Arsenal lost at home to one of last year’s promoted sides for the second time this season when Andy Carroll’s 41^st-minute header for Newcastle United sealed a shock victory.

Although the Gunners created a number of half-chances, and struck the frame of the goal twice, they lacked their usual fluency.

They finished with ten men after the late dismissal of centre-back Laurent Koscielny for hauling back a goalbound Nile Ranger in stoppage time.

And their age-old goalkeeping problem surfaced again with the goal, as Carroll beat Polish custodian Lukasz Fabianski to Joey Barton’s far-post free-kick to nod home the only goal.

Arsenal twice came close in the first half. Cesc Fabregas cracked a 25-yard free-kick against the crossbar and Samr Nasri’s well-struck right-foot shot from the edge of the box was brilliantly turned aside by Newcastle keeper Tim Krull.

They were again denied by the frame of the goal when Theo Walcott’s right-foot shot from a tight angle struck the crossbar on 48 minutes.

But Newcastle’s well-organised defence gave up very few opportunities to Arsenal, with the best a rare diving header from Fabregas directed straight at Krull after good work down the left by substitute Andrei Arshavin on 81 minutes.