At St James’ Park, Arsenal delivered one of those performances that define title contenders, overturning a deficit late on to beat Newcastle United 2-1 despite another extraordinary display of officiating from PGMOL that threatened to turn the contest into farce.
The first half was dominated by familiar grievances. Bukayo Saka was kicked from the first whistle, most notably by Joelinton, without consequence, while the officials denied a blatant penalty when Nick Pope clattered into Viktor Gyökeres.
Liverpool-supporting referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed to the spot, correctly, only for Darren England on VAR to send him to the monitor and press him into reversing his decision. “Clear and obvious” has rarely looked less relevant. Speaking after the match, even Bukayo Saka criticised the decision. “It’s things like this that always go against us,” he told Sky Sports.
Bringing the ‘only happens to Arsenal’ game to Newcastle, Riccardo Calafiori was also prevented from drying the ball with a towel before a long throw, a petty decision symptomatic of an officiating team intent on inserting themselves into the narrative.
By the break, Arsenal trailed to a soft goal from a corner and, rather than enjoying some of their most fluent football this season, frustration with PGMOL dominated the conversation once again.
The second half opened with a scare as William Saliba, on for Cristhian Mosquera, misjudged a clearance and saw Newcastle strike the bar. Arsenal continued to dominate possession but Newcastle relied on the ‘dark arts’, dragging down Gyökeres repeatedly without a foul ever being given.
He didn’t receive a single foul all afternoon, despite being hauled down by the face at one point.
When the first yellow card finally arrived, it was Calafiori who received it, punished for little more than being in the way.
Arsenal kept pressing and with time running out, Rice delivered a superb ball into the area and former Newcastle player Mikel Merino, on as a substitute, met it with a looping header that left Pope, who had kept Newcastle in it, stranded.
Then, in the 95th minute, justice of a different kind. Martin Odegaard, on as a late sub, swung in a corner, Gabriel climbed highest, and his header bulged the net to send the away end into delirium.
Arsenal had not only beaten Newcastle, they had stared down another afternoon of awful PGMOL officiating and still found a way to take three points.
For a side with genuine designs on ending a 22-year title drought, and with Liverpool losing at Crystal Palace, there could be no clearer statement.