Rice Score Beauty to All-BUT Seal Second for Gunners and Dent Toon's Champions League-Hoop.
2024/2025 Premier League
1-0
- Rice (55 ')
Match report
Arsenal took their place in the Champions League of next season and ended a five-match Winless Run in all matches by going past Newcastle United 1-0 on Sunday.
The bad form of the Gunners had enabled the third placed Newcastle to wrap them in for this meeting at the Emirates Stadium, but the sublime goal of Declan Rice moved Mikel Arteta's men five points free from their opponents and six for on Sixth in Sixth.
That strike was only enough for Arsenal to claim the victory after a series of excellent early David Raya -Saves had kept the game aimless in the midst of a clear start of Newcastle.
The visitors, without Alexander Isak, could not respond to the 55th minute ride of Rice despite a period of late pressure.
Joe Willock might have been their best chance, while the last phases were played in the Arsenal box, where a distressed home team managed to hold firmly.
The strong goal difference of Newcastle should ensure that the victory at Everton on the last day will still secure a top-five finish, while the pressure of Arsenal is now prior to a trip to already related Southampton.
A winning afternoon in n5 pic.twitter.com/szjumv4oik
– Arsenal (@ARSENAL) May 18, 2025
Debrief data: Raya Heroics keeps Newcastle at a distance
Only against Manchester City in September Raya made more saves this season in a Premier League match than are five in this game, and all those came before the 20 minutes with the Goalless game.
Indeed, Newcastle had 10 shots for a visiting team in the first half of a league match at the Emirates for the break since April 2022, while Raya was held on his toes for a tense home audience.
But where the magpies without Isak were benefited, nowhere not aware of the opportunities worth 1.6 expected goals, rice was ruthless and rattled in a brilliant effort that made him and Raya the matchwinners.
Line-ups
Arsenal XI: Trossard, Pareny, David Raya, Ødegaard, Rice, Ben White, Martinelli, Saliba, Saka, Kiwior, Lewis-skelly
Subs: Neto, Sterling, Jorginho, Zinchenko, Tierney, Havertz, Calafiori, Jack Henry-Francis, Nwaneri
Newcastle XI: Callum Wilson, Schar, Burn, Pope, J.Murphy, Guimaraes, Barnes, Tonali, Gordon, Tino Livramento, Sven Botman
Subs: Ruddy, Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Sean Longstaff, Willock, William Osula, Lewis Miley, Sean Neave