The pressure mounted on Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce as his Magpies side fell to yet another Premier League defeat on Monday night.
After the embarrassment against basement club Sheffield United last week, a response was required against the Gunners but a second half collapse did nothing to lift spirits on Tyneside.
The first half saw Mikel Arteta's Arsenal dominate the ball, but to be fair to Newcastle they frustrated their opponents but created very little in attack.
Once Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring for the hosts early in the second half, there was never going to be a way back for Bruce's side and with that came the opening of the Newcastle floodgates.
Different game, same Newcastle
Poor passing, poor defending - just all round poor from the Magpies, certainly not for the first time this season.
This capitulation was reminiscent of the one witnessed at Elland Road against Leeds United in December with two Arsenal goals coming straight on the back of Newcastle attacks.
Newcastle had two corners during the game and both deliveries were atrocious from Jonjo Shelvey as he couldn't beat the first man on either occasion. Arsenal broke and broke the deadlock through Aubameyang on the back of corner number two.
The Gunners' second came from an awful cross from Emil Krafth which essentially summed up Newcastle United, a club that are slowly walking towards getting involved in a serious relegation scrap.
Change of tactics didn't work
Steve Bruce reverted to a back four for this one but the outcome was exactly the same - defeat.
Three strikers were named on the team sheet and the re-introduction of Miguel Almiron gave Newcastle a rare attacking look. But once the game got underway at the Emirates, there was a real lack of attacking intent from the Magpies with Almiron being the only real bright spark in a dour Newcastle performance.
The first 45 minutes did show some promise for Newcastle with Arsenal really struggling to break through, but they remained vulnerable down their right-hand side.
This was really exploited for two of Arsenal's three goals. Fair to say that Krafth had a night to forget, but so did the entire team.