Goal-shy Newcastle look to inject life into their Premier League campaign when they host Arsenal, who are already chasing the leaders.
Entertainment has been scarce in Newcastle’s league fixtures, with five matches producing a joint low total of six goals, five of which arrived in defeat to Liverpool last month. Problems in attack pre date the loss of Alexander Isak, with the Magpies failing to score in five of their last seven league games, a run that reads one win, three draws and three losses. They are already four points worse off than at the same stage last season. The defence remains a strength, though, with four clean sheets and the fewest shots faced in the division after five rounds at thirty-seven.
Arsenal’s last league outing brought a familiar sense of a missed opportunity as they drew 1-1 with Manchester City despite long spells on the front foot. Mikel Arteta praised the performance, but it did little to close what was a five-point gap to leaders Liverpool before this round. The Gunners will expect a response on their travels, where they have lost once in sixteen league matches, eight wins and seven draws, although that reverse came at Liverpool. Notably, the only two instances of successive away league defeats since May 2022 saw the second loss come at Newcastle.
Recent history at St James’ Park favours the hosts. Newcastle have won the last three home meetings without conceding and could make it four in a row for the first time since August 1969. They have also scored inside the opening twenty minutes in each of the last two league encounters on Tyneside. Underlying numbers support their defensive solidity, with the lowest expected goals against in the league so far at 2.6. Arsenal tend to strike around the interval, with six of their ten league goals this season coming in the fifteen minutes either side of half-time, while only against Manchester City has Arteta suffered more away defeats as Arsenal manager than at Newcastle.
Anthony Gordon has been a consistent threat in this fixture, directly involved in four goals across his last six appearances against Arsenal, three goals and one assist, but he is still searching for his first league goal of the season after ten attempts. Bukayo Saka sits on ninety-nine Premier League goal involvements for Arsenal, fifty-four goals and forty-five assists, and is aiming to become the eighth player to reach a century for the club. Newcastle remain without Fabian Schär due to a head injury, while Martin Ødegaard is nearing a return for Arsenal.
