Arsenal narrowly beat Newcastle to regain Premier League lead over Man City

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League as Eberechi Eze’s thunderbolt sealed a tense 1-0 win against Newcastle.

For the first time since October, Arsenal had started a league game out of pole position after Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Burnley on Wednesday sent them to the summit.

But Eze lifted the Gunners back into first place on Saturday with his sublime strike in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

Eze’s 10th goal this season opened up a three-point lead over second-placed City, who were booking their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win against Southampton while Arsenal were in league action.

It was an essential victory for Arsenal, whose 2-1 defeat at City last weekend was a huge blow to their title hopes.

After losing just three of their first 49 matches in all competitions this season, Arsenal had been beaten in four of the previous six, suffering successive league defeats for the first time since 2023.

Having blown substantial leads in the title race in 2023 and 2024, allowing City to pip them in the trophy, the north Londoners’ recent slump has left them in danger of squandering another golden opportunity to win their first English crown since 2004.

City have a game in hand on Arsenal, keeping the destiny of the title in their hands.

However, they don’t play their next league game until May 4, when they visit Everton, giving Arsenal the chance to move six points clear when they host Fulham next weekend.

Before that, Arsenal visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semifinal first leg on Wednesday.

City’s win against Burnley had ended Arsenal’s 209-day run as leaders due to their superior goals-scored tally.

While Arsenal are back on top with a one-goal better goal difference than City, their failure to run up the score on toothless Newcastle could come back to haunt them.

Newcastle have been in even worse form than Arsenal, and this was their ninth defeat in 12 league games, adding to the pressure on under-fire boss Eddie Howe.

Howe’s team had managed just one league win in 17 visits to the Emirates, and they left empty-handed again despite a vibrant start.

Will Osula should have netted from close range in the opening seconds before Bruno Guimaraes’ 20-yard blast whistled just over.

Eze drilled narrowly wide from the edge of the area, a warning that Newcastle failed to heed as the England midfielder put Arsenal ahead in the ninth minute.

Once again, Arsenal’s set-piece mastery paid dividends, but Newcastle were guilty of woeful defending.

Martin Odegaard found Kai Havertz inside the area, and he teed up Eze – left unmarked in virtually the same position as his shot moments earlier – to smash a superb curler into the top corner from 18 yards.

Arsenal’s 17th goal from a corner this season set a new Premier League record for a single campaign.