Arsenal welcome Newcastle United to the Emirates Stadium in a huge Super Sunday clash, as both teams look to move closer towards the top five.
Both teams enter this match sat just outside the top ten and locked on 31 points, with a win returning Arsenal to tenth whilst Newcastle will leapfrog the Gunners into 11th with victory.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesReiss Nelson and Sead Kolasinac are set to be in contention for Arsenal after recovering from respective thigh injuries.
Bukayo Saka (knee) is also expected to be available but Pablo Mari isn’t fit although he could be available for Thursday’s Europa League match against Olympiacos.
Cedric Soares, Calum Chambers (both knee) and Kieran Tierney (shoulder) are ruled out.
Newcastle will have Miguel Almiron available after the winger missed their FA Cup replay victory at Oxford through fatigue.
Yoshinori Muto (hip), Dwight Gayle (thigh) and Joelinton (ribs) are also set to be in contention for this match.
Jonjo Shelvey and Javier Manquillo (both hamstring) are expected to return in the next fortnight, alongside Andy Carroll (groin) and Emil Krafth (ankle) who are also absent.
Jack Colback, Jetro Willems (both knee) and Paul Dummett (tendon) all remain sidelined indefinitely.
Form
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five league matches (W1, D4) despite drawing their last four, although they have scored in all four home games under Mikel Arteta in all competitions.
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last four league games (W1, D3) despite drawing their last three such outings, whilst averaging a point per match from their last five away trips (W1, D2, L2).
Stat Attack
- Arsenal have lost just one of their last 16 league meetings against Newcastle (W13, D2, L1).
- Newcastle have won just four of 24 previous trips to Arsenal (W4, D2, L18).
- Arsenal have kept clean sheets in their last three home games against Newcastle.
- Two of Arsenal’s last four home goals against Newcastle have come from midfielders.
- No Arsenal player has scored in both meetings against Newcastle in the same season since Oliver Giroud in 2014-15 campaign, in which the Frenchman netted a brace in both league meetings that particular season.
Prediction
Arsenal need to start stepping up their performance because of the increased signifance of fifth position, which is realistically their best hope of securing Champions League football next season but only if they can improve their defending.
Newcaslte however will relish this tie and a shot at fifth as underdogs because I don’t think anyone expected them to be in this position, so they can afford to go out and deliver a strong performance like they did last time out at Oxford.
A draw therefore would be a decent result for both teams but could be a crucial point if either end up pushing for fifth in early May, although I can see Arsenal just having the edge given the Magpies’ poor away form against the Gunners.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United
Result: Arsenal 4-0 Newcastle United