Newcastle United produced their best performance yet under Eddie Howe as the Magpies dealt Arsenal's hopes of finishing in the top four a huge blow following a 2-0 victory at St James' Park.
Ben White turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Callum Wilson in the 55th minute before one-time Arsenal target Bruno Guimaraes sealed all three points late on with a composed finish from close range.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
READ MORE: Newcastle United 2-0 Arsenal highlights
Newcastle deliver statement performance
Following back-to-back games against Liverpool and Man City, this was another chance for Newcastle to test themselves against one of the best sides in the country and see how far they had come. Newcastle, after all, had previously failed to pick up a single point against teams currently in the top five this season and that was a record Howe was desperate to improve against Arsenal.
Newcastle traditionally have a poor record against Arsenal. Not only have Newcastle lost more Premier League games against Arsenal (33) than any other opponent but the Magpies had lost 17 of the previous 18 top-flight meetings. While more was riding on this game for Arsenal, who needed to win to stay in pole position for that final spot in the top four, Howe said it was 'so important that we perform in our last home game and leave a good feeling with our supporters for the summer and whet their appetite as to what's going to come'.
Well, Newcastle certainly did that. Newcastle simply did not allow Arsenal to settle at any point as the relentless Magpies pressed the visitors high up the pitch and ended up having more possession, territory and corners than Mikel Arteta's side. Most importantly, of course, Newcastle made that dominance count in the second half as Ben White put through his own net and Bruno sealed all three points late on.
It is to Newcastle's credit that you would have thought it was the Magpies who were going for the top four and Arsenal who only recently secured their mathematical safety. It felt like a statement performance and a glimpse into the future.
St James' Park is alive as Arsenal cowed
No matter the scoreline, or the performance, there has been one constant throughout Eddie Howe's tenure at Newcastle United: the atmosphere at St James' Park. Who could forget supporters in the Gallowgate End chanting 'Eddie Howe's black and white army!' at 4-0 down against Man City or the thousands who stayed behind to clap the players off following the humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of Cambridge United?
The noise inside the stadium has been particularly loud for night games and it was not a shock that Newcastle had won all of their previous three matches under the lights at St James' before the visit of Arsenal. Newcastle may have been mathematically safe, and only beaten Arsenal once at home since 2006, but the Gunners knew this was not going to be an easy game.
Wor Flags, as always, set the tone before a ball was even kicked with their biggest display yet after nearly 100 volunteers helped ensure every Newcastle supporter were involved as around 49,000 sheets of foil were placed on seats to create a stunning display across all four stands, which included which included the word 'UNITED' being spelt out across the East Stand and a 'Newcastle United Football Club' banner that spanned the Gallowgate with a picture of one of this season's celebratory dressing room photographs. Was it any wonder that some of these volunteers were invited to meet players and staff at the training ground on Saturday?
Their efforts set the tone for what was to come: a deafening noise that Newcastle players fed off and which seemed to cow their counterparts at Arsenal.
Callum Wilson gives Newcastle a new dimension
Newcastle have found a way to win games without Callum Wilson, which was once an unimaginable prospect in a previous era, but the striker gives this side a completely different dimension when he is fit and firing with his pace and movement.. That was evident even during a 25-minute cameo at Man City eight days previously as the striker made his first appearance since recovering from a troublesome calf injury.
With Chris Wood out with a hip injury, Wilson was fit to make his first start since December against Arsenal after another productive week's training and the 30-year-old even led his side out as stand-in skipper. Having advised punters to put a bet on him to score, because he comes 'alive' at night, the number nine was soon causing Arsenal's defence real problems. So much so, with eight minutes on the clock, Ben White had to resort to pulling Wilson back and taking a yellow card after the striker had got in front of him following Matt Targett's pass down the left.
Even when Arsenal were on the ball, the Gunners appeared unnerved by Wilson as the striker pressed high up the pitch. You can see why there was no danger of Wilson requiring extensive treatment when the number nine was left with a mouth full of blood and a loose front tooth after a nasty collision and the striker went on to play a crucial role for Newcastle's opener as White, sensing his presence, turned the ball into his own net.
Bruno Guimaraes reminds Arsenal what they missed out on
Mikel Arteta will not have needed any reminder about what Bruno Guimaraes can do. Arsenal, after all, were interested in signing the Brazil international before Newcastle stole a march in the mid-season window. As Newcastle fans' chant goes goes: "He could have gone to Arsenal but he thought, 'No f--- that!'"
Bruno may have spoken to other clubs but, crucially, Newcastle were the only side who submitted a concrete offer last January despite previous reports linking the midfielder with a move to Arsenal. Bruno's social media team duly referenced those reports in a slick video they put together following the midfielder's £33.5m move from Lyon and Bruno, himself, said Newcastle could one day become an even bigger club than the Gunners - 'a big power in world football' - at his unveiling.
So you suspect there was a little edge to the midfield battle on Monday night as Bruno came up against Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka, who he could have ended up playing alongside at the Emirates. Bruno's influence was soon felt.
Bruno's eighth-minute free-kick was begging to be turned in by a team-mate, but no one could get a touch on to it as it bounced behind while the midfielder cut Arsenal open with a slide pass in the 18th minute, but Sean Longstaff's effort across goal was cleared. Newcastle fans were soon taunting the away end with a chant of: 'Bruno turned you down!'
It was rather fitting that it was Bruno who stepped up with the killer second goal late on as Arsenal's hopes of finishing in the top four were dealt a huge blow.
Newcastle fans get a chance to potentially say goodbye
Newcastle players have got used to doing a lap of appreciation after every game under Eddie Howe, whether the Magpies win, lose or draw, but the traditional end of season walk around the pitch on Monday night was different. For some of these players, after all, this was effectively a farewell to St James' Park and it was hardly a surprise that the whole squad and staff spent around 10 minutes just standing in front of the Gallowgate End with their families and soaking it all up in the rain.
Although no decisions have been formally made just yet - Howe will speak to his players, individually, at the end of the season - the Newcastle head coach has already admitted that he is 'sure there will be be players that will move on who have represented the club in a brilliant way'. As wealthy as Newcastle's owners are, it is easy to see why the black-and-whites have to trade this summer in order to make space for new arrivals, to reduce the average age of an old squad, to cut the wage bill and to generate additional funds to allow Howe to operate within the restrictions of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
Some of these players are on long contracts and are settled in the North East with young families, but a number of these individuals will surely want to get more game time. Ciaran Clark, Isaac Hayden and Jamal Lewis did not even make the 25-man squad for the second half of the season while Dwight Gayle, Federico Fernandez, Matt Ritchie and Karl Darlow have barely featured. It also remains to be seen if Matt Targett's loan move is made permanent.
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