ARSENAL 2 NEWCASTLE 1
ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Song, Rosicky (Ramsey 76), Arteta, Walcott, van Persie, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Gervinho 68).
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Andre Santos, Djourou, Chamakh, Benayoun.
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon (Perch 46), Ben Arfa, Tiote (Guthrie 81), Cabaye, Gutierrez, Obertan (Shola Ameobi 61), Ba.
Subs Not Used: Elliot, Cisse, Gosling, Vuckic.
Att: 60, 095
Thomas Vermaelen struck in the fifth minute of injury time at the Emirates Stadium to break the hearts of the Newcastle players who had given everything in a tough fixture.
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 all missed decent chances in the second half and the game looked to be ending with a draw, but Vermaelen rifled home Walcott's cross from close range to snatch all three points.
Walcott found space on the touchline and whipped across a wicked pass, but Van Persie somehow failed to tap in from six yards.
Cheick Tiote was giving as much as he got in midfield, usually out-numbered, but he clipped Alex Song's ankle early in the game and that gave out his warning.
The Gunners were stunned in to silence in the 15th minute when the Magpies took the lead.
Vermaelen erroneously passed to Tiote and the ball found its way to the right flank, where Ben Arfa cut inside and fired a precise finish past Wojciech Szczesny.
But, with the Toon fans still celebrating, Van Persie pulled the game level.
Walcott galloped down the right after being freed by Rosicky and he crossed for the Dutchman, who shrugged off Williamson's challenge before slotting home.
A scrappy period followed. Arsenal's build-up play was impressive but they were failing to test Tim Krul in the Newcastle goal, with Fabricio Coloccini outstanding.
The Argie did well to block Walcott's shot in the dying minutes of the first half, and Tiote made a brave attempt to block a piledriver ... diving in face first!
Newcastle brought on James Perch for Davide Santon, who had struggled to keep tabs on Walcott during the first half.
The England winger did not take long to slip past his new marker, however, as he got to the byline and curled over a cross but Rosicky headed at Krul.
Coloccini threw himself in to the line of Mikel Arteta's shot to deny the Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who moments later delivered a pin-point cross to Van Persie but the striker could only muster a weak shot at Krul.
Rosicky then missed a glorious chance to put Arsenal ahead. He exchanged passes with Walcott, and found acres of space in the box but he mis-hit so badly that his shot went out for a throw.
Newcastle gifted Arsenal another chance to equalise 10 minutes from the end when Ben Arfa surrendered possession to Kieran Gibbs, who found Van Persie in the box but he fired well wide from a tight angle.
Arteta's corner somehow evaded everyone in the box apart from Gervinho at the back post but he horribly miscued wide.
Krul came to Newcastle's rescue in the final minute, palming over a brilliant header from Vermaelen with an acrobatic save which looked to have saved the game.
Walcott drove a deflected shot over in injury time, which he felt struck Coloccini's arm, but referee Howard Webb waved away his protests.
Then after Newcastle pushed up trying to get the winner, Arsenal broke and Walcott's 95th-minute cross dropped in to Vermaelen's path and he finished from close range.
Dutch team-mates Van Persie and Krul squared up in the aftermath of the goal. Both were booked and Krul had to be restrained after the final whistle.