Arsenal close in on third

Arsenal are closing in on rivals Tottenham Hotspur after coming from behind to take all three points for the fourth consecutive Premier League match.

Newcastle United were the unfortunate side on this occasion, holding the lead for less than 60 seconds at Emirates Stadium after Hatem Ben Arfa's early strike.

Arsenal talisman Robin van Persie hauled his side back into the game before Thomas Vermaelen struck deep into stoppage time to leave the Gunners just one point behind Spurs in third spot.

The cruel defeat hurt Newcastle's faltering European bid and stretched their winless run to four league games. Anyone looking at the Bet Victor betting will be wondering if they can bounce back.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have won their last five in the league and boss Arsene Wenger was quick to praise his side's never-say-die spirit.

"What beat them was our relentless effort to win. I never thought we wouldn't win. I said to my assistant that we needed one more attack and we would score," Wenger said.

The Gunners are no strangers to going behind so it was no real surprise when Ben Arfa found a yard of space in the area and finished inside Wojciech Szczesny's near post after 14 minutes.

Arsenal went straight down the other end and Theo Walcott found Van Persie who took two touches before hammering the ball past Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. Those looking at Victor Chandler will have been impressed.

The visitors frustrated Arsenal thereafter and were on the brink of claiming a well-earned point before Vermaelen struck in a dramatic finale. Dutch compatriots Van Persie and Krul clashed as emotions boiled over.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew admitted the result was hard to take and hopes his players can bounce back from this latest disappointment.

"It's really sickening for us. Great teams score late goals. Overall tonight I thought we deserved a point," Pardew said.