Arsenal came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 at St James’ Park, with Mikel Merino equalizing in the 84th minute and Gabriel Magalhães scoring a dramatic 96th-minute winner.
They had a penalty appeal earlier in the match (for a foul on Viktor Gyokeres) overturned by VAR.
The win lifted Arsenal into 2nd place in the Premier League, just two points off Liverpool.
What Arteta said / his reaction
Arteta praised his team’s courage, determination, conviction and quality in coming through under pressure.
He said that to reach “the next level,” teams must go through difficult moments and learn from them.
On the VAR decision: He was clearly unhappy, saying that unless there is a “clear and obvious error,” VAR should not intervene—and he believed the decision was wrong.
He also spoke about how the match was a chance to “show who we are, who we want to be, and the way we want to play.”
Interpretation / what this means
This kind of win is significant for Arsenal’s mindset: coming from behind at a tough ground shows mental strength and resilience.
Arteta is signalling that his team wants to compete at a high level consistently, not just in easy matches.
The VAR dispute remains a flashpoint — Arteta is making sure his players (and maybe the wider league) feel that officiating decisions are under constant scrutiny.
For fans and the club, such results bolster belief in the title challenge: momentum, confidence, and narrative all shift slightly more in Arsenal’s favour after a dramatic comeback.
