But it was the way Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce actually went for the win that turned around his teams fortunes.
Trying to explain the horror show against Liverpool, Allardyce defended his tactics saying "you don't attack Liverpool ... it is suicidal!"
But the fans were furious that the team chose to "lie down and die" rather than go for the win, and Allardyce has suffered ever since.
But late in the game he took off Geremi, a midfield player, and threw on Mark Viduka to try to take the three points, which had the fans right behind the team.
The problem with Allardyce all season has been his show of respect for too many teams. We went to Pride Park when Derby were "there for the taking" but Big Sam's tactics of "going for a point" disgusted many of the Toon Army.
All season he hasn't shown belief in his team, and that has turned into a disaster with three players banging on his door after the Liverpool humiliation.
His negative tactics have infuriated the players AND the fans, but last night we saw a team playing with some belief.
Big breathed a huge sigh of relief after seeing his side emerge from their slump to hold Arsenal to a 1-1 draw with as good a performance as we havev seen in the last two months.
Allardyce - Has The Penny FINALLY Dropped?
The Magpies have now taken just two points from the last 18 but they contested, with some commitment, a fixture some bookies had them 7-1 AGAINST to win.
Asked how important the result was, Allardyce said: "Big. The result is huge.
Asked how important the result was, Allardyce said: "Big. The result is huge.
"I would have said at the start, if we got a draw it might have felt like a win.
"But I didn't think we got what we deserved. It's not often you can get Arsenal on the back foot for so long.
"It was us trying to go and get the win, and it was them hanging on for the draw and not us, so that's really encouraging."
The Magpies were applauded off the pitch at the break and received a rapturous send-off on the final whistle with the bond between players and fans restored after a difficult few weeks on Tyneside.
Allardyce: "I love it, that's what I came for, Fifty-two thousand fans cheering is what you want to hear every week.
"But more importantly, it is what my players do for me. They do what they can for me which helps me and them with the fans, hopefully building a relationship over a period of time where we are all enjoying playing at St James'.
"We were doing that prior to those two defeats at home, so we have got to make sure it does not turn that way again by committing like we did."