Arsenal hoped to secure a statement victory over Liverpool last weekend, especially after leading twice. Instead, as in their match against Manchester City earlier in the season, Mikel Arteta’s side had to make do with a 2-2 draw. They now find themselves in third place, five points behind league-leaders City in a season where the players and fans really hoped they could go one better than the last couple of years and finally bring the Premier League back to North London after a gap of more than two decades.
Newcastle, under Eddie Howe, remain as erratic and inconsistent as ever. They are 12th in the table with just 12 points, although the win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup during the week will have given the team some confidence at the very least. Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon could return for the hosts, although Callum Wilson, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier and Jamaal Lascelles have all been ruled out.
Whether Ben White and Gabriel could return for Arsenal remains to be seen, but captain Martin Odegaard should be back sooner rather than later. Unfortunately for Arteta, the same cannot be said for Riccardo Calafiori. William Saliba will return to the side at Newcastle after missing last weekend’s crunch match.
The hosts will be encouraged by the fact that they have won two of their last three Premier League matches at St James’ Park against the Gunners, not to mention the fact that Arsenal’s imperious run seems to be over, what with dropping points in three of their last five league games. The worrying thing for Newcastle is that they started the season in fine form but have now picked up a mere two points from the last 15 available. It might only be the start of November, but this one feels like a must-win for both teams.
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Newcastle vs Arsenal odds
Venue: St James’ Park — Newcastle upon Tyne
Time: 12:30 p.m. GMT (8:30 a.m. ET), Saturday
Streaming: Fubo (US only, try for free)
Form guide (league only)
Newcastle: 3-3-3, 12 points (12th); L-L-D-D-L
Arsenal: 5-3-1, 18 points (3rd); D-L-W-W-D
Match prediction
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Both these sides need three points but for very different reasons. Howe will be under serious pressure unless results pick up soon, while Arsenal cannot afford to lose more ground and watch City and Liverpool open up a gap that will be difficult to bridge as the season wears on. In truth, the only disappointing result for Arteta’s team this term was that dismal defeat at Bournemouth, so Arsenal seem like they could have the edge here and make a return to winning ways.
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(Photo of Mikel Merino: Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images)
