After two weeks away via the winter break, Newcastle finally return to Premier League action this weekend with a tough trip to the Emirates awaiting.
We arrive 8 games unbeaten, looking for a rare win in London against an Arsenal side who come into the game on the same number of points as Steve Bruce’s NUFC (31).
Believe it or not, we’ve won more league games than the Gunners this season (8 vs 6), however the home side have shown slow signs of improvement under new boss Mikel Arteta – and I expect them to be going all out for a win here after 4 straight draws.
They’re unbeaten in 7 in all competitions, but we’ve not tasted defeat since New Year’s Day and may well fancy our chances of an upset against a side we could leapfrog with a shock win at the Emirates.
Predicted XI
(5-2-2-1): Dubravka – Lazaro, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clak, Rose – Hayden, Bentaleb – Almiron, Saint-Maximin – Joelinton.
In goal, Martin Dubravka is nailed on once again, but it will be interesting to see who Bruce picks at the back.
Lascelles seems nailed on when fit, but with both Schar and Lejeune fit again, reliable duo Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark have fierce competition.
Then at wing-back, we have Lazaro in contention to start – and I think he will. Yedlin’s final ball has let him down in our last two, but I fully expected the Inter Milan loanee to come into the side regardless, with Bruce likely to have guaranteed him regularly game time.
Down our left-hand side, it’s a little more difficult to predict who’ll start out of Matt Ritchie and Danny Rose. The former is fit again, but with him looking a little off the pace and limited since returning to the side, I see Rose getting the nod here.
In midfield, Shelvey is out once again, so two of Bentaleb, Hayden and the Longstaff brothers look will start. Sean must have gained real confidence from his superb display at Oxford, but Bentaleb and Hayden could be the more suitable option in a game where we’ll have large periods without the ball? That said, I wouldn’t rule out Sean Longstaff, Hayden and Bentaleb making up a midfield three with Saint-Maximin and Almiron up top in a 5-3-2.
In attack it’s pretty straightforward, unless Bruce makes the surprise tactical change mentioned just above. Saint-Maximin and Almiron are nailed on out wide, while Joelinton – who’s fine despite limping off after his goal at Oxford – is likely to be our only fully fit striker once again!
Preferred NUFC XI – (5-2-2-1) – Dubravka – Lazaro, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Rose – Bentaleb, S Longstaff – Almiron, Saint-Maximin – Joelinton.
The Opposition
Here’s ‘ones to watch’ in Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – The striker who was once linked with a move to St James’ Park during his time with St Etienne. A few years on he’s Arsenal’s key man, with him scoring 14 in 23 for the Gunners this season. Devastating pace and even more devastating in front of goal.
David Luiz – Always good for an error or moment of madness, so a player we must put pressure on whenever possible. Hopefully Joelinton can get the better of his undeniably talented but erratic countryman on Sunday!
Gabriel Martinelli – The 18-year-old talent has been an absolute revelation so far this season. He’s started their last four games and has scored in 3 of those, with him bagging an impressive 10 times in his debut year in England.
Granit Xhaka – A player Bruce was very keen to sign in January, but the Swiss international has now regained a place in Arsenal’s XI following Emery’s sacking and Arteta’s arrival. It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on in front of the crowd who booed him off just a few months ago.
Team news
Both Joelinton and Miguel Almiron have been passed fit, despite both limping off in our last outing against Oxford.
New boys Valentino Lazaro and Danny Rose will both be pushing to make their first starts for the club, but Andy Carroll and Jonjo Shelvey have been ruled out.
Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto are rated ‘touch and go’, but look set to be named on the bench at best.
Javier Manquillo and Emil Krafth look set to miss out once again, while Paul Dummett and Jetro Willems remain out for the season.
For the Gunners, left-back Sead Kolasinac and midfielder Reiss Nelson are in contention to return, but January signing Cedric Soares, who arrived from Southampton, is out with a knee injury.
Prediction
It’s hard to know what Arsenal we’re going to face here.
The fact they’re level on points with us and have drawn 13 of their 25 games this season should give us hope, but they do seem to becoming a little bit tougher to beat under Arteta.
With time running out and them cut adrift from the top 6, I see them being well up for this one knowing a win is essential – but our mindset should be similar in our bid to secure safety and push for a top 10 finish.
I think we’ll score, with ASM and Almiron capable of causing havoc on the counter, but fear Aubameyang and Lacazette’s quality in front of goal could be the difference at the other end.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Newcatle
HWTL!
It is highly likely we will get beat, we almost always do. There are a few glimmers of hope though. I watched their last game and Aubamayang was well off the pace after a 3 game suspension. They also don’t seem to know what to do with Lacazette who is also not in good form. Then, you don’t know which Ozil and Xhaka will turn up.
Their defense is **** so if Brucie can stay away from the usual 9-0-1 formation we could score.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Just read that the NUFC U23s beat the Mackems 2 nil. And on NUFC.com they said the Mackem U23s have 1 point from 17 games. Where is this much vaunted academy of theirs?
Whenever Chancer Donald talks about Sunderland it is about the ground, facilities, infrastructure. Well he had to go and bribe stupid Mackems to redo the seats for free with a pint and a packet of crisps and now it seems the academy is in disarray. 1 point from 17 games tells you they have nobody coming through.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Helluva windy day here in Bristol, very wet too, supposed to get much worse as well once storm Dennis is in full swing.
Wonder if there is a chance the match gets called off tomorrow ? Hopefully not.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: it was minus 20 celcius in Chicago yesterday.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, s od that mate. 😯
kimtoon(Quote)
Would be happy with a point tomorrow, however **** Arsenal are at present, they still have more firepower than us.
kimtoon(Quote)
Not that it’s hard for any team to have more firepower than us at present 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
I read The Chronic for the football but below the NUFC articles they have headlines for general news in Newcastle. Today there is a classic:
“Cramlington woman drops 6 stone when she became too big to paint her own toenails”.
Who the hell got in touch with The Chronic to give them this story?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
FA apparently want to inspect Cities books now, why so late to the table. Gutless morons .
If it’s true about what they are supposed to of done re shirt sponsors and breaking FFP rules then they should be relegated to league one or lower.
Oh and stripped of their titles. Same for any club in any country too.
kimtoon(Quote)
So the threat of diabetes and heart disease didn’t do it for her 😆 #priorities #toenails
kimtoon(Quote)
Given City are banned from CL does that mean 5th will qualify? Not that we will be even remotely interested in it but it’s interesting.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu, yeah i’m pretty sure they do
kimtoon(Quote)
City will get it overturned. Money talks very loudly and generally wins!
Can’t see anything but defeat tomorrow. Arsenal are bound to click at some point.
georgio(Quote)
georgio, Can’t see how they can get it overturned money or no money. They have lied about how much they got for shirt sponsors apparently. Lets face it we all knew that anyway and now it’s been proven too.
kimtoon(Quote)
They showed pure arrogance and left an (electronic) e-mail paper trail of what they were doing. You may not agree with the rules but you don’t flaunt them and have your executives e-mail each other. It is like Watergate where there is a clear path for the authorities to follow.
That’s the crime side. They are guilty!!!
On the punishment side, they can argue that that is excessive. I reckon they might bid that down to 1 year out of the CL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, agree i think a year less too but maybe a bigger fine as a compromise perhaps.
kimtoon(Quote)
I have also seen idiot Journos and fools on the internet saying this is the end for City and their best players will leave and/or they will not be able to attract new players. Absolute tripe. They are all contracted and Pep probably only has another year there anyway. My guess is that Pep was leaving whatever. Probably not next year but the year after and they will get Nagelsmann from Leipzig if Bayern don’t.
They have achieved what they wanted which is to join the elite and gain a higher profile. Now their revenue is up there with Arsenal and Chelsea with or without the stadium deal. They aren’t going away and every Agent in the world knows this is a blip. It is not like Man U where they have a very limited squad in need of an overhaul.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Will be interesting to see if the FA do anything as well.
kimtoon(Quote)
Back to our game. Arsenal are the draw specialists and a lot of their players are off form. They didn’t batter us in the 1st game of the season and there hasn’t been a massive boost from Arteta. I know we would all take a draw before a ball is kicked.
I don’t think Arsenal are as bad as their league position suggests but… that defense is useless. Ours is better at full strength.
You also have to think Aubamayang is distracted and will want to leave. He is only a year younger than Aguero and will want Champions League.
I used to live in Islington and follow Arsenal for that reason. They really have been pretty ordinary all season under all 3 of their Managers. They miss Ramsay. Letting him go was Ed Woodward-esque in its incompetence.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Since when have they started naming “STORMS”? Most of this is an overreaction because the authorities know they will get slaughtered in the media if they don’t overreact with their warnings. But once they start the hype the media then double down on it.
The weather is a bit **** in Norwich but they were talking earlier about maybe having to cancel the game. For a bit of rain and 10 MPH winds FFS. Total overreaction.
If this carries on we will have “light breeze Deidre” in a couple of years.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Watching the game and as usual Norwich are playing OK football but are still probably going to lose.
Daniel Farke looks like an extra from Game of Thrones.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What exactly is the point of a corner flag?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Timmy-the-hoof had a good game today. I don’t know why Rafa ignored him. We didn’t have Dubravka at that time and they went with Sels and Darlow.
Since it has been so quiet on here I will offer up a controversial opinion. PLAYERS WE SHOULD SELL/NOT SIGN/NOT EXTEND:
Gayle: too many injuries.
Lejeune: he has lost a step after another cruciate injury. Pay Schar instead.
Carroll: no goals and always injured. Not even worth an incentive based contract.
Willems: has done really well but this is his 3rd cruciate injury. They take a minimum of 6 months recovery.
Shelvey: too many injuries now and you have to build the team around HIM. Can’t rely on that with all of the injuries he is having.
Atsu: this one is easy. Has 1 good game in 10.
Yedlin: can’t defend and cant cross. Give Manquillo his money.
Krafth: he sort of pretty ****. Not good at anything from what I have seen and also another bloody sick note.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So that’s 8 new players we need along with Darlow who I might keep as backup.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Checked the weather forecast for London at gametime and the temperature is mild @10 degrees, rain to have almost stopped and wind of < 20MPH. That's a normal SUMMERS DAY in Aberdeen.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sunday lunched ruined, just took a NZ leg of lamb out the wrapper and it stinks !
Used to slight odour when removing from vacuum package but this is something else, no way i’m cooking this thing. Off to Asda tomorrow for a refund.
Egg and chips it is then, just glad i don’t have guest coming.
kimtoon(Quote)
West Ham have Man City and Liverpool up next. Good luck there Dour Dave.
Their last game is home to Villa. Loser goes down there or will they both already be relegated? Hope so 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Just showed pictures of Villa Park here on US TV. A total storm in a teacup. There has been flooding but it is hardly raining at all now and winds are 12 MPH.
I am not making light of any floods, or maybe I am. But as far as football today is concerned this should be a non-issue.
It all reminds me of The Simpsons – think of the children – when something that is a bit of an issue is built to be much more.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Watching Villa/Spurs and you cant even tell there is a fckn storm in the UK.
For the football at least it has been hyped out of all proportions.
13 MPH winds FFS. That is a light breeze in Chicago.
I know there was flooding and rain in other places but that is what happens in every British winter.
In Newcastle you would have lads out on the Quay side in teeshirts and lasses in mini-skirts in this.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lively game this Villa game
kimtoon(Quote)
Cars submerged in Nantgarw in Wales , families being rescued from homes, So defo very bad in parts of uk .
kimtoon(Quote)
Spurs really lucky to be level, utter pants defending so far .
kimtoon(Quote)
One thing I have noticed with Refs is that they are looking old. Martin Atkinson looks like a Grandad rather than a Dad. Mike Dean – wide load. Jon Moss – wider and slower load.
I was back in Newcastle in Nov and I am sure Jon Moss was the wide load holding me back on the A 1 going 2 miles an hour.
You are lucky if Moss breaks into a canter nowadays he has so much bulk to carry.
Dean is rather sprightly for a man of his width and age I must say though.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Who do we have today? Ah Lee Mason. Another slow load.
And Pete Postsleswaite lookalike Kevin Friend is on VAR.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
2.2 cracking game
kimtoon(Quote)
Chris Waugh@ChrisDHWaugh
It is 33 Premier League games since #NUFC last won a penalty.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: I think Jose will have a cow with what his centre backs are doing on set pieces.
Makes it fun though 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well, should I take the lint out of my belly button, inspect it and throw it away? Or should I watch NUFC’s latest attacking efforts? Which is more interesting?
Will get back to you later.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There may have been floods in the UK but the overreaction for the football about the weather this weekend has been a joke. Same with the City/Wham game being called off. Think of the children.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Dubravka, Clark, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lazaro, Almiron, S. Longstaff, Bentaleb, Rose, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton.
Subs: Darlow, Schar, Lejeune, M. Longstaff, Hayden, Atsu, Ritchie.
kimtoon(Quote)
You have to say that is a strong bench apart from Atsu.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Wow, spurs look to of won it here, oh dear Villa .
2.3
kimtoon(Quote)
Going down Villa.
With WHU ha ha.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, Atsu is ok, he’s just not consistent enough .
kimtoon(Quote)
Norwich, Wham and Villa for the drop Kimtoon?
They sort of look OK in games and then screw up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Canny team. Happy to see Longstaff in, and hope he plays higher up like he did in the cup game. I still we will struggle to take anything from Arsenal. Our record against them is awful. My heart says we will win 1-0, and my head says we lose 2-0. Let’s see. I’ll take a point. ?
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Eric, yep hammers and villa , got nowt against Norwich though.
kimtoon(Quote)
little bit of pressure from us
corner
kimtoon(Quote)
oooh bad luck lobby
kimtoon(Quote)
joe ya should of scored there 👿
kimtoon(Quote)
Have we finally found someone who can take a corner – Lazaro?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lazaro is crossing the ball really well so far
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric snap lol
kimtoon(Quote)
Saint draws a foul and FK the toon
kimtoon(Quote)
Hopeless Sean hopeless
kimtoon(Quote)
Saka looks tidy mind
kimtoon(Quote)
This is actually a good game for once.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
giving a good account of themselves so far, we’ve had the better chances dare i say.
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric we need to keep up this level for the 90 and not fade off like we normally do
kimtoon(Quote)
Luiz is a *%^&
kimtoon(Quote)
Joe is playing pretty well.
All we need is a goal now.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
**** defo rattled like
kimtoon(Quote)
good save Dubs
kimtoon(Quote)
Well it’s all them now 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Think we looked better at the start and Arsenal stepped up a gear last 20 minutes.
kimtoon(Quote)
Hopefully miggy and Saint can get a bit of magic going second half
kimtoon(Quote)
Not too bad. St Max is fast. Needs to not over elaborate and take on the while team.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well it was a canny first half. Not displeased with that. Created a few good chances and we are sitting back… need to really give it a go in second half as this Arsenal side can be got at I feel.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Eric agree he wants to do it all, that last run he did was great but no one to pass it to as per usual .
kimtoon(Quote)
**** picked up a couple of yellows too, need to make the most of that.
kimtoon(Quote)
We have some good players.
We have to let them play sometimes and not just defend.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
DT. Put your Instagram link up again, mate.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
**** are not that good.
We do not need to do the 2 banks of 4.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Think joes still feeling injury
*** off the bar, phew got out of jail there
kimtoon(Quote)
Ritchie should be brought on for Rose – 52 mins
Eric Sykes(Quote)