Newcastle vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups as Anthony Gordon starts and Gabriel returns
Mikel Arteta’s side hope to put themselves back in the title race when they travel to Newcastle
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Your support makes all the difference.Newcastle United play host to Arsenal in Saturday’s early Premier League kick off hoping to build some momentum from their midweek Carabao Cup win over Chelsea and propel themselves up the table.
Eddie Howe’s side have not won in five league games and slumped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Chelsea despite impressing at Stamford Bridge last time out. The Magpies went on the defeat the Blues in a repeat league cup fixture on Wednesday and such an immediate response will hopefully kick start their season believes Howe.
For Arsenal, they took two points off Liverpool in a 2-2 last weekend in what was a crucial result for their title chances. Five points behind leaders Man City they cannot afford to slip up further and will need to secure all three away at St. James’ Park today. Mikel Arteta has a few injuries to navigate but his youngsters got a run out in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and defeated Preston 3-0 proving they are ready to fill in if required.
Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:
Newcastle vs Arsenal LIVE
Match facts
Arsenal haven’t lost consecutive away league games against Newcastle since their first three visits in the Premier League, between 1994 and 1996.
Arsenal have conceded nine goals in their last five Premier League games, more than they had in their previous 19 combined (eight). Indeed, they’ve shipped two or more goals in four of these five games – as many times as they had in their previous 27.
The Gunners have scored more set piece goals (excluding penalties) than any other team in the Premier League this season, with five. However, 40 per cent of their goals conceded have come via a set piece.
Bukayo Saka has created more chances than any other Premier League player this season (27), while with three goals and seven assists he’s one of four players with double figures for goal involvements this term. He’s either scored or assisted a goal in 10 of his last 12 league games.
Match facts
Newcastle have won two of their last three Premier League home games against Arsenal – as many as they had in their previous 19 against them combined (drew seven, lost 10).
The Magpies are winless in their last five Premier League games (drew two, lost three), losing the last two in a row. They last had a longer run without a victory in August and September of 2022 (six games).
Newcastle lost their last Premier League home match 1-0 against Brighton, ending a run of 11 games without defeat at St James’ Park. It was also the first time they’d failed to score in 23 home league games.
The home side have scored nine goals from an xG of 14.3 in the Premier League this season, netting roughly five goals fewer than expected.
Alexander Isak averages a goal every 133 minutes in the Premier League for Newcastle – only Andrew Cole (one every 121 minutes) has a better average for the Magpies in the competition.
Speaking in his own pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta spoke on his side’s injury problems: “I think there are two aspects. One, I think we are quite unlucky and then obviously the demands on the players every week.
“All the restrictions that are hitting the squads means you can’t have that big squads and it is quite difficult to manage.
“I just want the best for the team and want to give the team the best chance to win games. We need to adapt to the rule changes and as well, I try to. Hopefully, they have adapted and realised emotions are a big part of the game,”
On Newcastle, he added: “Their position after nine games is tricky and they are a fantastic team. They are well-coached, intense and it is a great stadium to play in and we are looking forward to it.”
Eddie Howe: “Every game is very difficult"
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Eddie Howe said that Arsenal “have their qualities, they have a really solid look about the team. [They are] very good from set plays and a solid team and we have to be prepared for that test.
“Everything is different when leading to chasing games. We were in that [leading] position a lot last season, not so much this season, so you when chasing you end up being the reacting team.
“We don’t want to be in that position, we want to be in control. But whatever it takes to win games, I am a firm believer in that.”
Howe said that he was “really pleased” with how his players responded to last week’s loss against Chelsea in the league, adding: “Winning always makes you feel better about everything.”
“The environment again was second to none. It was a sell out [against Chelsea], it was a really good feeling. I can’t thank the supporters enough for that. There was no hangover from recent results, it was really good and that helped us massively.”
Newcastle v Arsenal head-to-head
These two sides have met almost 200 times – today will be the 194th game between the two, with the first dating back to 1893.
Overall, Arsenal have won 85, Newcastle have won 69 and 39 have ended as draws.
Last time out, Arsenal beat the Magpies 4-1 at the Emirates (in February), but this fixture last season was one of the defining fixtures of 2023/24 for the Gunners – they lost 1-0 in controversial circumstances, later going on to lose the title by just two points.
Mikel Arteta: Arsenal thinking about controversial Newcastle loss ‘inevitable’
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta feels it is “inevitable” bitter memories of last season’s controversial Premier League loss at Newcastle will come flooding back when his side return to St James’ Park.
Magpies forward Anthony Gordon bundled home the only goal of the game a year ago, with three VAR checks – to see if the ball went out of play, if there was a foul, and if there was an offside – all going in the hosts’ favour.
Arteta was incensed by the decision to allow Gordon’s effort to stand, branding it “embarrassing” and “an absolute disgrace”, while his team ultimately missed out on the title to Manchester City by two points.
Mikel Arteta: Arsenal thinking about controversial Newcastle loss ‘inevitable’
Magpies forward Anthony Gordon bundled home the only goal of the game a year ago, with three VAR checks going in the hosts’ favour.
Eddie Howe: Newcastle will do ‘whatever it takes to win’ against Arsenal
Eddie Howe has insisted Newcastle will do “whatever it takes to win” as they head into a Premier League clash with Arsenal which has proved explosive in the past.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was furious after last season’s 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park, sealed by Anthony Gordon’s controversial strike, which survived three separate VAR checks and was later described by the Spaniard as “an absolute disgrace”.
He had been unhappy too after the Magpies had held his side to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium in January last year, prompting a debate about the “dark arts” employed by Howe’s men as they gatecrashed the top four to secure Champions League qualification at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Eddie Howe: Newcastle will do ‘whatever it takes to win’ against Arsenal
The Gunners lost in controversial fashion on Tyneside last season.
Newcastle vs Arsenal LIVE
Ethan Nwaneri’s performance delighted Mikel Arteta but did not surprise him as the 17-year-old’s superb strike helped Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Preston and into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
The teenager bent in a fine first-half goal after Gabriel Jesus’s first strike since January had set Arsenal on their way, with substitute Kai Havertz adding the third early in the second half.
It was another stand-out Carabao Cup performance from academy product Nwaneri, who got his first senior goals with a brace in Arsenal’s 5-1 win over Bolton in the previous round. He might have had two at Deepdale too, but a late strike hit the crossbar.
“He did it yesterday in training too, so we’re getting used to that,” the Arsenal boss said.
“He’s a big talent, he’s got the right attitude, he’s got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there.”
More from Arteta:
‘A big talent’: Ethan Nwaneri shines for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta praises 17-year-old
The 17-year-old shone as the Gunners beat Preston to reach the last eight of the Carabao Cup
Newcastle vs Arsenal LIVE
Eddie Howe was delighted with Newcastle’s response after they reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup for the third year in a row with a 2-0 win against Chelsea.
The Magpies bounced back from Sunday’s Premier League defeat against the same opponents at Stamford Bridge as two first-half goals sealed victory on Tyneside.
A mistake at the back allowed Alexander Isak to put Newcastle ahead in the 23rd minute and they extended their lead just three minutes later when Joe Willock’s deflected header was turned into his own net by Axel Disasi.
“We needed a performance and a result, I think we got that tonight,” Newcastle head coach Howe said.
“Especially in the first half, I thought it was hallmark us at our best; front foot, really good energy, good feel, good quality, good attitude – most importantly – and a massive win for us.”
More from Howe:
Eddie Howe feels cup win over Chelsea can be a big moment in Newcastle’s season
Howe’s side had been beaten by the same opponents in the Premier League at the weekend
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