Thomas Vermaelen's dramatic added-time winner moved Arsenal to within one point of third-placed Tottenham Hotspur after a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium Monday.
Arsene Wenger's side looked as though it would stumble in its efforts to increase the pressure on its near neighbour as the visitor hung on stubbornly until the dying moments.
Superb move
Robin van Persie had scored his 33rd goal of the season a minute after Hatem Ben Arfa had given the visitor a 14th minute lead.
But Arsenal was forced to wait until the final moments of the game before Vermaelen finished off a superb attacking move by sweeping the ball home past Tim Krul to secure a fifth successive league victory for the home side.
Newcastle remains in sixth position but with an eight-point gap now separating it from Arsenal, its hopes of a top-four finish have effectively been ended. Back-to-back victories over close rivals Tottenham and Liverpool had revitalised Arsenal's Premier League campaign.
Ben Arfa strikes
And while it narrowly failed to overturn a four-goal deficit from the first leg of its Champions League clash with AC Milan, the 3-0 second leg victory had only strengthened the Gunners' growing confidence.
They could take nothing for granted, however, against an improving Newcastle side and the visitor confirmed its threat after just 14 minutes when it took the lead through Ben Arfa.
Vermaelen was guilty of a lapse in concentration when he gave the ball away needlessly in the centre of the field.
The ball was moved out to Ben Arfa on the right flank and Vermaelen's error was compounded by keeper Wojciech Szczesny who allowed the winger's left foot shot to beat him at the near post.
The result:
Arsenal 2 (van Persie 15, Vermaelen 95) bt Newcastle 1 (Ben Arfa 14).
