PREVIEW

Arsenal travel to Newcastle United aiming to ensure that it is they who enter 2014 as leaders of the Premier League title race.

The Magpies will be hoping to play party
poopers at St James' Park, with their sights set on a top-five standing.
Three victories in their last four have helped to keep the in-form Magpies very much in the European shake-up.

The goals have been flowing for Alan Pardew's side of late, with a 5-1 mauling of nine-man Stoke City on Boxing Day taking their tally onto eight in their last two outings.
Hitting those heights again against Arsenal will be no easy task, though, with the Gunners having returned to the top of the table over Christmas.

A four-match winless run in all competitions was halted at Upton Park on Thursday, with a 3-1 come-from-behind success secured over West Ham United.

There is every chance that the Gunners will have been knocked from their lofty perch by the time they take to the field on Sunday - with Manchester City in action on Saturday - but their fate remains in their own hands and victory over Newcastle would guarantee that they welcome in the New Year in pole position.

Their record on Tyneside is good - having gone 12 games without defeat - but they have been held on seven of those occasions and need to ensure that they find a way of getting the job done this weekend if they are to remain out in front.

Paul Merson's prediction
This will be a very good game between two bang in-form teams.

I always say if Newcastle can get their best eleven players out on the pitch they will give anybody a football match. They've got players who can get in top six teams and there are not many teams outside the top six who can say that.

Their win at Tottenham was probably their worst performance of the season and they could have been beaten by six or seven, but Tim Krul had one of those games and since then Alan Pardew has got all his players fit and flying along. They've been brilliant and won seven of their last nine.

So, this is a hard, hard game for Arsenal. If they come out of this with a win then that's massive for their title credentials. A draw with Chelsea and win at West Ham means they are back on track after losing to City, though, and I think they will just edge this one, too.


------------------------------------------
Newcastle vs Arsenal (Head-to-Head)
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2012/2013
Sun 19 May
1) Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Arsenal Premier League  
Sat 29 Dec
2) Arsenal 7 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premier League  


2011/2012
Mon 12 Mar
1) Arsenal 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League  
Sat 13 Aug
2) Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Arsenal Premier League  


2010/2011
Sat 05 Feb
1) Newcastle Utd. 4 - 4 Arsenal Premier League  
Sun 07 Nov
2) Arsenal 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League  
Wed 27 Oct
3) Newcastle Utd. 0 - 4 Arsenal League Cup

Newcastle

Midfielder Cheick Tiote will
return to the Newcastle squad
after suspension.

The Ivory Coast international
missed the Boxing Day victory
over Stoke after collecting his
fifth booking of the season, but is
likely to go straight back into the
starting line-up.

Pardew, who replaced Tiote with
Hatem Ben Arfa against the
Potters, has no fresh injury
concerns with midfielder Jonas
Gutierrez recovering from a calf
problem.

Arsenal

Aaron Ramsey will miss
Arsenal's trip to the North East
due to a thigh complaint but
Jack Wilshere returns from
suspension.

Arsene Wenger confirmed Wales
midfielder Ramsey will miss at
least the rest of the Christmas
period with a thigh injury picked
up in the win against West Ham
on Boxing Day.

Tomas Rosicky was rested for the
Upton Park clash but could
return to the squad at St James'
Park, while Wilshere is available
after completing a two-match
suspension.

Centre-back Laurent Koscielny
could play after a cut knee, while
Lukas Podolski will be hoping for
a start having marked his return
from injury with a goal at West
Ham. Yaya Sanogo (back), Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abou
Diaby (both knee) remain
sidelined for a match Wenger
hinted he would make several
changes

Newcastle have conceded a total of 14 goals in their last five Premier League games against Arsenal.

Arsenal have lost only one of their last 17 final games of the year (0-1 to Sheffield United in 2006).

Arsenal have won the most Premier League points in 2013, and their current 79 point tally in the year cannot be surpassed by any other side.

Newcastle Shall WIN! LIKE.

donphilopus: Newcastle Shall WIN! LIKE.

Brov,

What's with u and this like sef?!

maishot:

Brov,

What's with u and this like sef?!

Any problem??

donphilopus: Any problem??

Not really.

Just dat, u're not really the 'nice' person u always show urself to be.

maishot:

Not really.

Just dat, u're not really the 'nice' person u always show urself to be.

Boss, you know I must be nice to all na

Draw

I always say if Newcastle can get their best
eleven players out on the pitch they will give
anybody a football match. They've got players
who can get in top six teams and there are not
many teams outside the top six who can say
that.

Greetings my wonderful fellow Gunners and Bitter rival fan haters ....Its the last round of fixtures before we bid the Year 2013 goodbye...Newcastle stand in our way of regaining top spot! can we wrestle back poll position today...do check out my match preview here...http://gidigooner..com/2013/12/match-preview-newcastle-vs-arsenal-will.html (includes xpose on Newcastle danger men) c'mon Arsenal!!!

Like , if you believe Arsenal will convert Newcastle to Newscaster today

#COYG

After this match, big boys be like...

slap1: #COYG

After this match, big boys be like...

Feel u Bro na so we go faji

UP GUNNERS......

Anoda draw match

Thirty minutes to the gametime,back to the top things.

Im not too happy Arteta didn't start this game though..I hope we won't get overwhelmed in Midfield...Though i see what Wenger is trying to do by playing Rosicky and Wilshere together..he wants to dominate possesion almost to complete denial of service to frustrate Remy and co...but the drawback here is that the above mentioned players tend to ''turnover'' the ball a lot..thus triggering dangerous counters with us on the backfoot.what can i say its a gamble sometimes with team selection for all managers.. you sometimes gotta trust your insticts..c'mon arsenal

Goal by arsenal

Na so this place dry

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The right thread is here https://www.nairaland.com/1548590/newcastle-vs-arsenal-0-1/15#1548590.483[/size]