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Arsenal won 1-0 at Newcastle thanks to an own goal from Fabricio Coloccini, who turned in an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shot early in the second half.
The game quickly went in the away side's favour when Aleksandar Mitrovic was shown a straight red card in the first period for a daft studs-up challenge on Francis Coquelin, just minutes after Moussa Sissoko had been nooked for a similar challenge.
The match at St James' Park saw Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott start from the beginning with Olivier Giroud having to make do with an appearance from the bench. With some calling for the rapid forwards to be given a chance, how did they get on?
And did anyone impress in defeat for Newcastle? Here, we take a look at how each player got on.
Click on the gallery below to see our ratings...
Show all 22 1 /22Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Newcastle: Tim Krul - 8 Colossal performance: superb saves to denied Walcott and Sanchez, and he was left helpless by the deflected goal.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Daryl Janmaat - 7 Was one of Newcastle's few bright sparks in the first half, stifling Sanchez and getting forward well.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Chancel Mbemba - 7 One of six bookings for the hosts, but made repeated last-ditch blocks and carried the ball forward out of defence well.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Fabricio Coloccini - 7 Marshalled the brave Newcastle defence well, and was desperately unlucky with the own goal. Unfortunate booking.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Massadio Haidara - 6 Struggled to cope with Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bellerin early, but recovered as the game went on.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Vurnon Anita - 5 One of several players to pick up a soft booking and failed to prevent Arsenal winning the midfield battle before being subbed.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Jack Colback - 6 Typically hardworking, but didn't get as much possession as he would like as Arsenal dominated.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Moussa Sissoko - 7 Possibly lucky to escape a red card for early tackle on Monreal, but covered ground tirelessly in defence and attack.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Georginio Wijnaldum - 5 Neat in possession, but didn't make an impact going forward. Another silly booking.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Florian Thauvin - 6 Some lively moments suggested he could be a decent signing, but he lacked an end product.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Aleksandar Mitrovic - 3 Stupid, reckless tackle deserved a red card, which effectively ended his side's hopes of victory.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Arsenal: Petr Cech - 6 Even in Chelsea's heyday, has he ever had to do less in a Premier League game?
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Hector Bellerin - 8 Got forward brilliantly in the first half and was unlucky not to win a penalty. Solid defensively.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Gabriel Paulista - 7 Little to do, but pulled out a crucial interception from a Thauvin cross and was a threat at set-pieces.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Laurent Koscielny - 7 What little he had to do he did well, and was a calming influence on his return.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Nacho Monreal - 7 Typically unruffled defensively, and combines well with Sanchez.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Francis Coquelin - 6 Arsenal's ascendancy meant he was barely needed in the holding role - drew a series of bizarrely reckless tackles from Newcastle players.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Santi Cazorla - 7 Passed the ball well from his deep-lying role, and got forward more as the game opened up in the second half.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Aaron Ramsey - 8 Excelled in a more advanced role, causing Newcastle problems with direct running and forcing a smart save that led to the crucial goal.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 8 Was lively throughout, particularly in the opening stages, and his low drive created the goal.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Alexis Sanchez - 7 Not as influential as might have been expected in the first half, but came into game more after the break and was only denied a goal by the excellent Krul.
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Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1 player ratings Theo Walcott - 6 Should have scored with two clear-cut first-half chances, but at least he's getting into good positions. The jury is still out on him as a central striker.
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Who was your man of the match? Let us know in the comments below.
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