United BUT now the worm has turned, with finally some decent investment (though still nowhere near what Mikel Arteta has spent AND the quality of squad he inherited) and a brilliant manager in Eddie Howe, United now putting it to Arteta and Arsenal and he simply can’t handle it.
A shame that the cowardly journalists and interviewers don’t put this to Mikel Arteta when he is diverting attention away from his own failings, cynically making ludicrous over the top claims of having been cheated, to cover for the fact that now Arsenal are coming up short when facing Newcastle United.
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