Scotland's defence in the face of gathering Fijian power was weak. Hastings banged over a penalty, Tom Jordan came on for an excellent debut after Rowe had the misfortune to be on the end of a howitzer tackle and Ashman returned.

A storm weathered? Not really. Mali Derenalagi powered over before the break and it was deserved. Tevita Ikanivere scored just after the break and that was deserved too.

It was a cheeky move at the front of a line-out, a slick one-two and then a terrible decision by man-of-the-match Graham in defence. Ikanivere went by him like he was not there and suddenly it was 29-15.

Just before that score, Ashman went high in the tackle and was deeply fortunate not to get a second yellow, or even a straight red. He was spoken to, and warned, but he should have been off.

Scotland's response to Fiji's threat was impressive. A terrific team try led to Jones cutting a lovely line to put Graham in for his hat-trick.

Not long after that, Graham scored his fourth with substitutes Dylan Richardson and Jamie Dobie, who was influential, helping to weaken Fiji's resistance. The conversion made it 43-17.

It became a 50-pointer when a fast-finishing Scotland struck again, Hastings' delicious offload in midfield setting them on their way and Jones put Van der Merwe through.

Scotland kept attacking and scored again in the final seconds when Hastings, another major performer, cross-kicked for Jones, who was in acres of space on the right wing.

Hastings converted and Scotland had the promising start to the autumn for which they were looking.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot hailed a "Mo Salah special" as the Egyptian forward's goal saw his side come from behind to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 and go top of the Premier League on Saturday.

Salah secured the points for Liverpool at Anfield to put Arne Slot's side two points clear of injury-hit champions Manchester City who lost in the league for the first time in 11 months, going down to a shock 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth.

Completing a dream day for Liverpool, fellow title rivals Arsenal lost 1-0 at Newcastle United.

Liverpool fell behind after 14 minutes against Brighton with Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu rifling in a stunning effort as the visitors seized control.

Slot's side were struggling to get back on level terms but got a break when Cody Gakpo's 69th-minute cross went straight into the net to lift the mood.

Three minutes later Salah curled home a stunning effort from the right side of the penalty area and that proved enough.

"The second goal was a Mo Salah special," Slot told BBC Sport. "It's not the first and not the last time he will score from that position."

Slot has enjoyed the best start by any new Liverpool manager since replacing Jürgen Klopp and Saturday's victory was his side's 13th in 15 matches in all competitions.

Slot's eight wins in his first 10 Premier League games are also the most ever by a Liverpool manager in his first 10 top-flight league games in charge.

While the defeats for City and Arsenal were a bonus, the Dutchman said he was only concerned with his own side.

"Not because of those results but it feels special because we faced Arsenal last week who are a very tough team," he said.

"Today we faced the same quality and idea about football and both times we had to come from behind to get a result. That is what makes my day, not so much the results from other games."

The one negative on the day was centre-back Ibrahima Konaté coming off at half-time with an apparent arm injury.

Konate walked off the field grimacing in pain and using his shirt as a makeshift sling for his left arm after teammate Virgil van Dijk seemed to accidentally step on his forearm after a corner.

Slot said it was too early to assess the severity of the injury but was hoping the defender would not need a lengthy layoff.

"We don't know yet. He had a lot of pain, but he hasn't been to the hospital yet, and maybe it is not even necessary to go to the hospital, I don't know," Slot said at his post-game news conference.

"It is always difficult to judge an injury in the first hour or first 10 minutes after it happens. Let's hope he can be with us as soon as possible because he had a big impact on our season until now."

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Manchester City's injury crisis proved costly as the champions saw a 32-game unbeaten Premier League run come to a surprising end with a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth on Saturday but manager Pep Guardiola preferred not to use injuries as an excuse.

The defeat dropped City to second spot, two points behind Liverpool who recovered to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1.

"I don't know what would have happened. I would like to tell you if these players [weren't injured], we would have won, but nobody knows," Guardiola told reporters. "The guys give everything, but not enough to compete against that team in that moment."

City's loss came on the heels of a midweek defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup fourth round.

And Guardiola said his team paid the price for a lack of intensity as Bournemouth won through goals from Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson

"We couldn't match up to the intensity," he said. "All the situations with the long balls, we couldn't win it.

"And when you don't win these types of balls to Semenyo and others, our central defenders and strikers have to defend deeper.

"We have players with rhythm and the other players have a lack of rhythm because we could not train due to injuries. But we knew it."

On Friday Guardiola said he had urged his stars to play through pain "like Rafael Nadal" and feared he might have only 11 senior players fit to feature in the Bournemouth game.

City were already missing Jack Grealish, Rodri and Oscar Bobb and in his pre-game interview Guardiola said Rúben Dias and John Stones were also "ruled out for a little bit of long time."

Captain Kyle Walker was one of several players who had not been expected to feature on Saturday but started, while Kevin De Bruyne was back on the bench after a lengthy injury layoff.

"Kyle in 16 days didn't train one session with us, made an incredible effort," Guardiola said, adding that several other players had "niggles."

"[But] it's not just about that," the City boss added. "They [Bournemouth] were difficult to play in the first half, the second half we were much better."

Walker said if City had been fortunate enough to have more healthy bodies, several ailing players might have been rested.

"Probably ideally, but we're not in that position," he said. "We don't use that as an excuse, you have to give full credit to Bournemouth."

City have little time to recover as they head to Lisbon to play Sporting in the Champions League on Tuesday.

"It's the schedule that we've been dealt, no excuses," Walker added.

Bournemouth's victory was their first over City in the south-coast club's history and had Cherries fans at the Vitality Stadium cheekily chanting: "Can we play you every week?"

"I'm very pleased, one thing is to beat City but another is to play better," Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said. "We played with no fear, tried to press when we could and defend when we had to.

"You know you have to be at your best level [to beat a top team] and wait for them to not have their best day."

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Jaxson Dart set Ole Miss records for yards passing and touchdown throws in a single game, leapfrogging Matt Corral and Eli Manning, in the 19th-ranked Rebels' dominating 63-31 win over Arkansas on Saturday.

Dart threw four scores and 321 yards in just the first half. He found Jordan Watkins on five of the TDs, including one for 62 yards and another for 66 on back-to-back drives. They were just three offensive plays apart. Dart ultimately finished 25 of 31 passing for 515 yards with six touchdowns.

Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) led 35-10 at halftime after scoring on three straight drives over the first and second quarters. The Rebels opened and closed the first-half scoring when Princely Umanmielen pounced on a Taylen Green fumble in the end zone midway through the first quarter and Dart capped things with a three-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Watkins with five seconds left in the half, his fourth passing score in the game's first half-hour.

Arkansas (5-4, 3-3 SEC) had stuffed the Rebels at the goal line on the Rebels' first drive for about the only meaningful stop the Razorbacks had all game. Ole Miss racked up 694 yards of total offense. In all, Ole Miss scored on seven of its nine possessions with its starters in the game, only punting once in that span.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman went largely with reserves starting about halfway through the third quarter. Back-up quarterback Malachi Singleton was 11 of 14 passing for 207 yards with a touchdown pass and he ran for another 39 yards with a touchdown. The Razorbacks also scored rushing touchdowns from Rashod Dubinion and Rodney Hill.

Watkins also set school records with five touchdown catches and 254 yards receiving. Watkins' five receiving touchdowns tied the single game SEC record last done by Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt against Alabama in 2022, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Additionally, Watkins is the seventh FBS receiver since 1996 with 250 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in a game. Dae'Quan Wright caught the other Dart touchdown pass and added another from Austin Simmons in the fourth quarter.

Big picture

Ole Miss can not only play spoiler against No. 2 Georgia next week, but should find itself in conversation for the College Football Playoff by doing so.

Arkansas has already eclipsed its win total from last year, though the Razorbacks remain one win short of bowl eligibility, solidly in the middle of the SEC.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Will Howard threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns and No. 4 Ohio State's defense made a late defensive stand to lift the Buckeyes over No. 3 Penn State 20-13 on Saturday.

Ohio State (7-1, 4-1) kept its hopes alive for a spot in the Big Ten championship game by beating the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1) for the eighth straight time. Howard, who believes Penn State thought he "wasn't good enough" when it declined to offer the Philadelphia-area native a scholarship, exacted a measure of revenge in front of the largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history (111,030).

While Howard wasn't perfect by any stretch -- he threw a pick-six on his first pass and later fumbled as he was crossing the goal line for what would have been a touchdown -- he connected on first-half scoring passes to Emeka Egbuka and Brandon Inniss and Ohio State's defense did the rest.

The Buckeyes held Penn State's offense out of the end zone, twice turning the Nittany Lions away from deep in Ohio State territory. Buckeyes defensive back Davison Igbinosun out-wrestled Penn State wide receiver Harrison Wallace III for the ball in the end zone to end a Nittany Lions drive late in the first half.

Penn State had a first-and-goal from the Ohio State 3 midway through the fourth quarter, but three runs up the middle went nowhere and Drew Allar threw incomplete on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 5:13 to go.

Ohio State drained the rest of the clock, mashing its way out to midfield. Howard ended it by running for the Buckeyes' 21st and final first down. He popped up and made the "first down" sign with his arms as the Buckeyes' sideline celebrated and Ohio State gave its College Football Playoff résumé a needed boost three weeks after a one-point loss at No. 1 Oregon.

Allar, playing on a balky left leg, threw for 146 yards and ran for 31 more, but Penn State's new-look offense under first-year coordinator Andy Kotelnicki consistently saw drives bog down in Ohio State territory. Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren combined for 94 yards (47 rushing and 47 receiving) but received little help from Penn State's other skill position players.

Takeaway

Ohio State: This version of the Buckeyes might not be an offensive juggernaut like its predecessors, but Ohio State still has Penn State's number and its physical brand of football could translate well as the postseason nears.

Penn State: James Franklin is now 1-10 against Ohio State, and the latest loss looked an awful lot like the eight that came before it. The Nittany Lions lacked explosive plays and, perhaps more troubling, were bullied up front on their home field.

Poll implications

Expect Ohio State to move up to No. 3 at worst on Sunday. Penn State will likely remain on the fringe of the top 10.

ATLANTA -- Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will not play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons because of disciplinary reasons, a source told ESPN on Saturday.

Elliott was originally slated to be active for the game. He did not accompany the team on the charter flight Saturday. Elliott's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, could not be reached for comment.

It has not been the homecoming Elliott has wanted since signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April. He has 149 yards on 48 carries and two touchdowns, while catching seven passes for 40 yards in seven games.

He signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April worth a max of $3 million and $2.15 million guaranteed, including a $600,000 signing bonus.

In last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he scored his 70th rushing touchdown for the Cowboys, two behind Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, who trails only Emmitt Smith in team history.

This will be the first time in his career Elliott will be a healthy scratch from the lineup in a game when the Cowboys' playoff positioning has not been settled. He was rested in the regular-season finales in 2016 and 2018 with their spot secured.

Elliott's spot on the gameday roster was in question last week against San Francisco, although a source said he would have been active even if leading rusher Rico Dowdle did not fall ill before kickoff. He has missed only three games because of injury (in 2022 he missed two games with a knee injury; in 2020 he missed a game with a calf strain). He was suspended six games in 2017.

Dowdle, who has 246 rushing yards, is healthy this week, and the Cowboys elevated Dalvin Cook from the practice squad on Saturday for the second straight week.

With the New England Patriots in 2023, Elliott posted career lows in carries (184) and yards (642), but he caught 51 passes for 313 yards and scored five touchdowns.

This season, Elliott started the opener against the Cleveland Browns and led the Cowboys with 40 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown. He started last week against the Niners and had 10 carries for 34 yards, including a seasonlong 11-yard gain in the first half. In the other five games, he has not had more than eight carries or 19 yards in a game.

The Cowboys entered the season going with a running back-by-committee, but the production has not been there. They entered Sunday's game averaging 74.1 yards a contest, which is last in the NFL. They are also in the midst of a streak of 21 straight games without a 100-yard rusher, the longest streak in team history.

Cook posted four 1,000-yard seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-22), earning a Pro Bowl spot each time. Last year, he signed late with the New York Jets and had just 214 yards on 67 carries in 15 games. He played one game for the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs and had eight carries for 23 yards. He had six carries for 12 yards against the Niners.

Ealing's win was the only upset of the day as Premiership sides beat second-tier opponents in the day's other five matches.

Gloucester had the nerviest afternoon as they won 31-26 at close neighbours Hartpury.

The Cherry and Whites led 26-14 at half-time having secured a four-try bonus point before the break.

A penalty try with nine minutes to go gave Hartpury hope as Gloucester had Freddie Clarke and Josh Hathaway sent to the sin-bin, but the Championship side could not find what could have been a winning try as Gloucester join Exeter at the top of Pool E.

Harlequins also won at near neighbours as Hayden Hyde scored twice in their 35-22 win over London Scottish at the Richmond Athletic Ground.

Newcastle returned from the Wirrall with a bonus point in Pool A after a 33-12 win at Caldy while Bristol cruised to a 67-19 win over Bedford at Ashton Gate in their Pool D match.

Kalaveti Ravouvou and Harry Thacker each scored two tries as the Bears scored seven tries in the first half and four after the break.

But Bath claimed the biggest win of the day as they thrashed Ampthill 73-0 at Dillingham Park.

Kepu Tuipulotu scored a first-half hat-trick while Ruaridh McConnochie and Ethan Staddon crossed twice as the Premiership side scored 11 tries.

It put them top of Pool D ahead of Bristol on points difference as the first round of games came to a close.

Munster: Mike Haley; Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O'Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Evan O'Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Ben O'Connor.

All Blacks XV: George Bower, Brodie McAlister, George Dyer, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Fabian Holland, Oliver Haig, Du'Plessis Kirifi (capt), Devan Flanders, Finlay Christie, Harry Plummer, Kini Naholo, Quinn Tupaea, AJ Lam, Chay Fihaki, Shaun Stevenson.

Replacements: Bradley Slater, Xavier Numia, Marcel Renata, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Corey Kellow, Noah Hotham, Josh Jacomb, Ruben Love.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Former Real Madrid great Marcelo had his contract at boyhood club Fluminense terminated two months early on Saturday, one day after the defender's touchline spat with coach Mano Menezes.

The Brazilian club said in a statement that the decision was by mutual agreement.

"The institutional and emotional bonds between Fluminense and Marcelo remain untouched," Fluminense said.

Marcelo did not comment.

Last year, Marcelo won the Rio de Janeiro state championship and the Copa Libertadores titles with Fluminense, his first professional club before he joined Real Madrid at the end of 2006 at age 18. He won five Champions Leagues and six La Ligas at Madrid.

Menezes was going to use the 36-year-old Marcelo as a substitute in the final minutes of Fluminense's clash against Gremio in a Brazilian league match. The defender appeared to dispute the coach's instructions, who decided to field striker John Kennedy instead.

Fluminense led 2-1 at the time, but Gremio scored from the spot shortly before the final whistle to equalize at the Maracana Stadium.

"I was going to bring Marcelo in at that time, but I heard one thing that I did not like and I changed my mind," Menezes said at a news conference. "He wasn't going in to solve any problem for us, he was stepping in to let us keep what we had [on the scoreboard]. It was just two, three minutes to the end."

Fluminense is 12th in the Brazilian league with 37 points from 32 matches.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, England -- The handshakes were cursory and the celebrations prolonged. Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe said Saturday's 1-0 win over Arsenal "means so much more" because of recent poor results, but there is another reason; Alexander Isak's 12th-minute header not only dented the Gunners' Premier League title hopes, but also deepened one of the division's more unlikely rivalries.

Both Howe and Mikel Arteta have attempted to make their sides more combative and streetwise as they both eye grander prizes. As a result, when these teams clash, sparks tend to fly. This was another feisty affair -- albeit without the acute flashpoints of the past -- but the seismic consequences of Newcastle's win creates a new chapter in the growing animosity between two clubs with no geographical or historic reason to square off until recent years.

Newcastle's Saudi Arabian-led takeover in 2021 awoke a sleeping giant determined to gatecrash the established elite, a place where Arsenal have habitually resided despite waiting 20 years for a league title. Arteta refused to think in those terms despite missing an opportunity to close the gap on Liverpool (who won their match later on Saturday, while Manchester City also lost) at the top of the table but couldn't help a small dig at Newcastle on his way out of St James' Park.

"You know the game they want to play," he said after the match. "It's clear. You get dragged into that kind of game too often and we weren't good enough and didn't have enough answers to get out of that constantly."

Howe dismissed Arteta's assessment as "irrelevant," like any other "outside noise." Both managers are too savvy to be drawn into open warfare, but the enmity between Newcastle and Arsenal undoubtedly exists and has grown in recent years.

On-field frustration

Newcastle inflicted a damaging 2-0 defeat on Arsenal at the end of the 2021-22 season which effectively ended their hopes of Champions League qualification. Although the Gunners' insipid performance that night triggered a furious reaction from Arteta, his ire was focused inward rather than towards his opponents given they mustered so little threat despite the stakes in play.

Things changed in Jan. 2023. Newcastle held Arsenal 0-0 at Emirates Stadium in a match featuring escalating anger and frustration as the visitors defended resolutely and frequently slowed the game down. The ball was in play for around eight minutes less than the Premier League average for a match at the time. Arsenal were aggravated further in injury time as a late penalty appeal for a handball from Jacob Murphy was not awarded by referee Andy Madley and VAR did not intervene.

Arteta and Howe exchanged heated words on the touchline and afterwards the Spaniard said: "We had so many situations and then we had two scandalous penalties. They are two penalties, it's very simple. I'm talking about what I've seen, now, and it's two scandalous penalties. I am not sure why they set up like that. They haven't set up like that against any team this season."

A source has told ESPN that Arsenal subsequently used the example of Newcastle's running the clock down that day -- which began early in the first half -- in subsequent conversations with Professional Game Match Officials Limited PGMOL on how to improve officiating. There was, then, particular satisfaction when Arsenal returned the favour during a 2-0 win at St James' in May 2023.

Howe said: "They slowed it down. Lots of breaks in play, frustrating for us. Naturally, we wanted the ball in play more, especially when you're chasing the game." Arteta said in response: "For sure, our team isn't like that." Except they are.

Before Saturday, since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal have received 21 yellow cards for time-wasting. Only Aston Villa (34) and Chelsea (24) recorded more. After the first five games of this season, Arsenal delayed restarting play more than any other team, on average for 34 seconds.

In their first nine league games of the season, the Gunners had received seven yellow cards for time-wasting -- a league high. That can partly be explained by Arsenal needing to manage games having gone down to 10 men on three separate occasions, but it is also a measure of the street-smarts Arteta has attempted to instill in his young squad.

Newcastle have a habit slowing the game down, too. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, only Leeds United (51 minutes and 58 seconds) have been involved in matches with less time where the ball is in play than Newcastle (54:06). Arsenal are 10th by that particular metric on 56:51.

In his customary style, Howe tried to diffuse the situation before Saturday's game by claiming accusations of his side time-wasting and employing "dark arts" were "in part, over-hyped and talked about more because we were [winning and leading games] a lot that season."

Yet on Saturday, Arteta bemoaned the number of fouls his team conceded -- 18 to Newcastle's 16 -- and his frustration at the type of game this became. After starting well, Isak scored, the momentum shifted and Newcastle dug deep and defended -- with a degree of comfort -- for almost all of the second half as Arsenal struggled to break them down. This time, at least, Arteta kept his frustrations in check on the touchline.

Off-field friction

The tension between the two clubs truly exploded last season when Arsenal visited St James' Park. A tight game was settled by a solitary goal which the Gunners believed should never have stood. Anthony Gordon's 64th-minute strike secured a 1-0 win for Newcastle after surviving three separate VAR checks to determine whether the ball went out of play, if there was a foul in the build-up and for a possible offside.

Arteta was apoplectic afterwards, saying: "We lost the match because of the clear and obvious decisions. It's embarrassing. A disgrace. That's what it is -- a disgrace. You cannot imagine the amount of messages I got saying this cannot continue. I am wasting my time. We are wasting our time. I don't want to be in the hands of people."

Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal had been engaging in what they felt was constructive dialogue in an effort to help improve the standard of officiating in the league, and Arteta's postmatch comments should therefore be viewed through that prism rather than any abuse of the match officials. It was an argument which formed a key part of Arteta's defence at an independent Regulatory Commission hearing after the FA charged him with misconduct.

At the hearing, Arsenal left nothing to chance. While the Football Association relied on two people to argue their case, Arteta had no fewer than six people in his corner: two barristers, Richard Garlick (then Arsenal's director of football operations, now the club's managing director) and three of Arsenal's in-house legal team. Arsenal's sense of injustice was fuelled by former midfielder Joe Willock -- who was a second-half substitute for Newcastle in that 1-0 defeat -- privately admitting to several Gunners players that he felt the goal should have been disallowed.

Arteta was subsequently cleared. One source with links to Newcastle said the club watched these proceedings with a "wry smile" from afar, noting that whatever complaints Arsenal had, in the same game Kai Havertz could easily have been sent off for a first-half lunge at Sean Longstaff.

Speaking on Friday, Arteta was asked by ESPN whether he felt there were any lasting consequences from such a public spat with PGMOL. He responded: "No, hopefully we are past it. We talked through it in depth and that's done. It is a year. A year in football is a long, long time." The Gordon goal, however, was a moment Arteta admitted skipping past in his video preparation for Saturday's return.

What should concern him more after this latest defeat was how they wilted after a promising start and lacked the requisite invention in their play without captain Martin Odegaard. Even their set-piece plays were poor, chiefly because of Declan Rice's unusually inaccurate delivery.

Touchline antics

Arteta has regularly been criticised for his past behaviour on the touchline. It is something the 42-year-old himself has sought to address after a series of clashes with officials and managers, including Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall during the 0-0 draw in Jan. 2023.

Together with PGMOL, the FA and the EFL, the Premier League attempted to tighten the rules around touchline activity at the beginning of last season by preventing more than one person standing at the front of the technical area during matches. Sources have told ESPN that Tindall's behaviour was cited in discussions prior to the rule being implemented, something ex-Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp later hinted at by joking in Aug. 2023 that "I think it's only for one team a real problem: Newcastle. Sorry!"

Under the stricter new rules, Arteta was booked five times last season -- a league high for managers alongside former Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto de Zerbi. He is one of only five managers yet to be yellow-carded this term and previously spoke about how meditation now forms part of his routine.

"On the touchline I haven't got to that point where I am in meditation mode yet, but maybe it is something that has to happen," he said. "I just want the best for the team and I want to give the team the best chance to be as competitive as possible, to win the majority of the football matches. When they changed the rules and certain behaviours towards the touchline we need to adapt to that and evolve. That is what I try to do."

That attempt to adapt at least in part explains Arteta's palpable annoyance at Tindall on Saturday. He could be seen on more than one occasion pointing out to fourth official Darren Bond that Tindall was stood alongside Howe in breach of the rules.

Arteta also held up four fingers to Bond in pointing out the number of fouls Joelinton committed without being booked. There were handshakes at full-time but no lingering embrace and, doubtlessly, no love lost.

Transfers

It would be a stretch to suggest the two clubs are reluctant to do business with each other in the transfer market but there are many instances of admiring glances being cast in the direction of players on the opposing team. Willock left Arsenal for Newcastle in Aug. 2021 for 25 million and he started in midfield on Saturday alongside Bruno Guimarães, who the Gunners have previously shown an interest in. No offer ever materialised, but due to the potential transfer fee involved, Arsenal looked elsewhere.

The same is true of Isak, who in that context somewhat inevitably made them pay with a superb winning goal, benefitting from Gordon's superb delivery to plant a firm header past David Raya on 12 minutes.

Arsenal have been scouring the market for a striker over recent months and looked at alternatives when their preferred choice, Benjamin Sesko, signed a new contract to stay at Red Bull Leipzig.

Isak -- who now has 12 goals in his last 12 home games in the league -- can count Chelsea among his potential suitors but all clubs were told by Newcastle in the summer that they were reluctant to let him leave and would not countenance anything less than a British-record transfer. That means they would hold out for a fee in excess of the 115m that Chelsea paid Brighton for Moisés Caicedo.

Newcastle explored moves for Arsenal fringe players Aaron Ramsdale -- who eventually joined Southampton -- and Kieran Tierney but without success.

Differing outlooks

These two clubs are increasingly opposed at a philosophical level. Arsenal self-funded their move to Emirates Stadium and are part of an established elite sometimes sceptical of new money motives and methodology. Owned outright by Kroenke Sports Enterprises since 2018, sources say the Gunners are broadly supportive of the league's Profit and Sustainability Rules, at least in terms of trying to bring some sensibility to spending.

Newcastle were acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in October 2021 with the aim of "regularly competing for major trophies" -- a goal that would be much easier to reach if spending was unchecked and authorities took a liberal approach to sponsorship deals involving companies linked to a club's owners.

Manchester City's recent legal case against the Premier League over those associated party transaction (APT) rules exposed the fault lines further. The argument centred on how APTs are controlled, specifically if and how potential sponsor agreements involving companies already closely tied to a club should be assessed by fair market value to avoid artificial inflation. Restrictions on fair market values were introduced by the Premier League shortly after Newcastle's takeover in Dec. 2021, with clubs voting 12-6 in favour with two abstaining.

When the case was heard, City argued the rules were anti-competitive and therefore unlawful. Acting as witnesses for City were Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton -- three clubs which have all been the subject of takeovers within the last three years. On the other side, Arsenal were called as a witness for the Premier League along with Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham among others.

A complicated verdict was announced last month -- both sides claimed victory as the Premier League argued the APT framework was upheld but City pointed out some of their complaints were upheld. It was a prelude to City's bigger fight with the Premier League regarding 115 charges of breaching financial rules -- a case currently being heard -- but also underlined the differing viewpoints at boardroom level that have created unexpected alliances and enemies among top-flight clubs.

Atmosphere

Earlier in his tenure as Arsenal boss, Arteta would regularly cite a desire to make Emirates Stadium a more intimidating venue for opponents by creating a stronger bond with supporters.

In Jan. 2024, he said: "We are really happy with the atmosphere that we have created at the Emirates. It has been really supportive. Can we tweak it and make it even more hostile? I think we can. That's the next step in my opinion."

Sources have told ESPN that St James' Park was one of the atmospheres Arteta sought to draw inspiration from, and a month later they had a chance to make a point to Newcastle in the return fixture following the Gordon controversy.

Sources say that while the additional prematch light show, tifos, flags and motivational social media videos were designed to rally supporters for an unusually late weekend kick-off (8 p.m. UK time), they were also in part a reflection of the opposition.

On Saturday, Arsenal attempted a mind game of their own at kick-off when they won the coin toss, choosing to swap sides so Newcastle could not attack their favoured Gallowgate End in the second half. The atmosphere wasn't at its rip-roaring best, perhaps due to the early kick-off 12:30 p.m. local time) or Newcastle's indifferent recent form.

But St James' was euphoric at the end with Arsenal now made to wait until May for a shot at revenge against their new rivals from the other end of the country.