Arsenal on Saturday came out top in a 10-goal thriller at Emirates Stadium with Theo Walcott producing a brilliant hat-trick while substitute Oliver Giroud both twice, with Demba Ba, a touted replacement for both, answering twice for Newcastle United.
Walcott, deployed in the role he so desperately craves up front, broke the deadlock with 20 minutes gone, shaping a classy finish into the far corner.
However, as the half progressed the Englishman wasted two good chances, and was made to pay when Demba Ba’s free-kick was deflected beyond Wojciech Szczesny just before the break.
It was costly miss, as Walcott countered with evidence of his own striking virtues to put Arsenal ahead. Newcastle were undone by a single pass, Lukas Podolski’s ball into the inside-left channel freeing Walcott.
The finish was reminiscent of his predecessor in the No 14 shirt, Thierry Henry, who watched from the stands as Walcott cut in on goal and rolled the ball right-footed across Krul into the far corner.
Newcastle showed at Old Trafford that they have spirit despite their dismal form, and so it proved here. With five minutes remaining in the half Demba Ba produced the equaliser, albeit with a considerable help from Jack Wilshere.
After Gabriel Obertan was fouled by Bacary Sagna 20 yards from the Arsenal goal, Ba struck the free kick which took a huge deflection off the back of Wilshere’s head as he turned away from the ball. It was reminiscent of Samir Nasri’s half-hearted efforts in the Manchester City wall at Old Trafford earlier this month, and brought a similar result. Szczesny was wrong-footed by the touch and was a spectator as the ball rolled in.
Whatever was said in the dressing rooms at half-time, neither defence was listening as the second half brought six goals in 23 minutes.
Within five minutes of the restart Arsenal were back ahead, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain finishing powerfully from the edge of the box after being fed by Santi Cazorla, quiet by his standards hitherto.
Back came Newcastle again, the excellent Sylvain Marveaux left with the freedom of Holloway by Kieran Gibbs to tap in from two yards on 59 minutes after an Obertan step-over had taken him to the byline past Sagna.
Arsenal were ahead again within five minutes, Podolski getting the goal his efforts deserved with a header from a yard out after Wilshere’s cross had been headed against his own bar by Fabricio Coloccini.
Demba Ba’s second equaliser came on 69 minutes and again owed a little to Gibbs, who was watching the ball rather than his man as the striker ran onto Marveaux’s cross to slide home.
Walcott put his side ahead for the fourth time four minutes later, finishing smartly from 12 yards after a Gibbs cross fell to him. He then created Arsenal’s fifth, crossing for substitute Olivier Giroud to head home.
Giroud’s second, and Arsenal’s sixth, as he shot from a narrow angle, before Walcott completed his hat-trick with a mazy run and a contemptuous chip over Krul.