Arsenal performance in the defeat to Newcastle was good but they did not create any chances to score, although they had 23 shots on goal but only 3 on goal. I watched the game and it was a very exciting game but the experienced Arsenal team could not score any goals. Coach Mikel Arteta complained that the ball floated too much in the air. Instead, he should focus on improving the ability of his players. Newcastle are a great team and they played well and showed their tactical and organized play in scoring goals.
Arsenal players kept the ball in their possession for most of the time but missed most of the scoring chances. If Gabriel Kai Havertz had not missed the goal chances, the result of the game could have been different. However I am hopeful that from this match they will be better prepared for the next match.
I was not at all surprised by Arsenal's defeat against Newcastle. Newcastle's recent form has been on a winning streak. However, in terms of experience, Arsenal had a higher chance of winning. Arsenal didn't play badly in the match; they tried their best with full effort, and in terms of match position and pass accuracy, Arsenal was ahead. But they failed to score. Despite making 23 shots on goal, only 3 of them were on target. Although Arsenal dominated possession, they were completely unsuccessful in creating goal-scoring opportunities.
On the other hand, Newcastle, despite being behind in possession, was better at creating and scoring goals. They took fewer shots, but were able to hit the target. It is surprising that such an experienced team like Arsenal couldn't score or create good chances against Newcastle. Although Arsenal didn't win in Semi-final Leg 1 of 2, they still have another opportunity. Surely, Arsenal will be able to capitalize on this chance.