Mikel Arteta plan fails spectacularly as Newcastle United intensity returns to rattle Arsenal

The intensity is back for Newcastle United - and didn't Arsenal know it?

Alexander Isak's bullet header was enough to win it but here it felt like the return of the Eddie Howe team that fans had grown to love. For some reason, that in your face style had slipped away but in what has been a huge week at St James' Park, like Chelsea, Arsenal were sent back to the Smoke having been outfought and outthought.

Mikel Arteta's team had arrived at St James' Park intending to ruffle the feathers of the Magpies, starting by turning United around at kick off when making them shoot towards the Gallowgate End in the first half. But like many of their other belated Halloween tricks, it would backfire in spectacular fashion.

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Newcastle players dropped down for impromptu treatment when Arsenal were trying to rediscover some rhythm and flow to their game while United stars themselves intelligently won free-kicks at key times.

Arsenal had the game's first shot of any note on two minutes Leandro Trossard got free on the left-hand side of the box but his shot zipped well wide. On 10 minutes Bakayo Saka had a glimpse of goal but rolled it well wide of Nick Pope's left-hand post.

The Magpies though would set the tone perfectly two minutes later after a great move at the Gallowgate End. Alexander Isak started the move by rolling the ball to Sean Longstaff before he picked out Anthony Gordon on the right.

A sublime first time cross saw Isak rise above both centre-backs and send a power header past David Raya to send St James' Park into raptures. Howe exploded into life in the dugout knowing that a training ground routine had paid off in the early stages.

Bruno Guimares pulled off a great piece of skill to trick Trossard mid-way through the first half before his shot almost rebounded kindly for Isak but Arsenal survived. The Gunners kept coming at United though and from a corner former Newcastle star Mikel Merino fired in a close range shot with Hall having to make a crucial block on the line.

Newcastle went in at the break with a fully deserved lead but picked up where they left off in the first half for the second period. A neat through ball from Gordon for Joe Willock saw the ex-Gunner time his run right but strike the ball straight at David Raya.

Willock and Joelinton worked well in tandem on 57 minutes when they exchanged passes down the left before the 25-year-old Arsenal academy product fired narrowly over at the Leazes End. The hour-mark was the cue for Arteta to introduce Oleksandr Zinchenko and exciting youngster Ethan Nwaneri with Merino and and Martinelli taken off.

Willock was booked on 62 minutes after a "welcome to the game" challenge on Nwaneri. Isak unleashed a powerful effort two minutes later after Bruno's pass but Raya beat the ball away.

After an excellent shift, Willock was afforded a warm ovation as he was replaced by Sandro Tonali with 25 minutes left. A Rice corner mid-way through the second half fell for Trossard but his effort was blocked on the line by Hall.

Two more changes saw Julien Timber go off for Ben White while Gabriel Jesus came on for Trossard. Tonali was booked for a foul on Kai Havertz with 19 minutes to go. Newcastle had to absorb some late pressure from the visitors and after Gordon had ran his race, Howe introduced fresh legs with Harvey Barnes making his way on to the field.

Barnes floated in a cross to the back post on 87 minutes but Joelinton - despite stretching all his neck muscles - could only direct his header at Raya. Howe breathed a huge sigh of relief when a late, late Rice header from close range bounced wide of the post.

Yet the Magpies saw over six minutes of added time to cling on to a precious lead and pick up a much-needed win to end their poor run of form in the Premier League. As Newcastle fans - and Howe and Jason Tindall - punched the air at the final whistle they knew how big a victory this really was.

Referee: John Brooks (Melton Mowbray)

Attendance: 52,249