With Arsenal's humiliation at White Hart Lane still fresh in the minds of players and fans alike, an FA Cup victory was the minimum required as a tonic. The Gunners gave their fans exactly that.
Newcastle United for their part were hopeful of an upset and began the game brightly, even controlling possession for large parts of the match.
The first real opportunity fell to Arsenal in the seventh minute when a long ball from midfield found Cesc Fabregas.
The young Spaniard stretched to meet the looping ball on the volley but his effort flew tamely into the arms of Shay Given.
Arsenal were forced into an early substitution when the injured Tomas Rosicky was replaced by Eduardo after only nine minutes. That saw Theo Walcott give up his place alongside Emmanuel Adebayor in attack in favour of the Croatian striker.
After 14 minutes Alan Smith had a shot headed off the line by Gael Clichy in a period when the action flowed from one goal to the other with Michael Owen also going close with a shot across goal that rolled just wide of the left post.
Abou Diaby was making a nuisance of himself at the other end when he came in from left to operate in a more central position.
Eduardo was denied by a fine Given save on 23 minutes when the striker read the bounce of the ball better than Steven Taylor. The Brazilian-born Croatian's shot from inside the area looked goal-bound but Given managed to stretch to turn the ball away for a corner.
Taylor's header from 11 yards out had Jens Lehmann worried but the Gunners keeper was relieved to see the defender's effort loop over the bar.
The energetic Emmanuel Adebayor headed an effort just wide of the Newcastle goal on 34 minutes as the Gunners began to look more menacing.
Given was again on hand to deny the Gunners in first-half stoppage time with a dipping 20-yard shot that the Newcastle keeper athletically tipped over the bar.
The Gunners took the lead in the 51st minute thanks to Adebayor's well-struck left-foot shot from the right side of the area after Eduardo's effort had bounced back off the left upright seconds earlier.
Adebayor scored his and Arsenal's second to secure the win in the 83rd minute with a run in to the right side of the area that culminated in a shot that beat Given and Taylor who tried his best to clear the ball off the line.
An own goal from Nicky Butt five minutes later sealed the victory after the midfielder back-headed Fabregas' free-kick past Given.