Arsenal secured a first Premier League win in four games but once again laboured in front of goal to claim a 1-0 victory over a struggling Newcastle.
Three points allowed the Gunners to leapfrog Liverpool and Tottenham, at least briefly, but Arsene Wenger will continue to wonder how a side as rich with attacking options as his can make scoring a goal so hard - particularly when they are capable of moments as magical as Mesut Ozil’s volleyed winner.
Though Arsenal had laboured in a 0-0 draw at West Ham in midweek Wenger trusted a largely unchanged side, Alexandre Lacazette replacing Olivier Giroud being the only switch, to put in a much-improved performance.
He was rewarded with exactly that against a Newcastle side devoid of confidence after a run of seven defeats in eight league games. From the first minute to the 45th the Magpies were on the back foot, desperately hoping Arsenal’s recent profligacy would continue.
For half of the opening period it looked like their luck would hold. Arsenal dominated possession but all too often settled for long-range efforts from which they could not test Rob Elliot.
Granit Xhaka and Alexis Sanchez had both fizzed efforts wide but there was a hint of frustration building at the Emirates, at least until Ozil provided them with a goal worth braving the cold for.
A deflected Sanchez shot led to pinball in the Newcastle area until the ball looped into the path of the German, who struck the ball so sweetly with a languid swing as to send it rocketing past Elliot.
Arsenal could have had more but as has been the case since the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United earlier this month they fashioned plenty of shooting opportunities without particularly testing the goalkeeper. Of their 12 shots at the interval only two forced Elliot into a save, both relatively straightforward at that.
Matt Ritchie’s introduction 10 minutes into the second period immediately gave Rafa Benitez’s side the attacking verve to test an Arsenal side who looked lackadaisical after so long without being tested. Moments after the 28-year-old had curled a shot just over the bar Petr Cech was forced into a fine save to deny Jacob Murphy.
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Newcastle ought to have been dead and buried but Arsenal’s finishing grew more wasteful as the second half wore on, Jack Wilshere striking a close-range effort straight at Elliot after substitute Olivier Giroud, whose introduction ahead of Lacazette had brought boos from the Emirates, had teed him up.
It set the stage for a dramatic finale in the driving rain, as Newcastle poured men forward in search of an equaliser and the home supporters turned on their manager. There were nervy moments to survive, not least when Granit Xhaka deflected a Joselu shot wide of a stranded Cech and the post.
But survive Arsenal did, earning themselves a crucial three points but doing little to quell the sense that they remain far too wasteful to put together a run of wins.