Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United (aet): Smith Rowe sends below-par Gunners into fourth round

Emile Smith Rowe was the hero for Arsenal as they beat Newcastle United 2-0 after extra time to reach the FA Cup fourth round.

The holders were poor for much of normal time, which looked to be coming to an end with Smith Rowe sent off for a foul on Sean Longstaff.

However, the VAR advised referee Chris Kavanagh to revisit that decision, which was overturned, allowing Smith Rowe to make the most of his reprieve by punishing a wasteful Newcastle side with a 109th-minute goal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s simple strike added a second and, while there is concern for Arsenal over Gabriel Martinelli, who suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up, Mikel Arteta’s men will be thankful to have kept their defence alive following a below-par display.