Arsenal is still in contention for its first Premier League title in over 20 years. Having come close last season, they still have a lot of work to do this term to remain a contender until the end of the season. On the other hand, Newcastle have been underwhelming in recent weeks despite their great start to the season.
Despite the giant strides last term, Arsenal experienced a flurry of activity during the summer transfer window, witnessing significant player departures and notable acquisitions. Long-time servant Granit Xhaka departed for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga, while Folarin Balogun moved to Monaco, goalkeeper Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest, Pablo Mari to Monza in the Italian Serie A, and Rob Holding to Crystal Palace. Several players also went out on loan, with Kieran Tierney joining Real Sociedad, Nuno Tavares to Nottingham Forest, and promising winger Marquinhos to FC Nantes. Nicolas Pépé, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Sambi Lonkonga left on free transfers, finding new homes at Trabzonspor, Olympique Lyon, and Luton Town, respectively.
On the recruitment front, Arsenal also secured prominent signings, including Declan Rice from West Ham, Kai Havertz from London rivals Chelsea, Jurrien Timber from Ajax Amsterdam, and the current starting goalkeeper David Raya on loan from Brentford. Their transfer decisions have yielded fruits, as they have won eleven of their 16 games this season. However, they have also suffered losses to Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
Arsenal made a great start to the new season with a couple of convincing results. The Gunners won four of their five opening Premier League games of the season, only failing to beat Fulham at the Emirates. Another 2-2 draw followed against Spurs at the Emirates Stadium before a comprehensive 4-0 win over Bournemouth kept them on track. The biggest win of the season yet came against defending champions Manchester City. The first league defeat of the season came in a controversial 1-0 loss to Newcastle in their reverse fixture. After that setback, the Gunners embarked on another massive run before another defeat on the road to Aston Villa in December. However, Mikel Arteta’s men ended the year on a losing run to West Ham and Fulham before kicking things off in 2024 with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Newcastle also achieved great things last season and got a place in the UEFA Champions League, but that did affect their Premier League campaign this term. They have been largely inconsistent and that has affected them on the log as they are closer to the bottom half than to the top.
Eddie Howe’s side started the season with a win over Aston Villa before losing to defending champions Man City at the Etihad and that result was followed by another defeat to Brighton. Howe’s side returned to winning ways against Brentford and that win was backed up by another win over Burnley and Crystal Palace on either side of a stalemate with West Ham. At home, the Magpies continued to rack up wins as they defeated Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United but they keep losing on the road to the likes of Everton, Spurs, Luton Town, and Liverpool. Specifically, Newcastle has lost four consecutive Premier League games at the time of writing and is not at its best at the moment.
The game will be at Emirates but the home advantage could play in Arsenal’s favor, as they have not lost to the Magpies since 2010 at home. Considering the poor away record of the visitors, the home side should walk away with all three points.
Match tickets
The epic match at Emirates Stadium in London kicks off on Saturday 24th February 2024, at 8 PM UK time.
The magnificent 60,704-capacity stadium will be playing host to this fixture between the Premier League title contenders and a side that has been underwhelming in recent weeks.
Getting tickets for the Arsenal vs Newcastle tickets could take a lot of work given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
Coach Mikel Arteta has some serious injury problems. Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey will return in February after missing several weeks with a thigh injury. Fabio Vieira is also set to return around the same time, but this game might come too soon for him.
Meanwhile, Dutch defender Jurrien Timber will likely miss out on the game after sustaining an ACL in the first game of the season.
Arsenal: David Raya; Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel, William Saliba, Ben White; Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard; Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka.
Liverpool’s upcoming fixture might see the return of some previously injured players. Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic is expected to recover from a calf injury, Diogo Jota will be back by January after a muscle injury, while Joel Matip is, unfortunately, out for the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
Alexis MacAllister’s injury from the Sheffield United match has uncertain recovery time. It could be out for a while, but Klopp will be hopeful that the Argentine World Cup-winning star will return in January. Meanwhile, Thiago Alcantara and Andy Robertson remain long-term absentees due to hip and shoulder injuries.
Attacking talisman Mohammed Salah may miss the game too because of the AFCON.
Newcastle: Martin Dubravka; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, Dan Burn; Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, Lewis Miley; Miguel Almiron, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon.
Prediction
The game promises to be an interesting fixture because both teams are known for their attacking prowess and notorious high defensive lines. So, there should be goals in the fixture.
Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle