- Lacazette scores early
- Perez levels, assists winner
- Slimani impacts off bench
Matt Ritchie’s second half goal helped Newcastle United to a 2-1 comeback win over Arsenal at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
Alexandre Lacazette and Ayoze Perez traded first half goals as Newcastle stayed unbeaten at home in 2018.
The 10th place Magpies now have 41 points, 13 clear of relegation with five to play.
Arsenal remains sixth with 54 points.
Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were among the Arsenal players rested after completing its defeat of CSKA Moscow in Europa League play on Thursday.
[ MORE: Watch full PL match replays ]
Though Newcastle was on the front foot, with Kenedy forcing an early save out of Petr Cech, the Gunners went ahead when Lacazette feasted off the work of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Magpies keeper Martin Dubravka stopped to collect an Alex Iwobi effort in the 20th minute as the Gunners grew further into the control.
Newcastle went level through Perez, who flicked DeAndre Yedlin’s cross past Cech as the match reached the half hour mark.
Arsenal quickly regained control, and probably should’ve been ahead on multiple occasions including a point-blank miss by debutant Joe Willock.
Ritchie put Newcastle ahead in the 69th minute, with substitute Islam Slimani winning a header that Perez nudged to the Scot.
[ MORE: Latest Premier League standings ]
11 - Ayoze Pérez's goal ended a sequence of 11 passes by Newcastle United, involving nine of their 11 players - the longest sequence for one of their Premier League goals in 2017/18. Tidy. pic.twitter.com/fG1ZyXHWZR
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 15, 2018
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]