The winner
Shakhtar Donetsk
The Ukrainian side will probably be looking forward to Arsenal’s next negotiation after this match. So far, they have stood firm on their valuation of Mykhaylo Mudryk and the recent disappointing performance from the Gunners has given them more ground to gain the upper hand in the negotiation.
Arsenal are interested in signing Mudryk.
The Gunners are clearly a better team than Newcastle, but lack options on the attacking front. So they can’t get an effective goal-scoring approach.
The fact that Mikel Arteta made just one change at right-back, says it all. There is no doubt Arsenal need at least one more attacking player in the January transfer window and Mudryk is their target.
Gabriel Magalhaes
There were some excellent performances by defenders on both sides, but Gabriel Magalhaes clearly stood out above all. Against Callum Wilson and then Chris Wood, the Brazilian star made almost no mistake in tough hand-to-hand encounters.
Gabriel’s certainty is providing a great premise for Arsenal to realize their dream of winning the Premier League.
The remaining 3 teams
A win for Arsenal tonight will put them 10 points ahead of the second ranked team, at least for two days. Obviously there is still a lot of time ahead, but Manchester City, Newcastle and even Manchester United will be happy to see the Gunners slow down a bit, making the race for the top four even more exciting.
loser
Arsenal fans
If any Arsenal fan is starting to believe their team will make it to the title, the Newcastle encounter is sure to provide the real test.
Arteta is not satisfied with the recent draw.
The prospect of leading the Premier League by 10 points is indeed appealing, but Arsenal have been reminded by Newcastle that this season still has a long way to go.
All talk revolves around the battle between the Gunners and Manchester City at the top of the table, but this is not a two-horse race. Newcastle have now faced Man Utd, Tottenham and Arsenal this season and they are still unbeaten. Eddie Howe’s side are becoming strong candidates to compete for the title, while the return from Man Utd also presents a relative threat for Arsenal.
Andy Madley
This is a terrible performance from the referee. Madley lost control of the game in the final 20 minutes of the first half. Both teams thought they had reason to complain about the referee’s decisions and as a result the game turned chaotic.
But a goalless draw will make Newcastle happy, and Arsenal are extremely indignant when Madley refuses two fairly obvious penalties, thereby causing them to lose the victory.
Truong Son | 13:02 04/01/2023
