The Gunners are gearing up to take on Newcastle United in the sixth round of the Premier League season. In the build-up to this encounter, the match was branded a must-win for Mikel Arteta’s men and for very good reason. Arsenal head into the clash five points off league leaders Liverpool after dropping points in two of the first five fixtures of the 2025-26 campaign. Irrespective of a fairly difficult start to the season, Arsenal’s performances have been heavily scrutinised, with a fair few already considering them out of the title race. However, Liverpool’s loss to Crystal Palace a day prior has undoubtedly handed us an early season lifeline in the title race.
Nketiah strikes late to aid Arsenal
The Reds were handed their first loss of the new campaign by the Eagles at Selhurst Park. Ironically, it took a very late goal from Palace to down the Reds, as Liverpool have themselves won multiple games in stoppage time this season. The goalscorer was our very own Hale End graduate Eddie Nketiah, sealing a 2-1 win for Palace while boosting our title aspirations in the process. Had Liverpool won the game, Arsenal would have kicked off eight points adrift of first place. Despite hypothetically having a game in hand, even this early in the campaign that sort of gap would have been difficult to overturn. Snapping back to reality, Arsenal now have the chance to go within two points with a win at St James’ Park. Liverpool’s defeat will also offer us some leeway, as a potential loss or draw would be partially offset by their result, though of course it would still be far from ideal.
A chance Arsenal must seize
The onus will be on Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to take advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up and close the gap at the top. A very solid Newcastle side will be standing in the way, but the Gunners have the quality and depth to win comfortably. Whether Arsenal can do just that will depend on Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard must be braver with his selection and tactics if we are to come out with a win today.
What are your thoughts, Gooners?
Benjamin Kenneth
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Hope he will not put the handbrakes on again. Determination, grit, right mentality is needed. St James park is really a difficult ground!
The title is spot on. It hands Arsenal and Arteta an earl season lifeline. Lets grab it!!!!!
Thanks Nketiah
Maybe wasn’t Nketiah who handed us this early chance to catch up, but Etiketey. I wonder if any Statto has compiled, of the number of games Isak could have played for Real and Toon, how many 90 minutes he finished including not even starting, as it certainly feels like both Erreala and Newcastle so often had him wrapped in cotton wool. He wasn’t in pitch for yesterdays expansive part at end of the match when both sides created chances.
Now Liverpool have had their bubble burst, it will be interesting to see what happens next. They spent a lot of money this summer without much improving their back up depth, though admittedly adding Isak and Wurzl to Salah, they now have a far better first eleven than us, so deserved title favourites.
I love the business we done and depth we have, but we can’t put it all on pitch at same time, it only comes into its own as a differential to us if Liverpool suffer injury crisis or get stretched too thin. This week they have the long trip to Türkiye to have the crap kicked out of them, and then to Stamford Bridge to have the crap kicked out of them again before the international break, straight afterwards Man Utd at home to have some more crap kicked out of their players, before away trip to Germany. Yes we would expect them to win at Brentford, but if there are some knocks and injuries around their gaff the following run of Palace home, Villa home, Real Madrid home, Man City away and Forest home, could stretch their squad and rotation opps a bit.
Yes , it’s an glorious opportunity to re enter the title race, through the back door.
But like Crystal Palace, the gaffer may need to be brave
But wait – the small group of impatient Griping Gooners who dumley add to pressure on their own team rather than lifting it off can’t have it both ways. You can’t go expansive from the start against such quality sides starting off (and in Citys case playing whole game) with low block and counter attack against you, you’ll likely lose them all. And then say, any team who loses 2 of their first 6 games can’t be title challengers. the five most challenging prem fixtures for us this season being Liverpool and Man City home and away, and Newcastle away – and the freakery of the computer dealt us THREE of those in the just the first SIX fixtures!!!!!
Plenty of title winning sides have made changes in summer, started off slowish and then blitzed it on run in. Some of the hyperbole around being expansive from start at Newcastle and it’s a must win is crazy you agree?
Impatient Gooners ?
It’s been 22 years since we lifted the title !
Even those I disagree with on here I could never call impatient
Don’t throw 22 years thing at this group of youngish playa’s and Arteta – that’s exactly the line silly spuds would take. How many of those years actually been in frame for a title? is my obvious and winning response. Arguably not even in the frame under Arteta till now, despite 3 seconds we didn’t have strength in depth – lack of quality strength in depth torpedoed the last 3 title challenges. fact for the first of those second, many pundits didn’t even have us in top 4 prediction at start.
Campaigns flounder under pressure. Pressure does weird things. Jessica Ennis Hill avoided all tv and media for months in 2012, as it kept saying Golden Girl is going to bring it home. If we are a correctly adjusted Gooner, we doing best to take pressure off this group of players, take pressure out of stadiums and forums, and make difference as the 12th player.
Arguably the clock starts now, not even 3 years ago, certainly not 22 years ago, being sensible about the pressure thing.
Your not wrong and maybe misunderstood my point
I’m saying you can’t say our fanbase Is impatient when it’s been 22 years without a title
Moon Girl,
It doesn’t matter who the players are, it’s still 22 years since Arsenal won the title. And no matter what player represents or who has represented this club over that time have to carry that into any given season until they’ve won that elusive title.
And yes I do feel the fans have been patient. 22 years and counting. How many more years do you suggest, before the fans get even more irritated.
WTF? You’re not supposed to pile pressure on your own team when the seasons ongoing. Do you think fans of teams who win titles, like Liverpool, do that? 🤷♀️
Moon Girl,
Like it or not, pressure comes with playing for Arsenal. Any player who can’t handle that should jog on. 🤷♂️
Your answer is not what fans of other successful clubs, like Liverpool, would do though is it? They back their team in the way of taking pressure off, and placing it on opponents. Big club mentality approach like you want, or the mentality of a club who have never won the top Euro prize, or back to back English League titles. We have some way to go for the “biggest best around mentality” – we are still some way behind Man Utd, Liverpool, and upstarts Chelsea and City in being biggest in England, but here is a great chance to eat into some of that, the part we can play is to help is take the pressure off, as pressure does terrible things.
And even when we are dip dog, home and abroad, And even if the pressure should then come from playing for Arsenal, it still really shouldn’t. You place pressure on opponents, not place pressure on yourself. That is what fans need to do.
I think there shouldn’t be any pressure on the team. However, the team should approach every game with a winning mentality. If scores go in the team’s favour, the trophy will be ours. Go gooners.