Mikel Arteta will be annoyed at 28-touch Arsenal star who ‘struggled’ vs Newcastle
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will not have been encouraged by what he saw from one summer signing in the win at Newcastle.
Viktor Gyokeres was denied a penalty after a challenge from Nick Pope in the early exchanges of the match.
Nick Woltemade headed Newcastle ahead in the first half, but substitute Mikel Merino and Gabriel netted late goals to earn the Gunners victory.
The win means Arsenal capitalise on Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace, with the gap between the Gunners and the league leaders reduced to two points.
Cristhian Mosquera makes vital error in Newcastle defeat
Mosquera has been praised at Arsenal since he made his debut against Liverpool in the absence of William Saliba.
Saliba returned for the 1-1 draw against Man City last weekend, but Mosquera was preferred against Newcastle.
However, the 21-year-old made the mistake which led to the corner from which Woltemade scored from.
It was the first instance of Mosquera not showing composure by misplacing a back pass to David Raya.
His display meant Arteta took action at half-time and subbed Saliba on for Mosquera.
| Minutes Played | 45 |
| Touches | 28 |
| Duels | 2 |
| Duels Won | 0 |
William Saliba to return vs Olympiacos
Mosquera – who ‘struggled’ for the first time in an Arsenal shirt – should be replaced by Saliba.
Saliba and Gabriel have formed such a formidable centre-back partnership that Mosquera was always going to have a difficult challenge to oust them from the starting line-up.
Mosquera will still be presented with further opportunities to stake his claim, but this showing proves Arteta will not change from his dependable duo.
In the second half with Saliba on the pitch, Arsenal presented Newcastle with zero shots on target, as the Gunners showed their defensive prowess again.