Arsenal news: Gary Neville reveals his disappointment as Gunners point target set

Arsenal can breathe a deep sigh of relief after temporarily returning to the Premier League summit following their win over Newcastle . The Gunners have retaken the advantage while Manchester City were tasked with an FA Cup semi-final against Southampton . Mikel Arteta 's side can even temporarily move six points clear at the top of the table if they beat Fulham next Saturday. However, the spectre of City's game in hand looms large as they look to pounce and unsettle the north Londoners' bid for a first league title since 2004. Eberechi Eze got the goal against Newcastle to soothe Arsenal anxieties for the time being. That being said, attention now turns to Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid as the club fights on two fronts. Despite the overwhelming temptation to believe it's only a matter of time before City turn the screw, a historic end to the campaign could still await Arsenal. Here Mirror Football has broken down the latest headlines around the Emirates as Arteta & Co. chase greatness. FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page While Arsenal may have got the much-needed three points against Newcastle, Saturday's result wasn't at all a glamorous affair. Newcastle accounted for the lion's share of possession and had more attempts on goal, albeit registering fewer on target. The game also came with the added blow of a Kai Havertz injury that puts his immediate involvement in doubt. Few Arsenal players impressed as Arteta might hope, but Manchester United icon Gary Neville picked out Martin Zubimendi in particular as one who he thought would contribute more in his debut Premier League campaign. "I thought at the start of the season that Zubimendi was a great signing," he said on The Gary Neville Podcast . "He's been a good player for Arsenal, but right now I was expecting that this would be where Zubimendi would be the player. "Who's going to be the difference player? I thought [Viktor] Gyokeres would get the goals for them in these big moments and get to 2-0. His lack of quality at the end was poor on that counterattack. He's got to do better than that. "But you think of what [Andrea] Pirlo is, or [Paul] Scholes or Rodri, Bernardo Silva, the player who can dictate play in a game like this, get Arsenal on the ball, organise and get them with authority and he's not demonstrating that. He's struggling in the games and he has done for a few weeks now." Some supporters may take umbrage with that given Zubimendi, who joined from Real Sociedad last summer in a £55.8million deal , has made more league starts (33) than any other Arsenal outfielder this season. Declan Rice is also the only outfield player at the Emirates who has played more minutes than the Spaniard (and even then, only by eight minutes). Neville went on to raise concerns regarding Arteta's midfield tactics and how he gets the blend right between Rice, Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard without sacrificing potency in attack. Many would consider it a successful first term in England that Zubimendi has played such a frequent role in a title-contending team, but Neville clearly expected more. Given City's game in hand and the agonisingly close battle for an edge in goal difference, Arsenal can ill afford another slip this season. The recent back-to-back losses against City and Bournemouth have stubbed out what was until recently a gaping lead at the summit and removed any buffer That being the case, Rice has issued a rallying cry to his team-mates and said Saturday's win was but the latest box in need of ticking. And he's under no illusion that Arteta's men cannot afford to drop another point from here on. Speaking after the Newcastle win, he said: "The three points were massive today. After the week we had against Manchester City, there was a lot of encouragement to take from that game, but we knew coming into this, with five games left, we have to win all five. To tick that one off today was a real boost. So we’re really, really happy with the win today." In addition to their Champions League commitments, Arsenal's remaining domestic fixtures are against Fulham (H), West Ham (A), Burnley (H) and Crystal Palace (A), in that order. A trip to Selhurst Park on the last day of the season looks particularly worrisome at present after Palace have gone undefeated in their last four home games. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.