Arsenal make the long trip north to take on Newcastle this evening, in what could prove to be a big banana skin in our bid to finish in the top-four.
The Gunners loss on Thursday to rivals Tottenham has busted the race for the Champions League places wide open again, cutting our four-point lead down to just one going into the final two matches of the season, but we still hold the advantage in knowing that we just need to win our remaining outings to secure our place.
While we have worries over our defence, with the availability of certain players currently unknown, there is plenty to be nervous about ahead of tonight’s kick-off. Our opponents are not ones that we could have afforded to take lightly with a full-strength squad let alone a decimated one, and I’m sure Mikel Arteta has been hard at work to prepare his team to the maximum.
Eddie Howe has been nominated for the Manager of the Year award having taken over Newcastle when they were on course for the dreaded drop down to the Championship, but with two matches to play his side find themselves nine points clear of the drop zone, and will be preparing to celebrate the fact of their safety in their final home match of the season tonight.
Their confidence could be a little shot after losing 5-0 to Manchester City last week, but can take pride from their 1-0 home loss to Liverpool in their previous outing. They also know that they won their last six at St James’s Park prior to taking on the two that are vying to be crowned Premier League champions this season.
Arsenal also have strong form prior to that most recent loss to Spurs, having won all four of their previous four matches including beating the likes of West Ham, Man United and Chelsea who are all vying for a place in Europe this term.
I can’t help but believe that the form is on our side, especially with their confidence-shattering hammering at the hands of City just last week, but the home crowd will likely make up for that in their final home outing of the campaign. Our biggest issue could well be our personnel issues, although that remains unconfirmed at this stage.
With so much at stake however, I believe that our team will have the added focus and fight needed to get over the line today, and believe we will come away with a 2-1 win, with Gabriel Martinelli putting in another performance that will give defenders nightmares.
What are your early predictions ahead of tonight’s encounter?
Patrick
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Video – Mikel Arteta talks about Newcastle, injuries and the Top Four race
who still remembers Gibbs last ditch tackle against westbrom when we we’re Chasing top 4 that almost made Wenger collapse. Embrace your self today guy’s if we are leading by 80th minute.
Big game for us tonight as anything less then a win will take it out of our hand on the last day.
Pressure cooker atmosphere so we need to do a man City job on them when they took them apart
Wilson and tripper could be back for them 😪
Nervous as hell for this one, e even more then the spuds game
Keeping the faith and sure the boys will see us through
Onwards and upwards
Certainly agree about your heightened state of anxiety Alanball08. I’m in a similar place myself.
I think it’s the manner of the loss on Thursday as I expected more and certainly hadn’t bargained on yet another sending off. They started well so no reason not to do so again tonight at Newcastle; it’s just down to whether we have the you know what’s to finish them off
As Reggie wrote the other day, we are better than them
Who remembers that PL classic, between Newcastle and Arsenal that finished 4:4?
Who maybe in for another classic tonight
I try not to remember that. We were 4-0 up if I remember correctly. If not please correct me lol
Our defense is decimated enough for Newcastle to destroy us. I see a humiliating 5-0 defeat if White doesn’t start. If he does, I still don’t see Arsenal winning. Whenever they’ve been expected to perform, they succumbed to the pressure.
Just hope we play players in their proper positions, if Tomi has to play CB then Cedric at RB and Tavares at LB. If Tomi doesn’t have to play in the middle then he has to play RB not LB surely.
We can’t drop points today.
Come on ARSENAL..
Whether Arteta fields a manageable full Gunners team-squad tonight. Or compellingly a decimated team-squad for that matter to take on the Magpies in the match. But whichever way he happens to make his Arsenal starting team XI and Subs to start the match and to come-on in it, Arsenal have to win the match. And they will win it. This I can affirm comes what may come and happen in the game tonight at St James’ Park.
This is because the Gunners who Mikel Arteta will select to use to play against the Magpies tonight don’t have any other choice on the table. Other than the singular choice of beating the Magpies tonight that is on the table for them to take and embrace it wholeheartedly to the letter by beating Newcastle Utd if they want to see Arsenal ,make the Top4 place finish this season.
So therefore, the destiny of Arsenal making the Top4 this season so as to play in the UCL next season as us Gooners all know. Is right there in the hands of the Gunners who will play this match tonight to take it. And use their taking it to the utmost benefit of Arsenal Football Club this season. More so, in their away match to the Magpies tonight. A match that they have to win for Arsenal unfailingly.
Nketiah.
Martinelli. Odegaard. Saka.
Xhaka. Elneny.
Tavares. Tomiyasu. White. Cedric.
Ramsdale.
Destiny calls Lads…Let’s do this. COYG
Us Gooners certainly wouldn’t want to see a repeat of that classic 4-4 match result tonight. For, it won’t help us in our cause if it happens that way. Or would it?
I think us need a win over Newcastle Utd tonight to help us in our cause. I watched that Newcastle vs Arsenal 4-4 at full-time match live. In which if I can still remember correctly, Steve Walcott scored all the 4 goals for Arsenal in the match within 15 minutes into the game.
But tonight at St James’ Park. I predict Newcastle Utd will lose 0-4 to Arsen at full-time plus added time of the match.
4 – 1 to Arsenal fc
Saka, 2 goals first half.
Marinelli makes is 3 – 0 in the second half with Saint Maximum giving them a sigh of relieve by putting them on the scoreboard only for Nketiah to finish the game somewhere between the 80th and 90th minute.
One more win come Sunday will break the hearts of the Spuds. Lol