Most were there to see Newcastle captain and hero Alan Shearer score the 300th goal of his career, and they were not disappointed. 

Shearer lined up a 23rd minute free-kick in the centre of the pitch, and curled a splendid drive past Alex Manninger with the aid of a deflection for his 300th career goal, his 200th league goal and last but not least, his 30th of the season to give United the lead for the second time. 

With Arsenal assured of second place and Champions League football for next season, manager Arsene Wenger rested Tony Adams, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, David Seaman, Manu Petit and Patrick Vieira. Rhys Weston, 19, Ashley Cole and Stefan Malz were brought in as Wenger kept one eye on Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final, and another on the flock of impressive youngsters at Highbury. 

Newcastle made their own changes, and Andy Griffin was returning after playing only four minutes of first team football during this injury-hit campaign. He showed his paces early on when crossing just out of Gary Speed’s reach, but the Welsh international did not have to wait long for a goal. 

In the sixth minute Nolberto Solano’s cross found Shearer who held off Oleg Luzhny at the back post before hooking the ball over his shoulder for Speed to sweep home. 

The lead lasted only 45 seconds. Kanu equalised immediately with his 17th of the season as he delicately chipped over Shay Given. 

Ashley Cole made a good impression in a loan spell at Crystal Palace, and on his Premiership debut was catching the eye. His enterprising runs down the left were testing Griffin, and from one such move the German Malz crossed for Davor Suker, but the forgotten man of Highbury skied the chance from five yards. 

One player not resting was the dependable Martin Keown, whose stretch to deny Ketsbaia a chance eight minutes before the break epitomised his determination to protect Manninger and young centre-back partner Weston, another Premiership debutant. 

Shearer nearly made it 301 five minutes into the second half with a rising drive from an angle, but Arsenal equalised three minutes later. Malz held off Warren Barton to latch on to Kanu’s intelligent pass to beat Given with a tidy left-foot finish, his first league goal for the club and Arsenal’s 112th of the season. 

Ketsbaia has surprisingly failed to score a Premiership goal this season, but was unlucky with a long-range drive that whistled past the post, but two superb crosses into the area by the little Peruvian magician Solano gave the scoreline a strange look. 

Speed headed a Solano corner in textbook style to retain the lead for Newcastle just before the hour, and four minutes later right-back Griffin erased his terrible year by finishing off more Solano inventiveness to score his first goal for the club. 

Wenger will have taken heart from the performance of Cole, who somehow forced a shot when falling that Given had to tip over, as Arsenal showed some fight. Cole had edged past two defenders with a strong run, and looked confident and competent on his big day. 

However, this day was all about Shearer, and Kevin Keegan will have been delighted to see his captain in this mood ahead of Euro 2000. The Toon Army will be relishing the thought of how many goals he will score next season when devoting all his energies to his boyhood club.