Arsenal snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory late on against Newcastle at St James' Park, with Gary Neville describing it as a "monumental win" and a significant statement of intent. The Gunners' performance, particularly Mikel Arteta's bold substitutions and attacking approach, impressed Neville who believes it signifies a shift from a more pragmatic approach.
Arsenal take advantage of Liverpool loss
Nick Woltemade gave Newcastle a first-half lead, before late goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes turned the game on its head. Arsenal's win comes on the heels of Liverpool's defeat to Crystal Palace, narrowing the gap between the two title contenders to two points. This result adds further weight to the notion of a genuine title race between Arsenal and Liverpool, something Neville didn't necessarily foresee with such certainty before the weekend. Arteta has been under scrutiny for perceived safety-first tactics, and this win is seen as a validation of a more ambitious approach. On the , the host took the opportunity to sing the praises of the Gunners.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportNeville credits Arsenal for going for the win
The podcast opened with lead Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury informing listeners Arsenal fans were still jubilant inside St James’ Park, to which Neville retorted: "And rightly they should be celebrating! It was absolute bedlam up there. You know there's nothing better than seeing a last minute winner unless it's against your team.
"But seeing the Arsenal players at the end obviously celebrating and the Arsenal fans up there, that felt big. I think when the first goal went in, you can sort of smell something. A lot of big questions have been asked of Arsenal in this last week, but rightly so. And he [Arteta] has changed today. He'll play it down, Mikel Arteta, you'll hear him say, ‘we've not done anything differently’. But his team selection at the start of the game was more positive. His substitutions were everything he could have thrown at the game. If you're going to come off a football pitch, make sure you've used all your weapons. Make sure you've used everything in your armoury. And he did that.
"So, even at 1-1, my message, I was thinking about if it stays 1-1, I would have been praiseworthy of Arsenal. I would have said that they've done everything they possibly can. The manager made the right decisions. He makes the right substitutions, but it's just not quite come for them. But the reason you get the winner at the end is because of the intent. I said last week, we've got to stop looking at what Mikel Arteta says or what managers say and look at what they do. So, if they say they're going to go for it, they want to win the league, they think they can win the league, they believe they should win every single match, then let your substitutions tell us that. Let your team selection tell us that."
Neville admits he had doubts over Arsenal & Arteta's project
Neville went on to reveal he spent a three-hour journey pre-match contemplating the pressure on Arteta to deliver the Premier League title. He questions whether the Arsenal board are content with Champions League qualification and consistent performance or if they are demanding tangible silverware.
"He's got a brilliant squad," Neville added of Arteta. "I think he's got the best squad in the league and maybe one of the best team in the league. I say that quietly because Liverpool are excellent, but it's only two teams can win this league. Liverpool or Arsenal in my opinion. I don't think anybody else can, and it may as well be you. If you're in that position, you've got to think of it.
"I even thought travelling up this morning, is the pressure on Mikel Arteta to win the league? And I was thinking that on the way up for three hours. I was thinking, are the Arsenal board saying to him that second is great because of the monetary difference between first and second is very little. You're in the Champions League. You get a big prize money for finishing second. You're consistent. The grounds are full every week. The people are paying to watch. But you're Arsenal Football Club and you have to win titles. And I'm absolutely adamant about that because of what I experienced in my football career whilst battling against Arsenal year in year out. and they've got to step up. And today they've stepped up."
Getty Images SportArsenal & Liverpool's next Premier League fixtures in mouthwatering title race
Both Arsenal and Liverpool will turn their attentions to Champions League fixtures in midweek, with the Gunners at home to Olympiacos and the Reds travelling to Istanbul to face Galatasaray. After that, they will return to Premier League action, as Arteta's men host West Ham and Arne Slot's side head to Chelsea.
