MANCHESTER, England — (AP) — Gabriel scored a 96th-minute winner as Arsenal came back to secure a dramatic 2-1 win against Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday and close the gap on leader Liverpool.
The defender rose to head in a stoppage-time corner that moved Mikel Arteta's team up to second in the standings and two points behind defending champion Liverpool.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described it as a “statement” win.
"There are opportunities, there are moments in the season, you have to find a way to win,” he said.
Victory saw Arsenal take full advantage of Liverpool's first defeat of the season after the Merseyside club's 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace on Saturday. That game was also decided by a stoppage-time winner by former Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.
A day later and it was Arsenal's turn to produce a late flourish after trailing much of the match, following Nick Woltemade's goal in the 34th.
Mikel Merino leveled the game with a header in the 84th and Gabriel sealed three points deep into time added on.
Earlier, Aston Villa won for the first time in the league this season with a 3-1 victory against Fulham.
For a second week running Arsenal needed a late rescue act.
A 93rd-minute goal from Gabriel Martinelli salvaged a 1-1 draw against Manchester City last week. And Merino’s goal - a glancing header into the bottom corner - looked like rescuing another point.
Even with that, there would still have been the feeling of an opportunity missed for Arsenal after Liverpool’s defeat at Palace. Any sense of frustration, however, turned into pure joy when Gabriel headed in from close range.
“It’s unbelievable man, late winners. There’s nothing better in football. Speechless," said Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka."
Gabriel dropped to his knees at the final whistle and, with both fists clenched, roared in celebration. He and his teammates will have known the potential significance of the win, which puts pressure on a Liverpool team that has needed a succession of late goals itself to avoid dropping points this season. One of those came against Newcastle in August when Rio Ngumoha scored in the 10th minute of added time to secure a 3-2 win.
This was a case of history repeating itself for Newcastle, but Arsenal could point to a number of occasions when it was denied by luck, VAR or the brilliance of goalkeeper Nick Pope.
The visitors were awarded a penalty in the first half when Pope brought down Viktor Gyokeres in the box. But after a VAR review, referee Jarred Gillett overturned the decision, deeming Pope to have touched the ball first, even if he did take down Gyokeres afterward.
Leandro Trossard hit the post soon after, while Pope also blocked two goalbound efforts from Eberechi Eze and another from Jurrien Timber.
“We fully deserved the win, the way we played, the way we performed, the way we competed, the chances we generated. We did it in a dramatic manner at the end, but I’m so happy and so proud of the team,” Arteta said.
Two goals in as many minutes in the second half sealed a comeback win for Villa after Fulham had taken an early lead through Raul Jimenez.
Ollie Watkins leveled the game before halftime and John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia struck shortly after the break to help Villa to a league win at the sixth time of asking at the start of the season.
Victory provided relief for coach Unai Emery, who has endured a difficult start to the campaign. The Spaniard, who led Villa to Champions League qualification in his first full season in charge and into the Europa League last term, has found his team battling at the wrong end of the standings in the opening weeks of this campaign after two losses and three draws.
And when Jimenez headed Fulham in front in the third minute, it looked like being another frustrating day.
But Watkins scored his first goal of the season by lobbing Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 37th.
McGinn drove a low shot from around 20 yards (meters) into the bottom corner four minutes into the second half and Buendia fired in from close range two minutes later.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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