BeIN Sports presenter Richards Keys claims that Newcastle “didn’t really have to work that hard” to win against Arsenal on Saturday.

Eddie Howe’s men secured an important 1-0 victory with a goal from Alexander Isak in the first half but, writing on his personal blog, Keys said that the Gunners were to blame for the defeat due to their own shortcomings in the final third of the pitch:

“The Toon didn’t really have to work that hard to beat them. Arsenal had just one shot on target over the 90 mins – nothing in the second half when they were trailing. That’s poor. Really poor. They were completely out of ammo.”

It is a pretty dismissive assessment from Keys, who seems to disregard the fact that the home side managed to stifle their opponent’s attack with a very solid defensive display.

The numbers from the match speak for themselves

The Magpies made more tackles (23), more clearances (26) and the same number of interceptions (6) as their opponents, demonstrating their determination to win the physical battle.

It certainly wasn’t pretty on the eye. Neither side created a lot of chances, but the quality of Isak’s goal is not in doubt.

Anthony Gordon’s cross into the box was a peach, and it allowed Isak to ghost past two of the Premier League’s best defenders to head the ball past David Raya. It was worthy of winning any game.

Will the win kickstart Newcastle’s season?

It’s fair to say that it has been a disappointing beginning to the campaign for Howe’s team. Even after the victory at the weekend, they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League.

With fixtures coming up against Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Crystal Palace before the end of the month, fans will be hoping their team can string a few results together.

Find out who is in Newcastle United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here