Newcastle United Vs Arsenal Preview, Team News, Prediction

Newcastle United and Arsenal will clash at St. James Park at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, after recording opposing results during the EFL Cup round of 16 on Wednesday, November 1.

Arsenal knockout run came to an end when West Ham United defeated them 3-1 in the round of 16 on Wednesday. On the other hand, Newcastle United easily defeated the defending champions, Manchester United, 3-0 on the said day.

The Magpies are going into Arsenal’s clash sitting in sixth place in the standings with 17 points after ten games.

Newcastle who have won their last three Premier League home games without conceding, are more than capable of undermining Arsenal’s title hopes while elevating their aspirations of finishing in the top four like last Season.

Meanwhile, many will argue that as Mikel Arteta’s team competes for Premier League and Champions League glory, an early Carabao Cup exit is a blessing in disguise. The Gunners’ decisive 5-0 victory over Sheffield United last weekend guaranteed them an undefeated start to the new Premier League season. They are currently second in the standings, only behind Tottenham Hotspur with just two points gap.

Furthermore, six months ago, the Gunners defeated Newcastle United 2-0 at St James’ Park even though the Magpies enjoyed their best form in more than a decade last season.

Interestingly, the Magpies’ apparent gamesmanship at the Emirates Stadium in the same season ended in a goalless draw. Hence, Saturday’s game is expected to be a clash of defensive play from Newcastle and Arsenal’s attacking prowess.

Team News:

Newcastle’s extensive injury list includes Matt Targett, Javier Manquillo (groin), Lewis Miley (illness), Alexander Isak (groin), Sven Botman (knee), Elliot Anderson (back), Jacob Murphy (shoulder), and Harvey Barnes (foot), in addition to the suspended Sandro Tonali. This means that coach Eddie Howe has a lot to worry about going into the game.

As for coach Mikel Arteta, he will be going into the game without Emile Smith Rowe who sustained a fresh knee injury in Arsenal’s defeat to West Ham on Wednesday and has been ruled out for several weeks as a result.

Jurrien Timber is still a long way off from fully recovering from his ACL injury, and Thomas Partey (muscle) and Gabriel Jesus (hamstring) are unlikely to be back for Arsenal before the end of November or the beginning of December.

Meanwhile, Odegaard, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka are expected to start for Arsenal once more. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale will hand over the role to David Raya after failing to showcase his abilities in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Newcastle United’s probable starting lineup: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Lascelles, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Gordon

Arsenal’s probable starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli

Prediction:

Arsenal have a 38 percent chance of winning the Premier League game, while Newcastle United have a very close chance of 34 percent to win. There is a 28 percent chance that the game could end in a draw. However, Naija News sees Arsenal bouncing back from their Carabao Cup exit and beating Newcastle United 2-1 at St James’ Park on Saturday evening.