Arsenal's Curse at St. James' Park Is a Mere Myth

NEWCASTLE, SUNDAY — Arsenal's misfortunes in previous visits to St. James Park were not due to being trapped by fate, but rather a lack of sufficient weaponry to hurt Newcastle United. The myth of the curse was dispelled by "The Gunners" with various solutions during this visit.

After suffering three consecutive defeats at St. James Park, Arsenal finally won 2-1 against Newcastle on Sunday (28/9/2025). The victory felt somewhat unique for the visiting team. Arsenal, which dominated the game and created numerous chances in the first half, only secured the win through a set piece at the end of the match.

Arsenal was still trailing 0-1 until the 83rd minute. After experiencing frustration against the opponent's defensive strategy, they turned the situation around with a pair of goals from midfielder Mikel Merino and defender Gabriel Magalhaes. Both goals came from corner kicks, just like the opening goal scored by the home team's striker Nick Woltemade.

Gabriel redeemed himself with a late winner in injury time. The Brazilian defender was initially blamed for going down too easily during a challenge with Woltemade during Newcastle's goal. Thanks to that goal, Arsenal won their first game at St. James' Park since 2023.

"That is how you reach the next level. The way is to go through difficult moments and take experiences from them. This is a great opportunity to make a statement; this team is a great team. We are pleased with the performance and fortunately also with the final result," said Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal displayed one of their best performances at home against Newcastle in the first half. Arteta fielded two of his latest key players in the attacking line, striker Viktor Gyokeres and attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. With the straightforward playing style of both, the visiting team presented a style that was markedly different from before.

Instead of trying to control the game through ball possession, Arsenal relied on quick counter-attacks. They attacked as swiftly as possible, sending long passes to prevent Newcastle from establishing their renowned solid central defensive block. "The Gunners" are usually trapped by that block.

Arteta's solution proved quite effective. Eze created two accurate shots, Gyokeres earned a penalty, and the shot from winger Leandro Trossard hit the post. However, goalkeeper Nick Pope delivered an outstanding performance. Gyokeres' penalty award was also canceled by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe stated that they were fortunate to be ahead at halftime. The goal came just before the break, while Arsenal was in full control of the match. "Honestly, I think we did not perform at our best. Arsenal played very well. Nick made a lot of good saves for us," he said.

In just the first half, Arsenal has already created four shots on target. This number is quite impressive when compared to the three previous encounters at St. James Park, where there were a total of five shots on target in 270 minutes. The visiting team should have been ahead by at least two goals had they been more clinical.

Second solution

The most interesting aspect of Arsenal's victory is the change in strategy in the second half. In the last 25 minutes, Newcastle decided to adopt a total defensive approach. Winger Anthony Gordon was replaced by wing-back Kieran Trippier. Howe altered the formation from 4-3-3 to 5-4-1 to close as many gaps as possible in the back line.

In previous seasons, Arsenal tended to struggle due to limited options. This is not the case this season. Arteta made a radical change by replacing wing-back Riccardo Calafiori with midfielder Mikel Merino. Arsenal is now playing with three defenders instead of the previous four.

The visiting team became increasingly offensive in the 82nd minute. Attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard came on to replace defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi. As a result, Arsenal was filled with offensive players. They had two attacking midfielders, Eze and Odegaard. Merino was assigned to move forward to assist Gyokeres.

As goals from open play become increasingly difficult to create, Eze and his teammates began to take shortcuts. They played speculatively by bombarding the opponent's penalty area with crosses. As a result, the Newcastle players panicked and produced numerous set-piece opportunities for Arsenal.

The player substitutions made by Arteta were very effective. Merino scored the equalizing goal, while Odegaard provided the assist for the decisive winning goal. "The victory demonstrates the character of this team and how much we trust one another. We are confident with this amazing team," said Merino, a former Newcastle player.

Through this result, Arsenal successfully rose to second place in the standings with 13 points. They are only two points behind the league leaders, Liverpool. The points earned from the first six matches are not considered bad for "The Gunners," as they have already visited the homes of Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester United. (AP/REUTERS)