Arsenal returned to winning ways but had Mesut Ozil to thank for scoring a wonderful winner as they toiled against out-of-form Newcastle.
Having taken just two points from their last three games, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger could not have wished for a better game in which to register a first Premier League win of the month.
But the performance in a tight 1-0 victory over the Magpies was met with incredulity from pockets of the home fans, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and the recalled Alexandre Lacazette struggling to make an impact once again.
Newcastle are without a league victory since October 21 and their slide into the relegation battle continued despite a determined showing here, with profligate finishing their main issue.
James Olley assesses the key talking points at the Emirates...
Arsenal rediscover home comforts - just
The Gunners suffered their first home League defeat since January when Manchester United secured a 3-1 win here at the beginning of the month, so this was a welcome return to winning ways after successive draws at Southampton and West Ham.
Newcastle were on the back foot for 70 minutes - in fairness without being totally overwhelmed - and the only surprise was that Arsenal failed to kill the game off with Newcastle carrying a late threat.
With an EFL Cup game against the Hammers and, more significantly, Liverpool to come in the League at Emirates Stadium before Christmas, Wenger will hope these home comforts continue, although supporters were wavering between backing the team and bemoaning the inertia of their manager by the end of this.
Ozil provides a timely reminder of his talent
Both Wenger and the club have been swift to deny reports of Ozil receiving an improved contract offer, but there remains a sense he is more likely to sign a new deal than Alexis Sanchez.
It is most probable, however, that both will leave with Ozil demanding well in excess of the £275,000-a-week he has been offered and here was another reminder of why he is worth the money.
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The most impressive aspect of his sumptuous 24th-minute volley was the technique: instead of trying to inject power on the ball, he concentrated on securing the cleanest contact and the ball whistled past Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliott as a result.
Ozil may be frustrating at times but Barcelona and Manchester United continue to be linked with him precisely because of moments like this. He’s now been involved in six goals (two goals and four assists) in his last five home games.
Wenger faces Laca flak
Lacazette has completed 90 minutes twice in his Arsenal career to date, a statistic made even more curious by the fact one of those was against a United - a game he was originally ruled out for through injury.
Lacazette’s 73rd-minute withdrawal here was greeted with boos from a significant number of fans, despite a subdued showing after a bright start.
Wenger believes Lacazette is still adapting to life in English football and this season will be the first he has experienced without a winter break, so game management is important.
Nevertheless, spending £52.7million on a striker and then repeatedly denying him the chance to play against tiring defenders is a policy that continues to cause frustration among supporters.
Balance in question with a back four
Wenger switched to a 3-4-2-1 system in April to give Arsenal greater defensive stability and reduce their vulnerability on the counter-attack. Yet his preference remains to play with a back four, as they did for the second successive match here, and as the match wore on, nervousness permeated players and supporters as Newcastle rallied late on in search of an equaliser.
Arsenal just about held firm – it was in truth far more edgy than it needed to be - but it was not difficult to imagine a team with Liverpool’s threat on the break relishing the prospect of playing against a Gunners side which looks this brittle.
Shkodran Mustafi was missing here again - his availability against Jurgen Klopp’s side could be the difference in Wenger returning to a back three.