please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Sunday 18th May 2025 KO time: 16:30 BST Overall Record Wins: 85 Losses: 72 Draws: 39 Last six meetings Newcastle United 2-0 Arsenal (League Cup) Arsenal 0-2 Newcastle United (League Cup) Newcastle United 1-0 Arsenal Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle United Newcastle United 1-0 Arsenal Newcastle United 0-2 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Raya White Saliba Kiwior Tierney and Zinchenko a half each (for their very probable final home games) MLS Partey Nwaneri Odegaard Saka Martinelli Genuinely only leaves us with four first team squad subs in Neto, Sterling, Cala and Zinchenko and two of those aren't even our players. Guaranteed that Arteta somehow shoehorns Sterling in there somehow though.
Martinelli now injured too apparently. Out: Merino, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Timber (probably), Rice, Trossard, Martinelli, Jorginho, Jesus, Havertz. So maybe now: Raya White Saliba Kiwior Tierney and Zinchenko a half each (for their very probable final home games) MLS Partey Odegaard Nwaneri Saka Sterling
Although now looks like Martinelli might be fine after all, AND king Kai is back in full training too. Interesting.
Howe has our number lately. Because of the way both teams set up first goal tends to decide the tie. If we're at our best we win though.
If we win we basically guarantee 2nd. Just get it done and then throw this season in the bin and start buying players to get me excited again. We’ll lose both remaining games now and get 5th on GD now I bet
No Merino today annoyingly - not a fan of Trossard up top. Havertz on bench. LINE-UP - ARSENAL v Newcastle XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Trossard
No Joelinton so there’ll be a big reduction in ref-ignored red card offences. no Isak either. Callum Wilson will no doubt bag.
0-0. HT. Awful, awful performance and Raya making those saves early on is why we're not 2 or 3 goals down. What the hell is this? If Isak was fit today...we'd be in big trouble. Rice clearly doesn't look fully fit. Partey keeps jogging out of possession and doesn't bust a gut to get back and cover the spaces. Our pressing is off. The distances between our midfield and defence are all over the place. And we've ended up having to resort to long balls/kicks into Trossard/Saka, which, surprise surprise, isn't going anywhere. Tonali-Bruno midfield pivot is causing us problems and overrunning us in the middle of the park. Eddie Howe has had our number this season and we've done nothing to combat his tweaks against us tactically. Physically they have been dominant. Needs to be so much better second half.
I just feel like the way we play is very tepid and slow. There's no chaos/ingenuity from anyone, no line-breakers, no players who take the ball on the half turn and drive towards goal, no penetrative passing or runs through the middle. It's all too rigid and relying too much on 'settled play' which, against a physically-imposing, high-energy side that can also defend well structurally, is never going to yield any good quality opportunities. We've not scored a goal against Newcastle in 7 halves of football this season...
