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An own goal from Fabricio Coloccini gave Arsenal their second win of the season, a 1-0 victory over Newcastle.
Newcastle United will be searching for their first win of the English Premier League season against an already desperate Arsenal side. Join us on The Roar from 9:45pm (AEST) for live scores.
Coming off a dominant 4-1 League Cup win over Northampton Town last Wednesday, Newcastle will be confident that they can find the net against a struggling Arsenal side.
Manager Steve McClaren will be happy with his side’s draw against the Red Devils last weekend, salvaging a point at Old Trafford is always a positive result.
Home ground advantage may not apply for Newcastle, however, as the Magpies have won just two of their last 11 games at home, and none of their last eight home games against the Gunners.
On top of that, McClaren has only managed to get the best of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger once in 10 attempts.
Newcastle’s new attacking blood will be looking to make an impression against the Gunners, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Georginio Wijnaldum and Florian Thauvin all set to make an appearance.
Despite being unlucky to come away with a 0-0 draw against Liverpool in their last fixture, with Aaron Ramsey’s first half effort disallowed due to an incorrect offside call, Arsenal have been in poor attacking form.
The Gunners have managed to find the net just twice in three fixtures, with their only win coming at the hands of a clumsy offside goal by Crystal Palace.
A 2-0 loss in the opening week to West Ham United in a match where Arsenal had all the momentum showed how much Arsenal lack consistent quality up front.
Striker Olivier Giroud will be desperate to prove his worth in front of goal, and star man Alexis Sanchez will be doing all he can to a put a tight Newcastle defence in danger.
Giroud has a positive record against the Magpies, the Frenchman has scored eight goals against Newcastle in six games.
Wenger faces more problems, with defenders Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in doubt with illness and a back injury respectively. Callum Chambers and Gabriel will be ready to continue deputising, however.
The last time Newcastle United and Arsenal locked horns was back in March of this year, two first half goals by Giroud in two minutes was enough to down the Magpies 2-1 at St. James’ Park.
If Arsenal can find the net, they should scrape through with three points in what should be a tough fixture for them.
Prediction: Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal
Can Newcastle United get their first win of the season, or will Arsenal continue their impressive run against the Magpies away from home? Join us on The Roar from 9:45 pm (AEST) for live scores to find out.