WOUNDED by their defeat at the hands of Manchester City last weekend, Arsenal will be desperate to beat Newcastle today and restore some semblance of normality to the run‑in of their campaign.
Not only did they crash to a home defeat against Pep Guardiola’s side, but the Londoners also suffered the ignominy of seeing their title rivals claim top spot with victory over Burnley in midweek.
That is painful stuff, no matter what anybody says.
Mikel Arteta, whose squad was strengthened to the tune of more than £200mil in the off‑season with several high‑quality signings, looked for a long time on course for an unprecedented quadruple as his side challenged for the league, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
The Carabao Cup was lost in the final against City last month, and a fortnight ago the Gunners were unceremoniously knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship Division campaigners Southampton.
As fate would have it, City play Southampton in the semi‑finals at the Etihad tomorrow – scheduled to kick off 15 minutes after Arsenal begin their quest to regain top spot in the league.
With all things considered, the Gunners should see off a struggling Newcastle outfit who have lost their last four matches in all competitions.
Unsurprisingly, the Magpies’ form has sparked debate about Eddie Howe’s future as manager.
A win at Arsenal today will ease that pressure somewhat and give the Englishman some wriggle room when he meets the club’s owners this week.
But it is unlikely to be a comfortable encounter, with the home side determined to silence their critics after recent lapses and amid the renewed rise of City who – before Liverpool last season – twice thwarted Arsenal’s title ambitions.
And the home side could be in for a timely boost if Bukayo Saka returns from injury, as some suspect he might.
While it is unlikely the England winger will start against Newcastle, he could be fully fit for their Champions League semi‑final first leg against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday – and may feature off the bench today.
Above all, Arsenal’s big three – William Saliba, Gabriel and Declan Rice – must lead from the front: If they do not, the Gunners could find themselves in trouble again.
The central defensive partnership of Saliba and Gabriel has been instrumental in their good run of form, with Rice just ahead of them producing performances of real authority.
Martin Odegaard returned from a worrying injury not too long ago and has yet to rediscover his rhythm, leaving his contributions less influential than they were earlier in the season.
Newcastle, who scaled new heights with their Carabao Cup triumph last season, have been nowhere near as good this time around.
Such has been their campaign that they find themselves just 11 points off the relegation zone and stuttering in 14th place.
Newcastle need nothing short of a proper win against a big side like Arsenal to spark a strong finish to the season.
But with the Gunners plotting their own agenda in the face of the threat posed by City, it will be a tough ask – and perhaps one that leads to a gripping showdown at the Emirates.
