Preview: Arsenal vs Newcastle United - prediction, team news, lineups

Back in the all-too familiar silver-medal position in the Premier League table, Arsenal can swiftly regain top spot when they host Newcastle United at the Emirates on Saturday evening.

The Gunners are at risk of losing three straight top-flight games for the first time in four years, a fate that befell the Magpies in last weekend's home horror show.

Match preview

When Martin Dubravka went up for a last-minute corner in Burnley vs. Manchester City on Wednesday night, Arsenal and Clarets supporters hoped for Alisson Becker vs. West Bromwich Albion 2.0, as the Sky Blues faithful watched on with pained expressions.

However, Scott Parker's men could not take a leaf out of Nicolas Jover's set-piece book, as Man City's 1-0 triumph - as nervy as it was - took the Citizens back to the top of the standings, albeit only by virtue of a superior goals scored total.

City's FA Cup commitments this weekend means that Arsenal only need a point against Newcastle to reclaim first place, but the form book suggests that will be easier said than done for Mikel Arteta, who suffered an unwanted first that Unai Emery never suffered last weekend.

Coming up short in the highly-anticipated blockbuster with Man City, Arsenal's 2-1 defeat saw the Gunners lose four domestic games in a row for the first time since Arsene Wenger's farewell season in 2017-18, as the inevitable 'bottle' accusations grow louder by the week.

The hosts - who also have a Champions League semi-final with Atletico Madrid to look forward to next week - have cut exhausted figures in recent weeks, but there was little majorly wrong with the performance at the Etihad, where the individual quality in Pep Guardiola's ranks simply shone through.

Arsenal's largely respectable display may not give Gooners much comfort while the calendar still reads April, though, as the Gunners' points-per-game ratio in this specific month under Arteta - which was already a club worst - now reads a measly 1.48.

Suffering from their own dose of springtime sadness, Newcastle have far more modest aspirations for the remainder of the season, and Eddie Howe's men are not even mathematically safe with five games remaining.

Tipped as eventual title contenders when the Saudi-backed takeover went through in late 2021, the Magpies have now reached their lowest ebb since the new owners were sworn in, losing three in a row in the top flight and four on the spin in all competitions.

St James' Park broke out into boos again after Bournemouth edged out Newcastle 2-1 in the previous gameweek, leaving Howe's side 14th in the rankings, 11 points above 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur with 12 left to fight for.

With an unsightly eight defeats on their record from their last 11 Premier League games, no team has lost more top-flight matches than the Magpies since January 25, and Howe will reportedly have to answer to PIF chiefs during a crunch meeting next week.

Victory at the Emirates could alter the agenda for that summit slightly, but the Magpies have failed to win any of their last 13 away league games at Arsenal, who could complete the double over Newcastle for the first time since 2020-21 after September's last-gasp success.

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Newcastle United Premier League form:

Newcastle United form (all competitions):

Team News

Martin Odegaard led the Arsenal side out at the Etihad again following his recovery from a niggling knee injury, but Bukayo Saka (calf) remained absent last weekend and is a huge doubt for the battle with Newcastle too.

Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber (both unspecified) are in the exact same boat, while Mikel Merino (foot) is making steady progress in his recovery from surgery but will not be back for a few weeks yet.

Timber is thought to be on the cusp of a return, though, and his comeback would solve a tricky defensive dilemma for Arteta, as neither Ben White nor Cristhian Mosquera have convinced in the right-back role of late.

Sticking with the theme of injured right-backs, Newcastle lost Tino Livramento to a groin problem in their loss to Bournemouth, one that will certainly rule him out of Saturday's game and potentially the rest of the season.

Livramento may have therefore played his final game for the Magpies ahead of an expected move away, while Arsenal-linked Anthony Gordon is also expected to miss the Emirates trip due to his own groin issue.

Emil Krafth (knee), Fabian Schar (ankle) and Joelinton (suspended) make up Newcastle's confirmed absentees this weekend, but the indispensable Bruno Guimaraes should be restored to the XI after his welcome return from injury.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Havertz, Eze

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Guimaraes, Tonali, Miley; Murphy, Osula, Barnes

We say: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United

Amid all of Newcastle's problems, attacking success has been a constant; the visitors have scored in 18 consecutive games in all tournaments and each of their last 10 away from home.

An increasingly shaky Arsenal side should therefore not emerge unscathed, but with Newcastle's defending also leaving much to be desired, we have faith in the Gunners to stop the rot and climb back to the summit.

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