Newcastle United will hope to kick-start their season with a big result on Sunday, as Arsenal will be hopeful of the same to close the gap at the top.
Newcastle United have endured an underwhelming start to their season, managing only one win so far from their five Premier League games ahead of their clash with Arsenal. Those include the highly-charged defeat at St. James’ Park against Liverpool, with that result sandwiched between underwhelming draws against ten-man Aston Villa and newly-promoted Leeds United.
The first win did come in the fourth Premier League game, as new arrival Nick Woltemade made an immediate impression by notching the winner in the 1-0 win over struggling Wolves. They have since lost their UEFA Champions League opener at St. James’ Park to Barcelona and drew their away clash to Bournemouth, which places them in 13th spot after five games in the league.
However, Eddie Howe will now sense a chance to bring St. James’ Park back to life and get their season back on track as Arsenal come visiting. Newcastle United defeated the Gunners in each of their two meetings at home, including the EFL Cup semi-finals, and they could use their recent experience to add to the pressure on the North Londoners and achieve four consecutive home wins over them for the first time since 1956.
Meanwhile, Arsenal were one of the most talked-about teams in the media, as the narratives of their defensive nature dominated the space. The Gunners are coming at the back of an entertaining draw with Manchester City last Sunday, and then defeating Port Vale in the EFL Cup.
There was plenty of talk around Arsenal about their chance creation and selection issues, as highlighted in the media. However, from Mikel Arteta’s perspective, this is a team that has many fresh faces, and it is only a matter of time before everyone clicks together to perform in the best possible way.
However, Arteta faces a tough proposition to win away at St. James’ Park, with the venue proving particularly tricky during his reign as Arsenal boss. The Spaniard has lost there in each of the last two seasons in the league, and their attacking numbers have been nothing short of baffling. Hence, the onus is on Arteta to get a system in place that could contain the physically imposing nature of the Magpies and get a win.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe has a relatively injury-free squad ahead of Sunday, with Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey the only real absentees. The former is out for many more weeks with a knee issue picked up on international duty, while the latter is close to making his way into the first team.
Fabian Schar suffered a concussion during Newcastle United’s UEFA Champions League loss to Barcelona, meaning he could be involved in the team, possibly from the bench. Howe could use the Swiss international from the start, if he deems the partnership between Dan Burn and Sven Botman too left-sided, as Schar’s presence could bring a balance of sorts.
In that case, Botman could be the man making way for Schar, although Howe could use Burn as a left-back. For now, it appears like Tino Livramento will start at left-back with the experienced Kieran Trippier on the right side of the defence. Lewis Hall is also an option for left-back, but he has only recently returned from a long-term injury.
There have been concerns over Jacob Murphy with an Achilles issue, but Howe has insisted the problem is being managed well. Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon are the preferred front three at this moment, with the midfield setup comprising Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon
Arsenal
Noni Madueke recently suffered a knee injury as Arsenal were easing Bukayo Saka into full fitness. Arteta was compelled to give the latter an hour against Port Vale to help build the winger’s fitness, meaning Saka is likely to start against Newcastle United on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta has also confirmed that captain Martin Odegaard has trained and may be in contention for Sunday. Should that be the case, the Norwegian international is likely to be named in the lineup at St. James’ Park alongside Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Madueke are the only absentees, with none of those players expected to return for a couple of months from now. Eberechi Eze could assume a role on the left side of the front three, with Viktor Gyokeres leading the line.
At the back, Arteta will name Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Riccardo Calafiori in what may seem like his preferred backline in front of keeper David Raya.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Key Stats
- Arsenal are undefeated in 30 of their last 33 matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have conceded only two goals in seven games so far across all competitions.
- Newcastle United have won their last three home games against Arsenal across all competitions.
- Newcastle United have secured only a single win in their first five Premier League games this season.
- Arsenal have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League away games (W8 D7), though this did come last time out at Liverpool. Only twice since May 2022 have the Gunners lost consecutive league games on the road, with the second defeat both times coming at Newcastle (May 2022 and November 2024).
Player to Watch
Eberechi Eze
The former Crystal Palace star was a big talking point in the aftermath of the Manchester City draw, with Arteta facing criticism for not starting the England international in an attacking midfield role. Eze has assumed three different roles since he arrived at Arsenal, but on Sunday, he could be back on the left wing to form a part of the front three.
Odegaard’s potential return to action will be a big boost not only for the team but also to Eze. The summer arrival is still getting to grips with new methods at Arsenal, but he already has three goals and assists so far. The game against Newcastle United is a big chance for Eze to showcase his talents and influence his powers on this Arsenal side to make a fitting statement.
Prediction
Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal
The Magpies could be seen as tough opposition by Arsenal or any other top-six side, especially at St James’ Park. However, their performances have not been up to scratch this season, and they have struggled against the big sides so far, which might repeat itself against Arsenal.
The Gunners may have received ample criticism for their approach to games, but that has not deterred Arteta from getting key results. This game at St James Park remains a tricky challenge, but they are unlikely to struggle here like last season. Hence, there’s plenty of optimism about Arsenal taking home all three points in this encounter, to keep up the pace with Liverpool at the top.