Both revelling in midweek EFL Cup successes, Newcastle United and Arsenal collide in the 12.30pm Premier League kickoff on Saturday at St James' Park.
On Wednesday night, the Magpies got the better of a much-changed Chelsea 2-0 to make their first quarter-final of the season, while Mikel Arteta's men were routine 3-0 victors over Preston North End.
Match preview
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A clash between the only two sides in English football to ever go a full top-flight season unbeaten - Preston in 1888-89 and Arsenal in 2003-04 - the Premier League title challengers were unsurprisingly far too good for their Deepdale foes in the last 16 of the EFL Cup.
Either side of Gabriel Jesus's first goal in exactly nine months and Kai Havertz's bullet header, 17-year-old sensation Ethan Nwaneri picked out the top corner with a delightful curling strike, becoming the youngest man to score in their first two starts for Arsenal in the process.
How Arsenal could have used a dash of Nwaneri inspiration against Liverpool last weekend, where Arteta's crop deservedly took a 2-1 lead into half time, only for the 11 men to play the second half as if they had 10 men and succumb to a well-worked Mohamed Salah equaliser in that 2-2 thriller.
Already losing vital ground in the title race - sitting third in the Premier League table with a five-point gap to make up to leaders Manchester City - Arsenal have lost their defensive mean streak, shipping multiple goals in four of their last five top-flight games.
All in all, a total of nine conceded in five Premier League matches is more than Arteta's men had let in over an 18-game streak before that, and the Gunners' recent tendency to drop off has seen the Arsenal boss draw comparisons with Jose Mourinho, and not the complimentary kind.
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One of Mourinho's former clubs became Newcastle's latest EFL Cup victims on Wednesday evening, as current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca made a full 11 changes for the fourth-round showdown after the Blues' first-string side edged out the Magpies in top-flight action.
However, revenge tasted sweet for Eddie Howe and co by the close of play on October 30, as a Halloween horror show from Chelsea's defenders allowed Alexander Isak to draw first blood before Axel Disasi's comical own goal rubber-stamped Newcastle's place in the last eight.
Rewarded for their endeavours with a winnable home tie against Brentford, Newcastle must use Wednesday's victory as a springboard for better Premier League fortunes; their 2-1 loss to Maresca's team at the weekend made it five top-flight games without a win.
With just two points taken from the last 15 on offer, Newcastle languish in mid-table mediocrity in 12th place and saw their 11-game unbeaten Premier League home run come to an end against Brighton & Hove Albion a couple of weekends ago, but not since February 2020 have they gone scoreless in back-to-back Premier League games at St James' Park.
Newcastle's ground was the scene of a 1-0 win for the Magpies over Arsenal last year, though - even if Anthony Gordon's winner was lambasted as "embarrassing" and "a disgrace" by Arteta - but the Gunners atoned for their North East errors with a 4-1 Emirates battering a couple of months later.
Team News
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Arsenal full-back Jurrien Timber was a surprise starter in the win over Preston after going off with cramp against Liverpool, but Gabriel Magalhaes was not seen at Deepdale due to the knee issue he suffered versus the Reds.
However, both he and Ben White are said to have trained on Friday and are likely to be available, but all of of Martin Odegaard (ankle), Riccardo Calafiori (knee), Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are confined to the treatment room.
Due to a lack of available left-footed centre-backs, Jakub Kiwior will likely partner William Saliba in the heart of defence if Gabriel is not passed fit, while recalls await all of Bukayo Saka, Havertz and Declan Rice at St James' Park.
In contrast, Newcastle received arguably the best piece of injury news possible before the beating of Chelsea, as wing wizard Gordon was able to battle back from a groin issue to start and play 73 minutes of the win over the Blues.
However, Howe confirmed that Jacob Murphy's absence from the squad was due to a small hamstring injury, while Isak did not look entirely comfortable when he was withdrawn just after the hour, but the Magpies boss is hopeful that the Scandinavian's problem is minor.
Isak should therefore be given the thumbs-up to start against one of his reported admirers, but Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Sven Botman (knee), Kieran Trippier (thigh) and Callum Wilson (back) remain out of contention.
Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Barnes, Isak, Gordon
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Partey; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli; Havertz
We say: Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal
Not since the days of Steve Bruce have Newcastle failed to score in successive Premier League home games, and the Magpies are squaring up to an Arsenal side that have lost their defensive steel over the past few weeks.
However, Arteta was able to rest more of his key names for the midweek EFL Cup triumph, and those fresh legs could make the world of difference for the Gunners, who have our vote to leave St James' Park with a narrow win under their belts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
