Arsenal bounced back from defeat
at Fulham last week to seal a comfortable 3-0 win over Newcastle at
Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were rarely troubled by the visting Magpies and went
ahead just 18 minutes in as Robin van Persie slammed home a
penalty.
The Ducthman added a second just before the break to make it 2-0
at the interval.
The second-half saw Denilson fire home after a well-worked move
and that sealed The Gunners' second win of the season which takes
them into second, albeit with Chelsea and Liverpool still to play
on Sunday.
Arsenal had started in determined fashion and had a great chance
to take the lead inside three minutes.
A corner from the right was flicked on by Bacary Sagna at the
near post, and the ball fell at the feet of William Gallas.
However, the Gunners captain - who has netted twice already this
season - somehow blazed his shot over the bar from no more than a
yard out.
Kolo Toure then came forwards and flashed in a low drive from 25
yards, which Shay Given turned behind at full stretch.
Then just after Newcastle looked to have got a themselves a
foothold in the
match, they conceded a penalty. Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor
dashed past his marker and into the right side of the box, before
cutting the ball back across goal, where it hit N'Zogbia on his
trailing arm.
Van Persie stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick, which was
coolly dispatched low into the bottom right corner past the dive of
the Newcastle keeper.
With the cushion of an early lead, Arsenal started to showboat,
passing the ball around with consummate ease.
Cesc Fabregas - in his 200th appearance for the Gunners - tried
his luck with a speculative 25-yard effort, which flew over.
Samir Nasri got away down the left, before floating over a cross
with the outside of his boot - and only a deft touch from the
fast-retreating Fabricio Coloccini denied an on-rushing Adebayor a
tap in.
After 31 minutes, van Persie curled a 20-yard free-kick up
towards the top-left corner, but Given was at his acrobatic best to
make a flying save.
Newcastle finally created a decent opening after 37 minutes when
Jonas Gutierrez, the Argentina international midfielder, got clear
down the left and cut a low centre back across goal.
Michael Owen was lurking at the far post, but just as he shot,
team-mate Shola Ameobi got in the way and deflected the ball off
target.
Arsenal went up the other end and carved open the visitors'
defence again with van Persie feeding Adebayor. However, the big
Togo frontman, under pressure from two defenders and the advancing
keeper, could only slot the ball wide.
It was, though, soon 2-0 with four minutes to go to half-time.
Emmanuel Eboue played Adebayor in down the right, and continued his
run into the penalty area to collect the return pass.
The much-maligned Ivory Coast midfielder then produced a clever
back-heel, which rolled into the path of van Persie - who smashed
the ball into the roof of the net.
Newcastle were positive following the restart and only the
woodwork denied Kevin Keegan's men a way back into the match after
56 minutes when Nicky Butt's flicked header from a left-wing corner
dropped onto the crossbar.
It was just one of those days for the visitors as Arsenal
wrapped up the match with another superbly-crafted goal in the 59th
minute.
Nasri worked himself space in the box, before tapping the ball
back to Adebayor. The Togo frontman simply laid it off sideways,
where Denilson was on hand to slip the ball back past the oncoming
defender and a wrong-footed Given.
Arsenal could have further extended their lead before the final
whistle.
Van Persie smashed in an angled drive from almost on the
goal-line, which ricocheted off the underside of the bar at the
near post.
Given then produced a fine reaction save at point-blank range to
keep out Toure's header and also was at full stretch to turn away
Nasri's curling free-kick before substitute Theo Walcott pulled an
angled drive wide after another swift counter-attack.
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton, recently released from jail
and facing a violent conduct charge from the Football Association,
came on for the closing two minutes - to resounding jeers from the
home crowd.
