The Gunners have made a stuttering start to the new season having recorded a win, a draw and a defeat apiece in their last three matches. They were against Liverpool last time out in a match which finished in a 0-0 stalemate.
There was some controversy however with Aaron Ramsey's strike in the first half ruled out for offside whereas replays showed that the Welshman was in an onside position when the pass was made to him. The Gunners must however be thankful to summer signing Petr Cech who made a string of fine saves to keep the score at 0-0.
The former Chelsea man who endured a frustrating outing during the opening match against West Ham stepped up for his side and showed why he's still among the best in the world. The Czech international denied both Benteke and Coutinho to record his 163rd clean sheet in the Premier League.
Newcastle on the other hand come into this match in good form having picked an emphatic 4-1 win over Norwich last time out which was after a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in the preceding week. New signing Florian Thauvin produced a stellar performance as he scored a goal and registered three assists during his first start for the club.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed that Newcastle will be a difficult test for his side despite the fact that the Gunners have been triumphant in each of the last five meetings between the two sides.
“We want to do well at Newcastle but it’s always very, very, very tight and very committed there because the crowd is always behind their team,” he said.
“They have just come out from a good result at Manchester United so it’s important that we prepare well and we give absolutely everything to win this game before the break.
“We have always done very well away from home. Last season and the season before, it was the last game of the season that we had to win. There has always been something big at stake, but we like pressure.”
French international Olivier Giroud has come under a lot of criticism since the beginning of the season but will be hoping to silence his critics, having fared well against Newcastle since his arrival. The 28 year old has scored eight goals in six appearances against the Magpies including a brace in last season's fixture.
Arsenal's centre back pairing of Gabriel and Calum Chambers failed to make an impression and Wenger will be hoping he can welcome back Per Mertesacker (illness) and Laurent Koscielny (back) who are major doubts for the match.
Important stats
- Newcastle have managed just two victories in their last 11 home fixtures.
- Olivier Giroud has scored five headed goals against Newcastle from five attempts.
Newcastle vs Arsenal team sheets
Newcastle lineup: Krul, Coloccini, Colback, Wijnaldum, Sissoko, Anita, Mbemba, Haidara, Thauvin, Janmaat, Miitrovic
Arsenal lineup: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Gabriel, Monreal, Coquelin, Santi, Chamberlain, Ramsey, Sanchez, Walcott
Newcastle bench: Cisse, De Jong, Obertan, Perez, Tiote, Darlow, Taylor
Arsenal bench: Ospina, Debuchy, Gibbs, Chambers, Arteta, Campbell, Giroud
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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