Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes his side proved they are ready to challenge for the Premier League title after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Newcastle United on Sunday.
The Gunners capitalised on Liverpool’s first loss of the season, a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace a day earlier which moves them up to second place and closing the gap on the defending champions to just two points.
Newcastle struck first when Nick Woltemade scored against the run of play in the first half. Arsenal seemed headed for a damaging defeat until Mikel Merino equalised with a header in the 84th minute. Gabriel Magalhaes then completed the turnaround with a decisive goal deep into stoppage time.
Arteta’s side have finished runners-up in the past three seasons and are chasing their first league crown since 2004. Their win at St. James’ Park where they had lost on their previous three visits helped silence doubts about their title credentials following earlier draws against rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
“To reach the next level you have to learn from past experiences, and we’ve had some painful moments here,” Arteta said. “Today the team showed our ambition and the way we want to play, and we did it in remarkable fashion.”
For Newcastle, the defeat brought back memories of their last-minute heartbreak against Liverpool earlier this season, when they conceded a 100th-minute winner.
Manager Eddie Howe admitted his side have yet to match last season’s standards, when they lifted the League Cup and qualified for the Champions League.
“Two really late goals at home are hard to take,” Howe said. “There was no lack of effort, but from a football perspective, we weren’t at our best.”
Newcastle have now won just once in their first six Premier League games and also lost their Champions League opener to Barcelona.
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