Arsenal’s free-scoring Premier League form continued as Newcastle were beaten 4-1 at the Emirates on Saturday to fall two points behind leaders Liverpool. Mikel Arteta’s side lost 1-0 in the Champions League at Porto in midweek but made a swift comeback at home to take their goal tally to six consecutive Premier League wins to 25. Arsenal’s strength from set-pieces forced Sven Botman to score an own goal, before Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Jakub Kivior put Newcastle ahead from a second corner.

“We continued in the same way, we kept our rhythm and it was a pleasure to watch the team play,” Arteta said.

“The boys were really good, really aggressive and we deserved to win the game.”

The Gunners are aiming to win a first league title in 20 years and are keen to make amends for last season’s final defeat to Manchester City on course to a treble.

Arsenal are in tremendous form but remain in third place, one point behind second-placed City, with the title race intriguing 12 games before the end of the season.

The defeat is another blow to Newcastle’s aspirations of European football next season.

Eddie Howe’s side finish eighth, 15 points off the top four and have now conceded 23 goals in their last eight league games.

“We fell behind in most aspects of our game. We didn’t do the fundamentals right,” Howe said.

“Sometimes you have such spells in games away from home and you have to weather the storm. Unfortunately we didn’t do that and we conceded some bad goals.”

Howe was forced to substitute goalkeeper Loris Karius in his second appearance since joining Newcastle in 2022.

Karius was unlucky to score the opening goal as he blocked Gabriel Magalhaes’ powerful header, but the ball deflected off the line after hitting Botman.

Arsenal have scored 19 times from set-pieces in the Premier League so far this season.

If there was a hint of luck about the opener, the hosts’ second was also a thing of beauty.

Jorginho’s through ball was met by Gabriel Martinelli, who curled the ball perfectly into the path of Havertz for his eighth goal of the season.

Saka has now scored seven times in his last five Premier League games and only a good save by Karius at his near post denied the England international the opportunity to continue his scoring streak before half-time.

Havertz should have made it three points just two minutes into the second half when he pulled a shot wide after clearing Martinelli’s pass on goal.

But the German international was involved in the third goal as, from his pass, Saka darted inside and fired into the far corner for his 16th goal of the season.

Set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has been credited with Arsenal’s lethal threat from dead balls.

The Frenchman had more reason to celebrate 21 minutes from time when Kiwior’s header from Declan Rice’s corner was deflected off Lewis Miley.

Newcastle got at least a consolation five minutes from time when former Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock placed a header just wide of the post.

But that didn’t put a dent in Arsenal’s party on Saturday night as they gave Liverpool and City another statement that they will not crumble under the pressure of the title race as they did 12 months ago.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)