Newcastle vs Arsenal: Gunners look to close the gap on leaders Liverpool
by Joseph King
Huge opportunity for Arsenal at St James’ Park
A fixture that has been fiercely competitive in recent seasons will write another chapter on Sunday. Newcastle will look to continue their positive run against title-hopefuls Arsenal in this late afternoon kickoff. For in-depth analysis and additional statistics on this and every other match of the round, head over to our Premier League predictions!
Let’s check out how things currently stand in the Premier League table coming into this game:
| Position | Team | Games Played | Record (W-D-L) | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Liverpool | 6 | 5-0-1 | +5 | 15 |
| 2. | Crystal Palace | 6 | 3-3-0 | +5 | 12 |
| 3. | Tottenham | 6 | 3-2-1 | +7 | 11 |
| 4. | Sunderland | 6 | 3-2-1 | +3 | 11 |
| 5. | Bournemouth | 6 | 3-2-1 | +1 | 11 |
| 6. | Man City | 6 | 3-1-2 | +8 | 10 |
| 7. | Arsenal | 5 | 3-1-1 | +8 | 10 |
| ... | |||||
| 15. | Newcastle | 5 | 1-3-1 | 0 | 6 |
| 16. | Nott Forest | 6 | 1-2-3 | -5 | 5 |
| 17. | Burnley | 6 | 1-1-4 | -7 | 4 |
Newcastle have gotten the better of Arsenal in recent outings, winning three of the last four meetings across all competitions. However, it was the Gunners that won the most recent clash between these two, recording a 1-0 win at the Emirates in the penultimate matchday of last season.
Arsenal will have to overcome recent struggles at this ground if they are to move up in the standings. They have lost in their last three trips to St James’ Park, failing to score a single goal in that time.
Mikel Arteta managerial record against Newcastle:
- Matches: 14
- Home record: 6-1-1
- Away record: 2-0-4
- Goals scored: 20
- Goals conceded: 9
What’s at stake?
It’s a massive opportunity for Arsenal to cut into Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table. Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Crystal Palace on Saturday, courtesy of Hale End product Eddie Nketiah no less, for their first defeat of the season.
Victory for Mikel Arteta’s side would see Arsenal cut Liverpool’s lead to just two points. And while it’s still early days in the 2025-26 season, these are the kinds of fixtures that Arsenal fans might look back on as the ‘make-or-break’ moments in a potential title charge.
As for Newcastle, they still harbour hopes of a top-four finish to continue their recent participation in the Champions League. However, they’ll have to start putting wins on the board before the gap becomes insurmountable. Right now, there’s only a five-point difference between the Magpies and their bitter rivals Sunderland in fourth place. Three points for the hosts in this match would be a serious statement of intent and would see Newcastle shoot into the top half of the standings. Our experts are anticipating a tense affair with goals at a premium. See the full analysis in our Newcastle vs Arsenal prediction!
Matchup to watch: Eze vs Trippier
While the battle between Saka and Livramento is sure to generate a lot of attention, it’s the matchup on the other flank that could have a big say in which team walks away with the win. Eberechi Eze impressed for Arsenal when operating from a more central role in the 2-0 win over Port Vale. Although with Martin Odegaard reportedly on track to participate in this match, Arteta could decide to move his number 10 over to the left wing.
Kieran Trippier, who started both the match against Liverpool and Barcelona, is expected to get the nod at right back and the 35-year-old could be a potential target for the visitors. In four Premier League appearances this season, Trippier is winning a below-average 42.9% of his duels, completing just two tackles and being dribbled past four times. Where he shines, however, is in his superb service from wide positions. Trippier ranks among the best in his position with 10 completed crosses, eight chances created and nine accurate long balls.
