This wasn’t pretty; far from it.

But for Arsenal this result was just as significant as the irresistible 3-0 demolition of Manchester United, or their 5-2 trouncing of Leicester.

Their fluency was missing. The three points, however, wasn’t.  

Defender Laurent Koscielny showed the instinct of a striker to stab home in the 72nd minute, after losing Ayoze Perez

Former Lorient man Koscielny got onto the end of a header following a Mesut Ozil corner to steer past Newcastle United’s Rob Elliot

Koscielny wheels away to celebrate in delight as Elliot (right) looks dejected on the floor, berating his team-mates

The 30-year-old saluted the Arsenal crowd after his strike (as did Theo Walcott, left) which came against the run of play in truth

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE FROM THE EMIRATES STADIUM FIXTURE

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech 8; Bellerin 7, Mertesacker 7, Koscielny 7.5, Monreal 7; Flamini 7, Ramsey 7.5; Oxlade-Chamberlain 6.5 (Campbell 68, 6), Ozil 6.5, Walcott 6.5 (Gibbs 81, 6); Giroud 7 (Chambers 89, 6).

Subs not used: Gabriel, Ospina, Iwobi, Reine-Adelaide. 

Booked: Flamini. Ozil.

Goal: Koscielny 72.

Manager: Wenger 7.

NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Elliot 7; Janmaat 7, Coloccini 7.5, Mbemba 7, Dummett 6.5; Tiote 7 (De Jong 87, 6), Colback 7 (Thauvin 79, 6); Sissoko 7.5, Wijnaldum 7, Perez 7.5; Mitrovic 6.5.

Subs not used: Gouffran, Lascelles, Darlow, Toney, Mbabu. 

Booked: Colback, Janmaat.

Manager: McClaren 6.5. 

MOM: Cech.

Referee: Anthony Taylor 6.5.

Attendance: 59,257.

The Premier League table as it now stands.

Laurent Koscielny reacted well for his goal. For more MATCH ZONE action click here.

Arsenal had to dig deep; Laurent Koscielny’s second-half goal securing an edgy victory. But it is the manner of this win that will, perhaps, please Arsene Wenger the most.

This victory had the hallmark of champions. Can Arsenal play poorly and win? It looks like they’ve found the formula.

For large sections of this encounter, Newcastle had them on the back foot. Indeed, without Petr Cech the outcome could have been entirely different.

But when you’re in a title race, three points is three points.

Newcastle players paid their respects to former goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek, donning shirts with ‘Pavel is a Geordie’ emblazoned across them ahead of kick-off.

The Emirates Stadium responded with a huge round of applause for the Czech Republic shot-stopper, who died after suffering cardiac arrest in his homeland earlier this week.

Had Hector Bellerin shot instead of squaring to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain then the Gunners may have been ahead in the third minute.

Indeed, the early chance was indicative of the early exchanges; Arsenal in the ascendancy as they looked to stay top of the table.

It was all hands to the pump for the Geordies; left-back Paul Dummett, in particular, overworked by Arsenal’s pacy right-flank combination of Bellerin and Chamberlain.

England international forward Walcott bursts through two Newcastle players; he was substituted for Kieran Gibbs late on

Arsenal’s 66-year-old manager Arsene Wenger cut a frustrated figure for much of the game, and chose to wear a tracksuit for the fixture

Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum missed a gilt-edged chance early on in the second half as he was put through one-on-one

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech applauds his supporters before the second-half; he made a brilliant save in denying Wijnaldum

Newcastle’s defender and captain Fabricio Coloccini goes in hard on Aaron Ramsey on a slippery playing surface

They could have, however, found themselves ahead in the 17th minute after Petr Cech denied Georginio Wijnaldum’s header before stopping Ayoze Perez’s follow-up effort.

That was always going to be the danger for Arsenal; getting caught on the counter.

For all their dominance in terms of possession, Wenger’s side best chance of the opening 20 minutes was Bellerin’s pacy break in the third minute.

Ayoze fired another warning to the home side, striking a shot from the edge of the box wide of Cech’s far post after superb work from Moussa Sissoko.

The home crowd were growing agitated; this wasn’t in the script against a team engulfed in a relegation scrap after just four wins all season.

In the build up to the clash McClaren vowed to bully the league leaders in search of unlikely points.

His team stayed true to his word, suffocating the title chasers; and importantly, minimising Mesut Ozil’s influence in the first-half.

Aleksandar Mitrovic attempts an overhead kick during the 3pm (GMT) Saturday kick-off in the driving rain at the Emirates Stadium

Arsenal and England international star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain takes on Newcastle’s Tenerife-born hitman Perez (No 17)

Perez (right) put in an excellent shift for his team and man-marked Oxlade-Chamberlain very well until the Englishman was substituted

Fabricio Coloccini denied Olivier Giroud with an excellent last-ditch block in the 37th minute before the France striker headed the resultant corner over the bar as Arsenal continued to toil.

In Arsenal’s defence, the driving rain was doing little to help their passing fluency. It is, though, what champions have to deal with,

Cech was relieved to see Perez’s acrobatic bicycle kick fly straight at him in the closing stages of the opening period.

The Gunners keeper was called upon again moments later to deny Wijnaldum’s close range effort after some slack defending from the hosts as Newcastle ended the half the strongest.

Wenger changed from his customary match-day suit into a tracksuit for the second half.

The costume change didn’t spark an early second half revival from his side, though.

Striker Olivier Giroud rues a missed chance on goal in the first half of the Barclays Premier League match in north London

The Magpies’ No 45 striker Mitrovic (centre) battles for the ball with the Gunners’ French centre half Koscielny (left)

Newcastle’s combative midfielder Cheik Tiote (No 24) tries to escape the grasps of Ramsey in the middle of the park

The Gunners could easily have been two-down by the 50th minute had Newcastle taken a brace of glorious chances.

First, Wijnaldum, with just Cech to beat, was denied by the Czech Republic international after Perez’s excellent pass.

Then, Aleksandar Mitrovic sent an awkward effort off his knee over the bar from five yards out after more excellent play from Perez.

The home crowd were no longer agitated; they were in uproar.

‘Liven up,’ screamed one disgruntled fan. Wenger’s sentiments would have been pretty similar.

Arsenal started to show signs of life; Ramsey’s sliding effort was saved by Rob Elliott before Olivier Giroud clipped the top of the bar with delicate chipped effort in the 59th minute.

And, finally, the Londoners took the lead.

Arsenal’s Welsh attacker Ramsey (right) vies for the ball in the air with Newcastle’s 25-year-old Dutch forward Wijnaldum

Newcastle’s English midfielder Jack Colback (right) battles for the ball with Frenchman Giroud; Colback picked up a 35th minute booking

It was Koscieny who slotted home at the back post to claim the glory; but the defender owed much to his countryman Giroud, whose header from Ozil’s corner put the ball on a plate for him.

As did some slack marking from Perez, who up until then was having a faultless afternoon.

Not that Wenger or the home supporters cared about the Spaniard’s decision to have a mid-game nap.

Arsenal had hardly been at the races throughout a frustrating afternoon.

Yet, Newcastle kept coming; Mitrovic sending a header narrowly over Cech’s cross bar with nine minutes left to play before Wijnaldum squandered another aerial chance.

Ramsey missed two glorious opportunities to kill Newcastle off in the final five minutes, but they were inconsequential as the hosts held on.

Ramsey goes for an acrobatic effort in the box despite being surrounded by five defenders, including Daryl Janmaat (second left)

Players stood on the centre circle to observe a minute of applause for late ex-Newcastle goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek, prior to kick-off