With his team바카라™s Champions League qualification ambitions in ruins, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka felt it was time to deliver some home truths. (More Football News)
바카라śDisastrous바카라ť was how Xhaka summed up Arsenal바카라™s 2-0 loss to Newcastle on Monday that left Tottenham in charge of the race between the north London rivals for a top-four finish in the English Premier League.
Then he went further.
바카라śIf someone is not ready for this game or too nervous, stay on the bench, stay at home, don바카라™t come here,바카라ť Xhaka said, appearing to turn on some of his own teammates. 바카라śWe need people to have the (character) to come here and play.바카라ť
If only Arsenal had shown some of that fight on the field at a rocking St. James바카라™ Park.
Mikel Arteta's young team buckled under the pressure of playing its biggest match of the season, with an own-goal by Ben White and a late strike by Bruno Guimarães capping a dominant display by a Newcastle team that might soon be a Premier League force to be reckoned with.
This night was all about Arsenal, though, and whether its players could keep Champions League qualification in their own hands. They couldn바카라™t.
바카라śWe could not cope with the game we had to play here,바카라ť said Arteta, who described Newcastle as 바카라ś10 times better바카라ť than his team.
바카라śThe performance was nowhere near the level needed to play in the Champions League.바카라ť
Heading into the final round on Sunday, Tottenham occupies fourth place 바카라” two points above Arsenal in fifth 바카라” and just needs to beat already-relegated Norwich to guarantee a top-four spot. Given Tottenham바카라™s far superior goal difference, a draw will surely be enough against the league바카라™s last-placed team.
Arsenal will host Everton at the same time and knows a win still might not be enough to get back in the Champions League after a five-year absence.
Newcastle바카라™s intensity proved too much for Arsenal, with the hosts well on top by the time White turned the ball into his own net in the 55th minute as he stretched to clear a left-wing cross from Joelinton.
GuimarĂŁes, the Brazil midfielder, ensured there would be no way back for Arsenal by adding the second in the 85th, side-footing home a loose ball after it rebounded to him off goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
If it wasn바카라™t for Ramsdale, the margin of defeat would have been much bigger.
바카라śNewcastle deserved to win the match,바카라ť said Arteta, who appeared visibly stunned by his team바카라™s under-performance. 바카라śThey were comfortably better than us. We had nothing.바카라ť
Arteta needs a favor from Norwich. Otherwise, Arsenal will be playing in the Europa League next season.
바카라śThere is always a chance in football,바카라ť he said. 바카라śYou have to be there if the chance appears.바카라ť
It was a second damaging defeat in a five-day span for Arsenal, which also lost at Tottenham 3-0 on Thursday.
Arsenal바카라™s implosion was Chelsea바카라™s gain. The result meant Chelsea, in third place, was sure of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League.
That바카라™s the level Newcastle might soon by playing now the northeast club is powered by funding from its Saudi Arabia owners. Finishing the season by winning seven of its last eight home games is a good sign for the future.
바카라śI thought it was a brilliant all-round performance from us,바카라ť Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.
바카라śOne thing missing was that we hadn바카라™t beaten a top-six team. And not only did we beat Arsenal, we were dominant throughout. But we바카라™ll remain calm in this moment. We have to work incredibly hard to improve everything about the team in the summer and make sure we come back a stronger unit.바카라ť
