For 90 minutes on Tyneside on Sunday something peculiar happened: it was possible to believe Mikel Arteta’s
Arsenal really are “the new Invincibles” after all. No matter that the visitors kicked off in 11th position – a regressive, deep-sitting Newcastle made Arteta’s hitherto struggling class of 2020-21 look worthy heirs to Arsène Wenger’s all-conquering team from nearly two decades ago.
Scouts from Villarreal doing their homework before this week’s Europa League semi-final second leg may have struggled to comprehend the gap between the team that seemed lucky to lose only 2-1 in
Spain last Thursday and Steve Bruce’s tormentors.