Newcastle strong at the back yet toothless in attack. A chance for Arsenal?

In partnership with

Just Arsenal News

·28 de setembro de 2025

Newcastle strong at the back yet toothless in attack. A chance for Arsenal?

Following the heroics of Gabriel Martinelli last weekend, the Gunners are back in Premier League action with a tricky trip to Newcastle this evening. Arsenal will make the journey north to face a side that has caused them plenty of problems in recent years, especially at St James’ Park. The men in red and white are currently on a three-game losing streak in all competitions away to the Magpies, failing to score a single goal in each of those three games. Matches between this pair have been physical in recent seasons and a similarly heated encounter is expected when they do battle later today.

Newcastle’s defensive strength

In addition to their poor run of form at St James’ Park, Arsenal’s pursuit of victory will be complicated by a rock-solid Newcastle defence. The Magpies currently boast one of the best defensive records in the league. They have only conceded three goals in the Premier League this campaign, two of which came while they were a man down against Liverpool, and they had kept a league-high four clean sheets before the start of game-week six. They rank third with just 0.6 goals conceded per game, while an expected goals conceded figure of 2.5 is the best in the competition so far. Moving away from the statistics, the bottom line is they are very good at defending. Despite being the home side, Eddie Howe will be content to surrender possession, knowing that if they stay solid against this Arsenal side, they may nick a win. The foundations of their recent wins over the Gunners have been built on this principle, and it says a lot about Arsenal’s attacking play.

Vídeos OneFootball

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Arsenal must be bold in attack

Their defence has been in top form throughout this campaign, but the same cannot be said for their attack. There is a vast contrast between their defence and attack, as their impressive defensive displays have been cancelled out by lacklustre performances at the other end of the pitch. It is the main reason why they head into the tie in 14th place. Only one of their three goals has come from open play, a damning reflection of their toothless attack. With this in mind, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal will have to approach the tie with attacking intent. A game of attrition will not cut it against a side like Newcastle, especially with the home support cheering them on. The Spaniard will have to show more bravery and give the players the freedom to attack and unlock a rock-solid Newcastle defence.

To do this, Mikel Arteta must abstain from a midfield three that has been popular with him in recent weeks. The inclusion of Eberechi Eze, in the absence of Ødegaard, in the middle of the park could increase Arsenal’s chances of scoring and in turn, winning the game.

Whether Mikel Arteta will take the handbrake off remains to be seen, but what do you think, Gooners?

Benjamin Kenneth

__________________________________________________________________________________________ ADMIN COMMENT

So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….

You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.

CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…