Arsenal vs. Newcastle match thread: score, win

Arsenal host Newcastle at the Emirates today. The Gunners are looking to rebound from a 4-0 humbling at Anfield last weekend. Newcastle will have new manager Eddie Howe on the sidelines for the first time (he missed their 3-3 against Brentford with a positive COVID test). Quite simply, this is a must-win for Arsenal.

Newcastle are 20th in the Premier League. They have yet to win a match. They’ve conceded 27 goals, tied for the most in the division. Neither Newcastle’s change in ownership last month nor the change in manager a few weeks ago changes much. Any result other than three points for the Gunners would be a massive disappointment.

The Gunners will be celebrating the Rainbow Laces campaign today as part of the club’s Arsenal for Everyone campaign. The Gay Gooners, Arsenal’s official LGBTQ+ supporters group, were the first such organization in the Premier League and remain the largest in England. Speaking to Sky Sports, Gay Gooners co-chair Carl Feam said one of the biggest things that make LGTBQ+ supporters feel unwelcome at matches (a recent survey found 2 in 5 feel that way) are homophobic chants that some supporters think are just “banter” but are hurtful to those in the gay community. According to Feam, Arsenal have been hard at work to make the Emirates a more welcoming place, and hopefully awareness days like today can help make football are more friendly, welcoming, and safe place for everybody.

Today’s match will see Joe Willock return to the Emirates for the first time since being sold to the Magpies over the summer to help fund Arsenal’s summer spending spree. The Hale End product ended last season scoring in bunches on-loan with the Magpies, helping to keep them up. That scoring has dried up. Hopefully he continues that form for another match.

And speaking of scoring, it would be nice if Arsenal did a bit for a change. The Gunners have tallied just 13 goals in 12 matches, a paltry return. Arsenal have scored more than a single goal just four times this season, and they’ve been held scoreless four times as well. That’s not good enough for a club aspiring for a European finish. Mikel Arteta needs to turn the attack around quickly or risk another lost season.

Both clubs are relatively healthy. Arsenal are without Granit Xhaka and Sead Kolasinac, but the former looks to be recovering from his knee injury ahead of schedule, is back training, and should make his return sometime next month. Newcastle will be missing defender Paul Dummett and attacker Dwight Gayle.

Lineups:

Arsenal - Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares, Partey, Sambi, Smith Rowe, Ødegaard, Saka, Aubameyang

Newcastle - Dubravka, Fraser, Krafth, Lascelles, Schar, Ritchie, Shelvey, Willock, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Wilson

WHAT: Arsenal vs Newcastle
WHERE: The Emirates
WHEN: 7:30am est/4:30am pst/12:30pm bst
HOW TO WATCH: Watch live on NBC Sports. Streaming on NBCsports.com

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