Newcastle United £68m triple injury blow as ‘colossus’ Magpies star shines v Arsenal - five things

It was yet another blood and guts performance. Not the easiest on the eye, one for the purists, you might say. But yet another Newcastle United scalp, this time of Premier League title contenders Arsenal, underlines just how resilient, resourceful and impressive this Magpies’ squad is.

A solitary Anthony Gordon goal was the difference at St James’ Park, but this was three points born of fight, battle and grit from one to 11, minute one to 90.

How was it achieved and what were the major talking points? Here’s NewcastleWorld’s FIVE key takeaways from yet another engrossing evening of football on Tyneside.

This team is different - and we’re all for it

Nights like Saturday, in the past, have often slipped away from Newcastle. Backs against the wall, they’ve wilted under ‘Big 6’ pressure. Not now, not even with everything, it seems against them.

Bruising, gruelling encounters are becoming meat and drink to these players, even with injuries mounting and refereeing decisions making life harder than it has to be.

They’ve taken some big scalps this season and they’ll need to do it all again on Tuesday in Germany.

Gordon underlines his class

We’d never really seen it at Newcastle, not ‘til midweek. But Gordon looks to be as dynamic a No.9 as Newcastle United have on their books.

His emergence on the left has been one of the success stories of the Magpies’ season, his reemergence through the middle could yet be another.

It might well be that Eddie Howe goes with Gordon as a striker again on Tuesday, using Wilson as a Bournemouth battering ram four days later on the south coast.

Skipper stands up to yet more scrutiny

Just when some had started to maybe question Jamaal Lascelles, only quietly, the skipper puts in a performance for the ages by his standards.

Physically, he was a colossus at centre-back, repelling wave after wave, particularly in the closing stages.

Newcastle don’t have a central defender as dominant in the air on their books and games like this, which require substance over style, are perfectly suited to the captain.

Has Howe stumbled over his best full-back combo?

Many have been calling for it for a while - and Howe hinted at it when he signed Tino Livramento in the summer, but the former Southampton man on the right and Kieran Trippier on the left has the potential to be United’s best full-back combo.

Livramento was given a stern test against Arsenal, but again stood up to it. Trippier was his usual reliable self on the left or the right.

While Dan Burn’s back problem is not what the doctor ordered in terms of squad health, it does give Howe a chance to trial what many see as his best two full-back options.

Injury woes continue

For all the positivity the results brought, the last two games have brought three more injury issues for the Magpies, one old and two fresh.

Jacob Murphy attempted to battle back from a dislocated shoulder but it popped out again after only a few minutes on the pitch. It looks like three months on the sidelines for the brave winger.

Matt Targett and now Burn look to have added to that - and we are yet to hear how long, or short, term either of those issues are.

Newcastle are battling, but they’re down to the bare bones right not. It’s no surprise, given the intensity and level their playing at now.