Newcastle vs Arsenal LIVE: Gabriel fires home last-gasp winner to complete stunning turnaround in feisty Premier League clash

It was the same penalty box where Gabriel Magalhaes had ended up sprawling on the Tyneside turf some 90 minutes earlier. This time, he was rising highest, heading in Martin Odegaard’s corner, capping a dramatic fightback, securing the kind of flagship win that tends to be the hallmark of champions.

The Brazilian may have been culpable for Newcastle’s opener, when Nick Woltemade headed in as he fell. He might have been sent off for an elbow on the giant German. He survived a VAR review for a penalty for handling Anthony Elanga’s cross. He ended up the match-winner as David Raya ran 100 yards to join in the celebrations. It was that kind of confusing, chaotic afternoon.

“Unbelievable feeling,” said Mikel Arteta. “That is what football is about.”

For Newcastle, beaten in the 100th minute by Liverpool and the 96th by Arsenal when deserving to lose neither game, it was a horrible action replay. For Arteta, it was the sort of sequel he can savour.

Howe is a bit more measured on the penalty controversy. He says: “You are always in the hands of VAR and I have to trust both decisions - one for us and one against us.”

Newcastle play on Thursday in the Champions League, and he says: “The game is a good thing. We have to look after today's painful defeat that we have another game soon after. We want to get confidence.”

Tino Livramento’s injury “doesn't sound great,” he adds. “The fact he came off on a stretcher is not looking good.”

Eddie Howe tells Match of the Day: “Two really late goals here at home hurts. We have to reflect and acknowledge that we weren't at our best. There was not lack of effort but from a footballing side, it wasn't quite there.

“That was probably the key thing, the number of corners. I think Odegaard made a difference to their overall performance. The weight of pressure eventually told. No lack of effort but the little details have cost us.”

What made the difference? Arteta says: “I think the way we played. The courage, the determination and the quality we played with today. We want to achieve the next level and to do that you have to come to these places and when there are some results yesterday, we wanted to show that conviction and desire to do it.

“You have to come to this place and you have to win. You have to find a way to do it and it was tremendous."

“We had to throw everything we had. I think Pope was exceptional. Fair play to him but we believed and I think we fully deserved to win it.”

Arteta says: “Pride and I think we fully deserved the win. The way we played and performed and competed. The chances we generated, we deserved to win. We did it into a dramatic way but we deserved to win.

“That is how you get to a different level. By going through those moments and take those lessons from it. It was a massive opportunity to show who we are. For ourselves because they are a terrific team and they are so difficult to play against. The level of consistency and quality we showed today was top.”

Mikel Arteta thinks similarly. He tells Sky Sports: “If it is not a clear and obvious error, VAR should not intervene. It is clear that VAR does not have to intervene because it is a penalty.”

Now let’s chat all things penalty. Saka says: “The penalty, you know, for me, like if we have VAR for clear and obvious errors, and the fact that it took the ref that long to decide.

“So it's not a clear and obvious error, but it's things like this, these little things that always go against us. But I think today, we got what we deserved for sure.”

Asked whether this result will mean more after slipping up elsewhere, Merino adds: “Maybe for the fans or you guys, not for us, we know how well we've been putting on the kind of performances we've been creating as well.

“Winning the way we won today shows the character of the team how much we trust each other, how confident we are. That doesn't change no matter the result. We are confident we have an amazing team, an amazing squad, amazing staff and amazing fans, so we are ready for it.”

Mikel Merino adds: “As Buyako says it's unbelievable to win these kinds of games. Late winners are the best. But obviously from my perspective it's even greater coming back here is always big for me, big memories, amazing place in my life but also being able to score and help the team is incredible. Couldn't be better to win in the last minute and congrats to all the boys.

“Always coming here is great to see old faces, old friends. I've had amazing memories here. I've only been here one year but still it's a big part of my life and my career. To come here to score a winner, a header again in the same goal that I scored for Newcastle, is magical.”

(Merino played for Newcastle from 2017-18.)

Bukayo Saka tells Sky Sports: “It's unbelievable. Late winners - there's nothing better in football. So speechless. I'm so happy. When you're on the bench and you can't control and affect the game, but when you have guys like this guy [Mikel Merino] - he's a big threat.”