St James’ Park silenced at the death as Arsenal overturn Woltemade’s strike to floor Newcastle

Newcastle led, pressed, and believed they had tamed a high‑class opponent, only for two late Arsenal corners to rip the points away in stoppage time. Nick Woltemade’s emphatic first‑half header—born of a clever short routine—had set Eddie Howe’s team on course, but Mikel Merino and then Gabriel struck late to steal a 2-1 away win.

It was a night of grit and noise on Tyneside, with Nick Pope outstanding and St James’ Park urging the press forward. Yet injuries and fine margins told. The VAR that spared Newcastle early on offered no help later, and after Tino Livramento’s exit and a shift to a back five, Arsenal cranked up the pressure until two set‑pieces undid the hosts.

A rehearsed routine and a rising No 9 put Newcastle in charge

The breakthrough reflected time well spent on the training ground. In the 34th minute, Sandro Tonali played short to Anthony Gordon and received the return, shaping an inswinging cross that Woltemade devoured. The 6ft 6in striker barely needed to leap as he muscled past Gabriel and powered his header beyond David Raya for his second league goal in three since arriving from Stuttgart.

Woltemade’s presence offered a constant outlet and he was applauded off for William Osula after a committed shift. Around him, a back four with Dan Burn at left-back looked assured as the press rattled Arsenal, whose main threat before the break came through Eberechi Eze’s wicked volleys and Leandro Trossard’s effort that cannoned off the bar.

Pope’s saves, VAR reprieve, and the moments that swung it

When Viktor Gyokeres tumbled under Pope’s challenge on the quarter-hour, the referee initially awarded a penalty. After a lengthy review, Jarred Gillett reversed the call, the stadium informed that Pope had played the ball. It felt pivotal. Pope then kept Newcastle in front with a string of superb stops—twice denying Eze, clawing away Jurrien Timber’s header, and palming a skidding cross‑shot from Bukayo Saka.

Newcastle believed they had their own case late on when Anthony Elanga’s driven cross struck Gabriel’s arm as the defender slid in. Another VAR check yielded no penalty, and within minutes Arsenal were level. Those tight calls, coupled with the sheer volume of defending required, made the final act especially cruel.

Injury disruption, reshuffle, and two corners that cost dearly

Howe switched to a back five to help manage territory, but Tino Livramento’s knee injury—sustained awkwardly and serious enough for a stretcher—forced further reorganisation. The rearguard continued to compete, yet Arsenal’s substitutes swung momentum. From a short corner, Declan Rice delivered and former Newcastle midfielder Mikel Merino stole free to glance an equaliser past Pope.

Then, in the 96th minute, a Martin Odegaard corner was steered in at the near post by Gabriel. After an evening in which Pope had repeatedly excelled, that final set‑piece found a way through and the stadium fell silent. For Newcastle, who had not conceded from set‑plays earlier this season, the fact that both goals arrived from corners stung all the more—echoing the stoppage-time defeat inflicted by Liverpool last month.

Lessons, context, and the road ahead

Howe conceded his team were not at their best and lamented the set‑piece concessions, but there were positives to extract. The pressing game suffocated Arsenal for long spells, Woltemade’s trajectory continues to encourage, and Pope underlined his importance with five vital saves. Game management in the final minutes and defending the second phase of corners will top the agenda this week.

There is little time to dwell. Newcastle travel to Union Saint‑Gilloise in the Champions League before Nottingham Forest visit on 5 October. The margins were agonisingly thin; if the intensity and organisation witnessed for 80‑plus minutes are sustained—and the set‑piece details sharpened—St James’ Park will soon be celebrating late drama of its own making.