John: Both sides were dreadful. Newcastle had the majority of the chances in the first half with a depleted squad. Isak, despite misfiring of late, would have been far more of a threat than past-it Wilson. Arsenal were poor too, though. A dull watch all round.

Newcastle got the better of Arsenal in the opening 45 minutes. Their back-three kept the Arsenal attack quiet, and the Gunners’ midfield was wide open. Much of that openness falls squarely on Thomas Partey’s shoulders.

Instant fan / writer reaction from some of our regular contributors on The Mag. Nat Seaton: ‘The first half performance wasn’t enough for us to avoid defeat today. We should have been in the lead but went in 0-0.