Barton (pens) 68, 83        Walcott 1

                                                                                                        Best 75        Djourou 3

                                                                                                       Tiote 89        Van Persie 10, 26

Arsenal threw away a four-goal lead, and nearly lost, at Newcastle, in the ultimate game of two halves.

But they went down to ten men in the 50th-minute when midfielder Abou Diaby pushed into two Newcastle United players, and that changed everything.

Arsenal were ahead on 40 seconds when Theo Walcott ran onto Andrei Arshavin’s pass and slotted the ball home.

Two minutes later, Johan Djourou headed home Arsenal’s second from Arshavin’s left-wing free-kick.

And Robin Van Persie swept home Walcott’s cutback to make it 3-0 on ten minutes before heading a fourth from Bacary Sagna’s right-wing cross on 26 minutes.

Joey Barton scored from a 68^th-minute penalty after Laurent Koscielny fouled Leon Best.

Best had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside moments before making it 4-2 on 75 minutes, firing home right-footed after his mistimed header fell fortunately at his feet.

It was 4-3 eight minutes later, Barton converting a penalty after Tomas Rosicky was wrongly-penalised for pushing Mike Williamson.

Newcastle levelled on 89 minutes through Cheik Tiote’s stunning 25-yard left-foot volley.

And in stoppage time Kevin Nolan nearly fired Newcastle’s winner before a Van Persie goal was disallowed for offside.