Newcastle United will host Arsenal as two heavyweights battle in the Premier League. West Ham United defeated the Gunners 3-1 in the fourth round to end their knockout run. The Magpies defeated holders Manchester United 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Preview (Newcastle United vs. Arsenal)
A far cry from the team that defeated Newcastle in the EFL Cup final in February, when Erik ten Hag ended his team’s six-year trophy drought, Manchester United lost the championship to a motivated Newcastle team that exacted revenge for their previous Wembley setbacks and triumphed at home for the first time in ninety-three years. There was a familiar sense of doom and gloom around Old Trafford. Finishes from Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall, and Joe Willock helped the away team.
Newcastle appears to be suffering from their previous Champions League heroics. They let up two narrow leads, both via Callum Wilson, in order to settle for a point at Molineux. With 10 games played, the Magpies are now sixth in the standings with 17 points. Howe’s club is now ranked outsiders for Champions League qualifying. Newcastle has won their last three Premier League home games without conceding. They hope to regain the defensive prowess that made them a formidable force in 2022–23. The hosts are more than capable of undermining Arsenal’s title hopes.
Arsenal hasn’t added another EFL Cup to their impressive trophy collection since 1993. Their agonizing wait for mid-season success will also continue because of a poor performance. However, in between those two goals, Mohammed Kudus’s first touch and bottom-corner drive were a sight to behold, and it took until the very last kick of the game for Martin Odegaard to secure a point for the Gunners, who have now lost a home game this season.
Team News
When considering Howe’s team selection, Newcastle’s feats at Old Trafford are even more impressive because the Magpies rested a number of regular starters due to their lengthy injury list, which was extended by Matt Targett’s hamstring injury after just five minutes on Wednesday. Targett, who was always going to be benched for Dan Burn regardless, now joins the hosts’ long list of absentees, which also includes the suspended Sandro Tonali, Javier Manquillo (groin), Lewis Miley (illness), Alexander Isak (groin), Sven Botman (knee), Elliott Anderson (back), Jacob Murphy (shoulder), and Harvey Barnes (foot).
Wilson, Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, and Almiron will all be starting for the team. It is unlikely that Thomas Partey (muscle) and Gabriel Jesus (hamstring) will be able to return to Arsenal. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber is still undergoing a difficult recuperation process after his ACL injury. It will be a sight to behold as Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice, and William Saliba return to the Arsenal starting lineup. Ramsdale, who was unable to show off his skills at the London Stadium, will return the gloves to David Raya as usual.
Newcastle United 1-1 Arsenal
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