Mikel Arteta has reiterated that Arsenal did not deserve to get 'anything' out of last season's devastating defeat against Newcastle United ahead of the two sides' big rematch next month.
It was Newcastle, rather than Arsenal, who looked like they were playing for a place in the Champions League in the penultimate game of the season at St James' Park last May. Eddie Howe's side fed off the energy of the crowd and swarmed the Gunners yet, by half-time, somehow, it was still goalless.
Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka told his team-mates to 'wake up' during the break because they were playing like a 'second division team'. Arsenal, in truth, were not much better in the second half and an own goal from Ben White and a clincher from Bruno Guimaraes gave Newcastle a deserved 2-0 win.