NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom (AFP) — Arsenal produced a dramatic late fightback to win 2-1 at Newcastle on Sunday and lay down an early marker in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners were heading for a fourth consecutive defeat at St James’ Park after falling behind to Nick Woltemade’s first-half header.

However, Mikel Merino headed in the equaliser before Gabriel Magalhaes powered in from a 96th-minute corner to lift Arsenal into second and within two points of leaders Liverpool.

“To win in the manner that we have done it, wow, what a feeling!” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.

“Football is about emotion and going through things and today we had a beautiful one at the end of the match.”

Liverpool’s first defeat of the season at Crystal Palace on Saturday had handed Arsenal the chance to close in at the top of the table.

For a long time it looked like Arteta’s men would let that opportunity slip by in a bad-tempered encounter on Tyneside.

But the manner of victory will give the Gunners belief this is their season after finishing second in each of the last three campaigns.

“There are moments in the season and obviously with the start that we had already, and the difficult fixtures that we had, we have the opportunity to close that gap,” Arteta said.

“To do it in a stadium that has a very recent and difficult past for us I think it shows how much the team wants it (the title).”

Arteta’s conservative team selection in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City was much criticised.

There was no sense of the Spaniard holding back as Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze returned to the starting line-up.

Eze nearly made his mark within five minutes as his low drive was brilliantly turned behind by Nick Pope.

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Arsenal were furious moments later when Pope escaped conceding a penalty.

Referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed to the spot but was instructed by VAR to review the incident and overturned his original decision for a touch on the ball by Pope before he wiped out Viktor Gyokeres.

Instead Newcastle broke the deadlock on 34 minutes.

Alexander Isak had repeatedly been the scourge of Arsenal in meetings between the sides in recent years.

Woltemade stepped into the departed Swede’s shoes with his second goal since becoming the Magpies’ record signing to replace Isak.

The giant German outmuscled Gabriel, who went down looking for a free-kick, to head Sandro Tonali’s delivery into the bottom corner.

Arsenal dominated the second period but struggled to break down the well-organised mass ranks of Eddie Howe’s back line until Arteta’s substitutions changed the game.

Merino had a difficult one-season spell at Newcastle early in his career and came back to haunt his former club with a deft header into the far corner from Declan Rice’s inviting cross.

Arsenal could still have lost it. This time a VAR review went their way when Gabriel blocked Anthony Elanga’s cross with an outstretched arm.

The Brazilian swiftly went up the other end to become the hero when he beat Pope to Martin Odegaard’s corner to spark celebrations of what could be a huge three points when the title is decided in May.

“Two really late goals here at home hurts. We have to reflect and acknowledge that we weren’t at our best,” said Howe.

“There was not lack of effort but from a footballing side, it wasn’t quite there.”

Newcastle remain 15th with just one win from their opening six Premier League games.