A fiery encounter at St James’ Park saw both sides shown several yellow cards but clear chances few and far between in the first half.
The biggest talking point of the first half came as Kai Havertz cynically fouled Sean Longstaff on the touchline but referee Stuart Attwell only showed the Arsenal forward a yellow card. Several Newcastle players, including Longstaff were then booked for protesting the decision.
But with neither goalkeeper really being tested in the opening 45, the sides went in at 0-0.
Here are the Newcastle United half-time player ratings from the match so far...
20. Lewis Miley - out
Howe revealed that Miley would be missing for a few weeks with glandular fever. Although he is yet to feature in the league this season, injuries in midfield mean Miley would have been a welcome addition at least on the substitutes bench at Molineux. | Getty Images