A lot has been speculated about how Arsenal’s season panned out. From being considered one of the favourites to win the Premier League, the Gunners are currently struggling to consolidate second place in the standings. Mathematically, they could still finish outside of the top five should they lose their final two games and allow their rivals to take maximum points.
Arsenal are still the overwhelming favourites to finish in the top five, although a second-placed finish is still in their hands. They suffered yet another setback last weekend when they visited Anfield, although Mikel Arteta’s side staged a second-half fightback to earn a point.
Liverpool scored two quickfire goals in the first half, and at that moment, the Merseysiders appeared to be in the mood for more. The Gunners came back roaring in the second half as goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino earned them a point, as they held on to a draw despite playing without the latter in the final ten minutes. They now face a Newcastle United side who have beaten them thrice already this season.
Eddie Howe’s side will look to improve their form against the Gunners having beaten them once in the league and twice in the Carabao Cup semifinal. In fact, should Newcastle United come away with all three points at the Emirates they could outright overtake Arsenal in the table to move into second place.
Newcastle United managed to take three points off direct rivals Chelsea last weekend after goals from midfielders Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes ensured the three points. They did play most of the game with a man advantage following a red card for Nicolas Jackson.
A second-place finish will be seen as a top-notch end to Newcastle United’s campaign, and much like Arsenal, that is also in their hands. After the visit to the Emirates, the Magpies end the season with a home clash with Everton, as Howe will have hoped to confirm the club’s participation in next season’s Champions League.
In the aftermath of Merino’s red card against Liverpool, the midfielder will miss the final home game of Arsenal’s season. On the other hand, Kai Havertz has returned to training in top physical condition and is probably in line to feature among those on the bench.
There’s no fresh respite from those already injured, and there were a few concerns over the fitness of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, with the duo missing the trip to Anfield last weekend. The midfielder has returned to training, while the Dutch defender could also be available, although he might stay on the bench for this one.
Gabriel Martinelli also suffered a knock in open training this week, although returned after a brief period. With Merino missing out, there’s the chance for Leandro Trossard to lead the line for the Gunners, as Arteta is expected to start most of his key stars on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Howe has been deploying a back three of late to cover for the key absences in his backline,. Kieran Trippier’s absence might be the main trigger for the manager to continue with the new shape, as there are doubts about Sven Botman too as he went off against Chelsea last weekend.
The Dutchman is a big doubt for the Arsenal clash, and should he turn up fit, he might only feature on the bench. Emile Krafth, who replaced Botman against Chelsea could get a start against Arsenal alongside Fabian Schar and Dan Burn in that back-three.
Jacob Murphy and Tino Livramento could feature as wing-backs. Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon could feature in the attacking third in a slightly different role behind main striker Alexander Isak.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Pope; Krafth, Schar, Burn; Murphy, Tonali, Guimaraes, Livramento; Barnes, Gordon; Isak
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Isak has been a thorn in Arsenal’s defence this season, scoring twice in the three meetings the two sides have had this season across all competitions. He was directly responsible for the winner in the reverse league game, while he also troubled the Gunners backline during their two-legged meetings in the Carabao Cup.
This time around, at the Emirates, many in the stands will want to see if he fits to be Arseal’s new striker next season. However, Howe will want the Swede to put in a top-class performance and assert his commitment to the club beyond the summer, as his goals here could potentially guarantee Champions League football at St James Park next season.
Newcastle United have effectively performed well against the top teams this season, especially Arsenal as Howe will want another effective performance at the Emirates. The Magpies are also in a better vein of form compared to their hosts, which could help them get a positive result here.
Arsenal have been disappointing of late with their performances, but even then they have shown plenty of character and resilience to keep their composure. There’s still something to play in the two remaining games, as Arteta will want to consolidate that second spot in the standings, although there are doubts whether this Gunners side have the quality to get a win, with the big expectation being for a draw at the Emirates.
