Arsenal (H): Pre-match thoughts, team news & predicted line-ups

 Following last weekend’s win at Leicester and our recent rise to form at St James’ Park, we’ll be coming into this one full of confidence against a very beatable Arsenal side.
 
We’re up to 10th and 10 points clear of the relegation places, so we can actually enjoy this one and look for another big result to keep us moving forward in the table (opposed to over our shoulders as we have done almost all season).
 
I’m expecting a positive atmosphere and a slightly more relaxed feel around the stadium, but I’m also hoping that this doesn’t lead to a complacent performance.
 
Plenty of our players (and fans) will naturally feels as though we’re safe now, but Benitez will only admit to it once we reach that 40 point mark, so he’ll be demanding us to put in another big effort full of fight, desire and discipline. 
 
Arsenal have plenty players to keep a close eye on, with Aubameyang, Ozil and Ramsey all capable of causing us real problems, however Wenger’s side have lost their last four away games in the Premier League – picking up just 13 points on the road from a possible 54!
 
Whilst we can’t afford to take them lightly, they’re no longer a team that will strike fear into the NUFC dress room. They can be got at defensively and can crumble if you put them under enough pressure. They lack leaders and have looked all at sea defensively when I’ve watched them over the last few weeks – backed up by the fact Petr Cech has kept just ONE clean sheet in his last 15. 
 
If we can show the sort of determination and organisation that we displayed at Leicester last weekend, I’m quite confident we can beat this beleaguered Arsenal side that have little to play for in the league. 
 
They have beaten us in all of our last 10 meetings in the league, but I’ve got a good feeling that will change tomorrow – especially given they only returned from their Europa League trip to Russia just yesterday. 

Preferred XI

Rafa has tended to pick the same side in recent weeks (and rightly so), but I’d like to see one change made by Rafa tomorrow – a desperate to impress Islam Slimani in for an under confident Dwight Gayle.

The defence and midfield picks itself right now, but the one area that’s been close to letting us down over the last few weeks is up front.
Gayle could and should have had a hat-trick against Huddersfield last time out at St James’ Park, yet it was yet another home game he blanked in. He’s working hard and making a nuisance of himself, so he still has some value to the team, but he looks woefully short of confidence and unlikely to score.
 
We now have a fully-fit £29m striker raring to go and ready to take his place in Islam Slimani – a man who has just six games to save his Newcastle United career.
 
I hope Rafa gives him his big chance. His presence, aerial prowess and eagerness to impress could be ideal to unsettle this nervy Arsenal defence.
 
Also, Perez was outstanding at Leicester and has been out match-winner in the last two games, but he needs to have more to work with ahead of him. Not only do I think Slimani can be that man, I feel he’ll be far more of a handful and goal-threat against this leaky Arsenal back four.
 
Predicted NUFC XI – (4-2-3-1) – Dubravka– Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett – Diame, Shelvey – Ritchie, Perez, Kenedy –  Slimani.

 

The Opposition

Here’s a few players to watch out for tomorrow’s visitors:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – The ex-NUFC target finally made his move to the Premier League in January and he’s made an immediate impression, scoring 6 in his first 7 Premier League games for Arsenal. He’s got frightening pace, good movement and is a real goalscorer. He didn’t play in mid-week so will be fresh for this one. The main man for us to watch tomorrow.

Aaron Ramsey – Not 100% sure if he’ll start after getting a gash on his shin in Russia on Thursday night, but he’ll be one of the main men to watch if he does play. He has a habit of getting into the right areas in and around the box and is a very clever goalscoring midfielder. One for Diame and Shelvey to keep a close eye on.

Mesut Ozil – If I was an Arsenal fan he’d wind me up no end. He has bundles of ability, yet sometimes doesn’t look interested in lifting a finger. That being said, he’s one of the main Arsenal men who has the quality to hurt us if we gave him too much time in dangerous areas.

Petr Cech – He looks a shadow of his former self to me. I’ve seen him let in several goals he could and should have saved this season, with him also having a real tendency to parry shots into dangerous areas (see CSKA’s two goals on Thursday!). Putting him under pressure and shooting on site could be the order of the day. I don’t rate him these days.

Predicted Arsenal XI – (4-2-3-1) – Cech –Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal – Elneny, Xhaka – Ozil, Ramsey, Welbeck – Aubameyang.

For an inside look into this weekend’s opponents, take a look at the latest edition of the ‘Opposition Opinion’ . A great insight into this weekend’s opponents.

 

Form

Newcastle – 10th (38 pts) – Last 5 in the league – Won: 3 / Drawn: 1 / Lost: 1

Arsenal – 6th (54 pts) – Last 5 in the league – Won: 3 / Drawn: 0 / Lost: 2

 

Team news

Islam Slimani is available once again after being ineligible to play parent club Leicester last weekend, meaning Benitez looks set to have a fully-fit squad to choose from.

For Arsenal, both Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere will be assessed late on after picking up knocks against CSKA Moscow on Thursday.

Granit Xhaka could return in midfield after missing Thursday’s game through illness, however Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been ruled out with a long-term injury.

In-form midfielder Mohamed Elneny will be available for selection for Wenger after having his red card vs Southampton overturned.

 

Match Prediction

I’ve got a good feeling about this one. We’re full of confidence from last weekend’s win at Leicester and it feels like we’ve thrown the shackles off at St James’ Park, winning our last three without conceding in any of them.

I think Arsenal will score, and fancy Aubameyang to cause problems, but I just think their defence is woeful and could be shown up tomorrow if we put enough pressure on them.

We’ll have to get the balance right and stick to the sort of successful game plan that’s worked so well in recent weeks, but this Arsenal side have little to play for in the league, have been awful on the road this season and played a difficult Europa League game in Russia just over 48 hours ago.

I fancy us to end our awful run against the Gunners and come away with another 3 points tomorrow!

PredictionNewcastle 2-1 Arsenal

Howay the lads!

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

96 thoughts on “Arsenal (H): Pre-match thoughts, team news & predicted line-ups

  1. Olly, we are on TV, never bodes well that like. All the same , best chance in ages of beating them I reckon, but I think we’ll draw.

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  2. Mackems winning 🙂 that would be so Mackem after finishing 17th in the PL for 10 years.

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  3. So that’s Palace up. Mr Roy is the bestest Manager in the whole world. And Gary Neville is the best assistant. And Wayne Rooney is the best Manager and Assistant in the whole world.

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  4. kimtoon:
    Scum level 2.2 Eric
    Huddersfield winning will be level on points with Brighton

    Administration. Serenity Now Mackems.

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  5. What a time for Huddersfield to score?!!

    For me now it’s between Brighton (because of their run in) and Southampton. But it looks more and more likely that the current bottom three will be the ones relegated.

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  6. kimtoon:
    Palace win

    Not worried about Palace. I think we know now who is going down. Bottom 3 and a slight possibility of Stuart’s Huddersfield.

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  7. Whispers the Leicester city players are unhappy with Puel apparently, been here before haven’t we with that lot.

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  8. Eric Sykes: Not worried about Palace. I think we know now who is going down. Bottom 3 and a slight possibility of Stuart’s Huddersfield.

    Having seen Brighton’s run in is say they are more at risk than Huddersfield.

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  9. It is still possible but not plausible. Brum and Bolton on 40 and similar GD with 4 games to play. The Great Escape? Actually they all got caught and even Steve McQueen rode his motorbike into a fence, They’re fcj=ed.

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  10. Brighton and Huddersfield have 35 points and the relegation teams have 28.

    It is done now.

    7 POINT DIFFERENCE.

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  11. I am shocked that none of the promoted teams are getting relegated. At the start of the season I thought it would be one, plus Burnley and Swansea. Shows what I know.

    I also thought Man City would win the CL and PL. 1 out of 5. I did think NUFC would stay up, so 2 outta 5.

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  12. Is that 3 outta 5. I am getting confused now. Maybe I should watch more Sarker. Still 2 games left.

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  13. kimtoon:
    Palace win

    Palace have the easiest run in of all and should get to 40pts unless they tank out, but they’ll still be safe – Southhampton are doomed, I tell ye, DOOMED

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  14. OK. I am fine with saying your prayers for the dead, but when will it end? Yes, I am a curmudgeon but why cancel games for a player who died in his hotel room (Florence/Italy? You know, Hillsborough was a tragedy but it was also 30 years ago.

    This 1 minute clapping has gone too far. I know Cath the tea lady was nice but do we have to celebrate her life as a tea lady? I loved my dog, and he died. I don’t wake up every morning and give him a minute of applause.

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  15. When I was thinking about Managers the other day and wondering if the SMBs could count them, I forgot about Royston Fisticuffs Oorish Keano Keane.

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  16. Can somebody tell me about the seahorses? I never understood it. And seahorses don’t have hooves. And don’t look at a Newcastle emblem. But why?

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  17. Eric, I still miss my cat who died in 2002 ! she was 17 and I cried all the way back from the vets after she was put to sleep. Still can’t remember how I drove back home that day . Then walking into the kitchen and seeing her little dishes set me off again plus finding fur for weeks after.
    The one I have now is 15 and a psycho, she has benign cancer and under treatment .

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  18. kimtoon:
    Eric, I still miss my cat who died in 2002 ! she was 17 and I cried all the way back from the vets after she was put to sleep. Still can’t remember how I drove back home that day . Then walking into the kitchen and seeing her little dishes set me off again plus finding fur for weeks after.
    The one I have now is 15 and a psycho, she has benign cancer and under treatment .

    15 is good. And benign is good.

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  19. So, I had like 5 pictures of my dog in my office and the secretary put them in frames, saying – why don’t you have a picture of your wife? I said, I love my dog.

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  20. I did love my Ex-wife. The most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I fell in love at first sight. If you can believe that from a grump like me.

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  21. So Barnsley grab a last minute equaliser to give a few more dying breaths to the mackems… their fingertips are down to the bone but still they cling on…

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  22. Dubai Toon:
    So Barnsley grab a last minute equaliser to give a few more dying breaths to the mackems… their fingertips are down to the bone but still they cling on…

    DT: I don’t want them to go down and go into administration.

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  23. If Tafa had have played Mitro and Gayle last season we’d have won the league by about 30 points! I still say there’s a player in there somewhere.

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  24. I hate Arlo White. So many facts! He takes the ball down and passes it out wide, and then passes it back to Johnson, “but loses it for a second, and gets it back to Johnson”. But sees Jimmy on the wing and passes it. But, no. Charlie is free. Yes, and so was Nelson Mandela, after 40 years.

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  25. if Stoke and S/hamton both go down Sparky will be the first manager in history to take two PL clubs down to the CCC,that should make Eric happy 😆

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  26. Aye, Ice, it will be some achievement for Hughes.

    This Spurs/City game has a familiar feeling to it. Big test for City now.

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  27. The papers were calling pep Fraudiola! FFS. Saying it was all about Messi.

    Are Argentina all about Messi?

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  28. icedog:
    if Stoke and S/hamton both go down Sparky will be the first manager in history to take two PL clubs down to the CCC,that should make Eric happy

    Icedog: I have nothing against Mark Hughes or Stoke or Southampton. I just didn’t want NUFC to down. Look at the Mackems! There but the grace of God and Rafa go us!

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  29. It is done now Stuart. This isn’t changing in games?

    Wham 34
    Swans 34
    Palace 33

    S’ton 28
    Stoke 27
    WBA 21

    Baked in the pie.

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  30. Will Pardew ever manage a club again? You know WBA were 4th bottom when he took over?

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  31. He hired Ugly John as well. FFS, if you are given a chance at redemption then don’t hire failures, failures in the Cyprus League FFS. If you are in a hole, stop digging, and don’t hire Ugly John.

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  32. Jabba will have something to think about next season. Wolves are coming up and they’ve got an ambitious owner who will splash the cash. I’d wager a bet that they have a bigger transfer spend than us next season and also have a bigger transfer record signing.

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  33. Ugly John is 53. When he turned 50 and was managing NUFC I told me Mam he was 50 and she wouldn’t believe me. She thought he was a tree from the Lord of the Rings movies.

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  34. Stuart79:
    Jabba will have something to think about next season. Wolves are coming up and they’ve got an ambitious owner who will splash the cash. I’d wager a bet that they have a bigger transfer spend than us next season and also have a bigger transfer record signing.

    They spent 16 million on that Porto Midfielder.

    You would “wager a bet”? That is that you would bet a bet.

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  35. icedog:
    if Stoke and S/hamton both go down Sparky will be the first manager in history to take two PL clubs down to the CCC,that should make Eric happy

    Ice, mate. I have nothing against Mark Hughes or Southampton or Stoke.

    I don’t like:

    Rooney and Wilshere.

    because their friends on the Pundit couch maintain they are World Class.

    Paul Merson’s Giant Balloon Heed.

    because he is a moron.

    Keys and Gray.

    because they are Keys and Gray… They must be feeding them camel milk because they have both put on about 3 stone. Andy keeps having to pull his suit across his belly now. Come on BEin Sports, give him a pay raise so he can buy a new suit that fits a 20 stone Scotsman.

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  36. Gray could be a prop for Scotland now. Five foot 2 and 17 and a half stone, that’ll dee laddie.

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  37. Watched like 5 hours of football because there are 3 channels showing it over here – Turkish, PL, League Un, Bundesliga, La Liga, Seire A. Seriously.

    But…

    Thinking about moving back to Britain if I can buy a house for 80 Grand.

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  38. Eric Sykes:
    Watched like 5 hours of football because there are 3 channels showing it over here – Turkish, PL, League Un, Bundesliga, La Liga, Seire A. Seriously.

    But…

    Thinking about moving back to Britain if I can buy a house for 80 Grand.

    Get yourself to Benwell, you’ll get 3 for that!

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  39. Stuart79: Get yourself to Benwell, you’ll get 3 for that!

    Stuart79: Get yourself to Benwell, you’ll get 3 for that!

    or South Moor STU twenty grand gets you a three bed house,mind it helps if you sell or use drugs 😆 😆

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  40. Lee Ryder‏Verified account @lee_ryder

    Follow Follow @lee_ryder

     More

    Rafa Benitez happy to stay at Newcastle United for 10 years – if conditions are right

    Over to you Mike

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  41. This is setting up for Mitro to send the Mackems down. 3 games to go and Fulham next but 1.

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  42. I was worrying that I may be obsessing about NUFC. Whilst looking at The Guardian for the team news I inadvertently clicked on their Lifestyle section. It put my mind at ease to know I am not the only moron out there. The main stories were:

    “Here’s how to feel fabulous about your eyebrows. I too succumbed to the eyebrow plucking fad”.

    “Beauty: the only eyeshadow you’ll need for Spring”.

    “What I wore the week: the best cardigan on the High Street”.

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  43. Someone remind me again why Shelvey isn’t better than the dross we have in the England side…! Get in!

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  44. Good game so far. I am not even nervous now that we are staying up. Just enjoying it.

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  45. Another excellent goal from Perez, ?. That’s 3 in 3 now isn’t it?

    More of the same, but I’d like to see Slimani.

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  46. Why isn’t Southgate at this game? He has 2 players to consider for the World Cup – Lascelles and Shelvey. 3 actually, since Dummett can still qualify.

    They don’t play for Man U so let’s pick Chris Smalling instead.

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  47. Peter Drury just said that what Arsenal paid for Aubamayang would have bought the entire NUFC team.

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  48. Kimtoon: for once it worked out. I was still worried because Arsenal had beaten us 10 games in a row, we hadn’t won since 2005. But, for the first time in quite a while I wasn’t worried about a loss.

    4 wins in a row now.

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  49. Please let us beat Big Fat Sam as well. I want that gum chewing, smug look off his face.

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