Arsenal entertain Newcastle at the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday, with the two sides level on points heading into the weekend.
It's seems like a lifetime ago since they met at the start of the season, when the Gunners earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory at St James' Park thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's winner.
Sunday afternoon's contest is - according to the current league standings - a proper mid-table clash, with Arsenal tenth and the Magpies 12th.
Mikel Arteta and his team have not won since January 1, when they beat Manchester United 2-0. In fact, this remains the Gunners' only league win under Arteta, having drawn four on the bounce since.
Steve Bruce's side have drawn blanks in their last two fixtures, though their last win was an impressive 1-0 triumph over Chelsea. Last time out, the Magpies drew 0-0 with bottom side Norwich, a result Arsenal matched in their 0-0 stalemate with Burnley.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Sunday 16 February |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 16:30 (GMT) |
| Where Is it Played? | Emirates Stadium |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League |
| Referee? | Lee Mason |
Team News
Arteta's primary concern coming into this one will be at left back. Kieran Tierney is still recovering from a shoulder problem, while Bukayo Saka is a doubt, but Sead Kolasinac is expected to be fit.
Reiss Nelson remains sidelined with a dodgy hamstring. Pablo Mari is an option for Arteta in central defence, though fellow January signing Cedric Soares will not be available.
Who is out and who is a doubt for Sunday?https://t.co/FV2EjU43sF
— Arsenal FC News (@ArsenalFC_fl) February 13, 2020
Steve Bruce has several injury concerns ahead of Sunday. Forwards Joelinton and Miguel Almiron both picked up knocks in Newcastle's FA Cup replay win over Oxford United, though the former is back in training. Jack Colback and Paul Dummett remain out.
Andy Carroll, Jetro Willems, Javier Manquillo, Emil Krafth and Jonjo Shelvey are among those also sidelined, but Yoshinori Muto is in line to return.
Predicted Lineups
| Arsenal: | Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Luiz, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Torreira; Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang; Lacazette. |
| Newcastle: | Dubravka; Ritchie, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Rose; Almiron, Hayden, Bentaleb, Saint-Maximin; Joelinton. |
Head to Head Record
When the sides met in September, the Gunners brought all three points back to London. In fact, Arsenal have triumphed in four of the last five meetings between the sides, including last season's 2-0 win at the Emirates.
Newcastle last beat Arsenal in April 2018, but they have lost 13 of their last 14 encounters with the north London side.
Recent Form
Wins have come few and far between for the Gunners since Arteta took over. They have won just once in the league and picked up draws against Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Chelsea and Burnley in recent weeks.
In the FA Cup, however, they have beaten Leeds and Bournemouth. In any case, Arsenal need to start winning again in the league - they have drawn the most in the division, with 13 ties.
Another Draw LOL!
— Shon Osimbo - Kasyula (@ShonOsimbo) February 2, 2020
Arsenal Has The Most Number Of PL Draws This Season So Far - 13 Draws
Fourth Straight Premier League Draw After This Evening’s Match
FT: Burnley 0-0 Arsenal @K24Tv #K24Sport #BURARS pic.twitter.com/0DhHQMnTaO
Newcastle are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games, drawing their previous away games with in-form Everton and Wolves. Before that, they beat Chelsea 1-0.
However, they have not won on the road since their 2-0 victory over Sheffield United in December.
Here are each sides' last five results in all competitions.
| Arsenal | Newcastle |
| Burnley 0-0 Arsenal (2/2) | Oxford Utd 2-3 Newcastle (4/2) |
| Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal (27/1) | Newcastle 0-0 Norwich (1/2) |
| Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal (21/1) | Newcastle 0-0 Oxford Utd (25/1) |
| Arsenal 1-1 Sheffield United (18/1) | Everton 2-2 Newcastle (21/1) |
| Crystal Palace 1-1 Arsenal (11/1) | Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea (18/1) |
Prediction
Fresh from their warm-weather training camp in Dubai, Arteta's Arsenal will know that Sunday's fixture is a must-win if they have any chance of making the top-four. Their last win came at the Emirates, and they should be well up for this one.
#Arsenal vs #Newcastle #Prediction (#EPL) – February 17, 2020, 00:30 (GMT +8) – The Magpies are visiting Emirates stadium in a match against The Gunners. Read More ➡️ https://t.co/YYKBYRFy55#ARSNEW#footballtips#soccertips#PremierLeague#soccer#football
— BetVision (@betvisionasia) February 13, 2020
➡️⚽️聾
Newcastle, however, have proved stubborn to beat on the road. Expect Bruce to set his side up to soak up the pressure and try to hit the Gunners on the counter.
A draw would be a point gained for the Toon but two dropped for Arsenal - who should have enough to get over the line here.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle
Source : 90min