Newcastle 0 Arsenal 1: Aubameyang matches incredible Fernando Torres goal tally with strike on 50th appearance

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG equalled Fernando Torres' record of 33 goals from his first 50 Premier League games with Arsenal's slick winner at Newcastle.

The Gabon frontman's two-touch finish gave Steve Bruce a losing start as Toon boss after Newcastle faded following a promising start.

The Magpies rarely threatened once Aubameyang lashed home after Ainsley Maitland-Niles' fine work on 58 minutes.

Newcastle earlier saw Jonjo Shelvey hit a post and new £40million forward Joelinton head wide.

But Aubameyang was always centre stage on an awesome opening weekend for the Prem's most-feared hitmen as he became the fifth-highest top-flight scorer ever from their 50 matches.

Just 24 hours after Harry Kane notch a late double to give Spurs a 3-1 comeback win over Aston Villa, Aubameyang fired a similar warning to his Golden Boot rivals.

The 30-year-old said afterwards: "We fought today a lot. It was a great game against a good team.

"It was important to start with a win, last season we started bad, so we are happy."

Yet despite totalling 22 goals last term, today was the first time this year Aubameyang has netted in three successive games.

And he admitted he is already targeting the Prem top-scorer accolade.

'REALLY PLEASED'

He said: "Of course it is in the mind of a striker but first of all the team is the most important.

"I'm really pleased the goal helped us win the game."

Ex-Borussia Dortmund poacher Aubameyang will also have an eye on challenging the list of legends for the fewest number of games needed to reach 50 goals.

He will struggle, though, to match the top three players.

Andy Cole got to his half-century from 65 matches, one less game than Alan Shearer, while Ruud van Nistelrooy took 68.

But the next two superstars are certainly within Aubameyang's reach.

Torres and the only current performer, Liverpool's Mo Salah, needed 72 games to reach 50 strikes.

A tiny consolation for Newcastle is that Toon great Shearer is way clear on the list of scorers after 100 Prem appearances.

But even then the former England's 79-goal haul was with Blackburn, not his home-city club.

Behind Shearer come Van Nistelrooy on 68 and Sergio Aguero with 64, followed by Cole and Torres on 63.