Newcastle will look to all but secure their Premier League status when they host Arsenal this weekend.
The Toon have not lost in their last four top-flight games and are looking safe from the drop now.
AFP
They can move to 39 points this weekend and take a huge step towards confirming safety.
Arsenal have endured a hugely difficult campaign and go into this match in tenth and way off fourth.
The Gunners lost to Everton last weekend and were beaten by Villarreal in the Europa League in midweek.
Mikel Arteta would love a moral-boosting display at Newcastle as Arsenal look to finish the season on a more positive note.
Newcastle v Arsenal: How to watch
This match will be held at St James’ Park on Sunday, May 2 and will kick-off at 2pm.
The game is being broadcast on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm and on Sky Sports Main Event from 2pm.
Sky Sports customers can live stream this via the app using their mobile, tablet or computer devices.
If not, you can purchase a Sky Sports Day Pass from NowTV for £9.99.
AFP
Newcastle v Arsenal: Confirmed teams
Jamaal Lascelles, Isaac Hayden and Ryan Fraser remain out for Newcastle.
Fabian Schar returns to the bench but Joe Willock is ineligible to face his parent club but Matt Ritchie who was a doubt, plays.
Karl Darlow is still out with a knee injury so Martin Dubravka continues in goal.
Arsenal have no major have rotated their squad ahead of Thursday’s key Europa League semi-final second-leg against Villarreal.
Alexandre Lacazette and Kieran Tierney are nursing slight issues and are left out entirely, with Willian, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Pierre-Emerick Aubamaeyang in attack.
Granit Xhaka continues at left-back in place of Tierney.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Murphy, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie, Almiron, Sean Longstaff, Shelvey, Saint-Maximin, Wilson.
Subs: Matthew Longstaff, Schar, Joelinton, Gayle, Lewis, Hendrick, Krafth, Gillespie, Anderson.
Arsenal: Ryan, Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Xhaka, Elneny, Ceballos, Willian, Odegaard, Martinelli, Aubameyang.
Subs: Leno, Saka, Cedric, Thomas, Pepe, Chambers, Pablo Mari, Nketiah, Smith-Rowe.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Newcastle v Arsenal: What has been said?
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce: “We can’t take anything for granted, but certainly we’re in a better position than we were a month ago.
“When you looked at the fixtures that we had, and what we’ve still got coming up, we realised there were some difficult games.
“We’re pleased. Over the last couple of months, if you take away the Brighton result, we’ve only lost one of our last eight games so just at the right time we’ve found a bit of resilience.
“And more importantly – and I’ve said it week-in and week-out – we’ve had our big players in key areas fit. That’s coincided with, obviously, the upturn in results.”
AFP
Newcastle v Arsenal: Match stats and facts
- Newcastle have lost 15 of their last 16 league games against Arsenal, winning the other 2-1 in April 2018.
- After losing their first three Premier League away games against Newcastle, Arsenal have suffered defeat in just three of their subsequent 22 visits to St James’ Park (W11 D8).
- Arsenal have won their last six meetings with Newcastle in all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in their last five. Only against Barnsley (between 1952-1998) and Blackburn (between 2003-2005) have they won six consecutive matches without conceding.
- Newcastle have kept just one clean sheet in their last 20 Premier League home games, doing so in a 0-0 draw with Liverpool in December. The Magpies have both scored and conceded in their last eight home league games, and are unbeaten in their last five at St James’ Park (W2 D3).
- Newcastle have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W2 D5), having lost eight of their 10 league matches prior to this run (W2).
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four Premier League away games (W2 D2), scoring three goals in each of their last two (3-3 v West Ham, 3-0 v Sheffield United). The Gunners haven’t scored at least three times in three consecutive away league games since October 2015.
- No side has conceded more own goals in the Premier League than Arsenal this season (4), with the Gunners losing their last league match courtesy of a Bernd Leno own goal. Only in 2011-12 (5) have the Gunners suffered more own goals in a Premier League season.
- Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in his last four appearances against Newcastle in all competitions. The last Arsenal player to score in five in a row against an opponent was Olivier Giroud against Aston Villa (6 between 2013-2016).
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in both of Arsenal’s meetings with Newcastle in all competitions this season – the last Arsenal player to score in three games against an opponent in the same season was Alexis Sánchez versus Hull in 2014-15.
- Newcastle’s Callum Wilson scored in each of his first three Premier League appearances against Arsenal, but has since failed to find the net in his five meetings with the Gunners in all competitions.
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