🕟 Kick Off: 17:30 BST

🏟️ Venue: Emirates Stadium

📺 UK Broadcaster: Sky Sports

🙎🏻‍♂️ Referee: Samuel Barrott

📹 VAR: Jarred Gillett

🔴 Arsenal Team News:

• Bukayo Saka (Achilles): Available. Arteta confirmed that Saka is set to be included in the squad tomorrow. “Bukayo is probably going to be in the squad, so good news,” Arteta stated in his press conference.
• Riccardo Calafiori (Knock): Available. The manager confirmed Calafiori has also recovered from the knock that sidelined him recently and is back in the matchday squad.
• Jurrien Timber (Groin/Ankle): Ruled Out. Unlike Saka and Calafiori, Timber is not ready. Arteta explicitly stated: “Jurrien is not in the squad,” following his injury that he picked up against Everton 6 weeks ago.
• Mikel Merino (Foot): Ruled Out Long-term. Still in rehabilitation following surgery for a stress fracture; return not expected for at least two weeks.

⚽ Arsenal Form: 🟥🟧🟥🟩🟥

🏁 Newcastle Team News:

• Anthony Gordon (Hip): Ruled Out. Howe confirmed today that Gordon “won’t make the game” after failing to train all week.
• Joelinton (Suspension): Ruled Out. Serving the second of a two-match ban for accumulating 10 yellow cards.
• Tino Livramento (Ankle): Ruled Out. Following an injury against Bournemouth last weekend, Howe confirmed he is awaiting further scans but will definitely miss tomorrow.
• Fabian Schär & Emil Krafth: Both remain unavailable due to ongoing fitness issues.
• Bruno Guimarães: Fully Fit. Howe confirmed the midfielder has had a “full week of training” and is likely to appear tomorrow.

⚽ Newcastle Form: 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟩

⚔️ Head-to-Head:

• Newcastle 1–2 Arsenal (Sept 28, 2025, Premier League)
• Arsenal 1–0 Newcastle (May 18, 2025, Premier League)
• Newcastle 2–0 Arsenal (Feb 5, 2025, EFL Cup Semi-Final)
• Arsenal 0–2 Newcastle (Jan 7, 2025, EFL Cup Semi-Final)
• Newcastle 1–0 Arsenal (Nov 2, 2024, Premier League)

📖 Match Facts:

• Newcastle’s last win was away at Chelsea on the 14th of March, the same day as Arsenal’s last win at the Emirates which was against Everton.
• The last time Arsenal lost three league games in a row was in April 2022 with losses against Palace away, Brighton at home, and Southampton away.
• Arteta has a record of P15 W9 D1 L5 against Newcastle as a manager.

📸 Previously in this fixture…

An action packed and intense reverse fixture in September saw Arsenal clinch all three points in the dying minutes of the match with goals from Merino and Gabriel. At the time this felt absolutely massive, and it still could prove to be as we reach the end of the season.

I was in Brighton watching this game with a friend of mine who is a Spurs fan. Fair to say that I enjoyed myself at his expense.

✍🏼 Pre-Match Ramblings

Newcastle visit the Emirates tomorrow as Arsenal look to win at home for the first time in six weeks. The Magpies are in worse form than us, currently on a four match losing run, with their last loss coming against Bournemouth (welcome to the club). Despite this match being a chance for them to get back to winning ways, their squad is heavily depleted. With Joelinton suspended, and Gordon and Livramento out they will not be playing their strongest XI. Granted, neither will we, but with a home crowd on a sunny Saturday evening still up for the title fight, I back Arsenal to win this game handily (when will I learn?).

Arteta casually dropped the bombshell of Saka and Calafiori both being fit to feature in the squad tomorrow, which is a departure from his usual frustrating vagueness when it comes to giving updates. Prior to his injury, Saka was not at his best, but even a Saka playing below his level is one of our best players, and one of the best attacks in the league. With Noni not performing to anywhere near the level we need, Saka returning is a huge boost. Calafiori offers so much to our attack whilst remaining solid defensively; if we can keep him fit for the run in, our chances of five wins certainly increases.

Despite potentially our best performance of the calendar year against City, we failed to come away with anything other than a sense of familiarity. Familiarity not only of failing to win there, but a wider sense of familiarity of where this season could be heading. Just 13 days ago we had the opportunity to go 12 points clear of Manchester City ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge. We now sit second in the table for the first time in over 6 months. City certainly have the harder run in, but they are also certainly in better shape to win all of them that we are in terms of form and player availability.

Without wanting to talk about the title for the entire post, let’s talk about how we might line up. The way we played at the Etihad was some of the most free flowing and technical I have seen from us all season. Eze, Odegaard, and Havertz bring a sense of technical ability and security that no other combination of players can bring in our squad, with perhaps the exception of Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber. I would be delighted to see those start together against Newcastle. I was hugely frustrated with Kai’s performance against City in front of goal. Elliot from the Arsenal Vision Podcast put it perfectly when he summed up his 94th minute miss as a ‘moment’ that may define a season. If only that had went in… We know what kind of player he is, and I can’t let myself be angry at him for doing what we know he does. He offers a lot when he plays, but he doesn’t do it all. For me, he is far more important to our overall game than Gyokeres, despite his shortcomings.

Five games left in the league, five wins needed. One game to play this weekend, one game to win. Like it or not, we’re doing this the hard way.