Vermaelen helps Gunners march on

Thomas Vermaelen struck in the fifth minute of injury time as fourth-placed Arsenal moved to within one point of bitter rivals Tottenham with a dramatic 2-1 win over Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners went behind to a precise finish from Hatem Ben Arfa in the first half but they were level 55 seconds later when Robin van Persie held off Mike Williamson's challenge to slot home Theo Walcott's cross.

Van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Gervinho were all guilty of wasting good chances in the second half and the game looked beyond Arsenal, but Vermaelen popped up in the 95th minute to rifle home Walcott's cross from close range to snatch all three points.

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