Match Preview: Arsenal vs. Newcastle – Premier League 28.04.2014

Written by Jon Shay on 26 April 2014. Posted in 1886 Previews

And so it begins. The end, that is. With just three matches left for us and Newcastle, we control our destiny, at least as far as fourth is concerned, while Newcastle can ease the off the clutch and let it coast across the line. After all, they’re firmly ensconced mid-table, with nothing to venture, gain, or lose. Their recent form—five consecutive losses—suggests that they may have already taken the keys from the ignition, not that we should apply any handbrakes at our end.

Whereas Newcastle will finish somewhere between 12^th and 7^th depending on results, we have much more at stake. Win out, and we could finish as high as 2^nd (unlikely) or as low as 6^th (possible if also unlikely). If the match were decided solely on motivation, well, we could just as well mail it in and receive our three points and that would be that. However, it’s rarely that simple. There are banana-peels to consider, and we simply can’t afford to slip up, not with the run-in we have and the low-lying fruit on offer. Without taking our eyes off of said fruit, we’ll have to wait until Monday for the match, while Everton travel to Southampton, offering them a chance to enjoy a few days back in fourth. We shouldn’t need the extra motivation, however.

As to Newcastle, they might just best us in one key area: injury. While we’ll continue to go without Wilshere and Walcott, and Diaby has again been ruled out, here’s a quick run-down of who we won’t see, except perhaps on the bench: Obertan. Santon. Ameobi. Taylor. Sissoko. Cisse. They might also go without Ben Arfa or de Jong. Who’s left? Remy looks like he’s back from injury, and there’s Gouffran. Still, it’s hard to feel like Newcastle will have the resources or the motivation to put up much of a fight. If we can take the match by the scruff, scoring early if not often, I don’t see us running up against too much opposition. They’ve been held scoreless in four of their last five, conceding 12 goals along the way. Even in the one match in which they showed some fight, scoring first against Swansea, a Bony brace, assisted by an untimely Tiote foul, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

By contrast, we’re building momentum and finding reinforcements with each passing week. Diaby’s setback aside, Ramsey is back if not fully fit. Podolski is playing the best he’s played all season. Özil is back. For as much as we’d struggled in February and March, we’re rounding back into form just in time to stake a claim to fourth, perhaps third. To finish second might be asking a bit much. The half-full glass is not a mug that overfloweth. That said, however, we can take one more massive step towards securing fourth while reaching for the next rung. Between now and Monday, we may have seen Everton slip up once again. We might even have a St. Totteringham’s Day to celebrate (although I’d prefer we win it for ourselves rather than having Spurs lose. They’re playing Stoke, after all). Regardless of what happens elsewhere, we simply must take care of business on Monday. Plain and simple. We have the momentum. We have the men. Let’s make no mistakes.

LAST 3 Meetings

Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (29.12.2014)
Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal (19.05.2014)
Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle (29.12.2013)

FACTFILE

We are undefeated at home in 16 Prem matches.
Arsenal has not lost to Newcastle at home since 2011.
The last time Arsenal hosted Newscastle saw Arsenal score six goals in the second half on their way to a 7-3 win.

INJURIES

Walcott (knee), Diaby (groin), Wilshere (ankle), Gibbs (ankle), Gnabry (knee), and Miyaichi (hamstring) are ruled out, and Vermalaen faces a late test to see if he’ll be available.