ARSENAL are looking to get their Premier League campaign back on track as they welcome Newcastle to the Emirates TODAY.
Mikel Arteta's side were beaten 4-0 at Liverpool last time out, ending their unbeaten 10-game unbeaten run.
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Newcastle meanwhile are targeting a first victory with new boss Eddie Howe and are currently rooted to the bottom of the table.
And today signals the return of rainbow laces in the Premier League, with the initiative aiming to increase awareness of and embrace all things LGBT.
When is Arsenal vs Newcastle?
- This Premier League clash is the early offering on Saturday, November 27 – TODAY.
- Kick-off is at 12.30pm GMT.
- When the sides met here last season, goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka saw the Gunners win 3-0.
Which TV channel and live stream can I watch it on?
You can catch this game live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate.
Coverage will start at 11.30am.
BT Sport and BT Broadband customers can stream all the action on the official app, available on your mobile, tablet, PC or games console.
How can I watch free?
If you have a phone contract with EE, you can get three-months worth of BT Sport for FREE.
Simply text SPORT to 150 – you can cancel at any time.
The trial will allow you to download BT Sport mobile, which supports casting to your TV.
Match odds
- Arsenal to win – 40/85
- Draw – 15/4
- Newcastle victory – 11/2
*All odds from Betfair and correct at time of publication.
Stay up to date with all the action from the Emirates in our live blog…
- Kostas Lianos
NEWCASTLE STATS
Newcastle are bottom of the table in the Premier League and are facing a relegation battle despite the recent Saudi-led £305million takeover.
The Toon became the richest club in the world overnight but are in no way clear of the danger of dropping to the Championship.
The Magpies are the only team in the top tier that’s winless with six losses out of all their 12 league matches.
Eddie Howe’s men are only three points away from safety but are still facing a tall order when they face Arsenal at the Emirates.
Newcastle have scored 15 goals in the top flight, which is more than anyone else in the relegation zone, but conceded 27, which is the joint worst tally of the league
GETTY IMAGES - Kostas Lianos
ARSENAL STATS
Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League table with three points separating them from West Ham and fourth place.
The Gunners have won six of their 12 games in the top flight this season and have lost four times in the process.
Liverpool ended a 10-game undefeated run for the north Londoners across all competitions when they beat them 4-0 at Anfield last week.
But Mikel Arteta’s men should be feeling confident as they have never lost a Premier League home game against the side starting the day bottom of the table.
Arsenal have emerged victorious from 15 out of 21 games and won their last eight matches by an aggregate score of 23-2 against such sides
GETTY IMAGES - Kostas Lianos
HEAD-TO HEAD
Arsenal and Newcastle’s first ever encounter took place way back in 1957 during a First Division match that saw the Magpies winning 3-2 in north London.
Since then, the two sides have faced off a total of 105 times with the Gunners winning a majority of 58 times, compared to the Toon’s 25 victories.
The north Londoners have won 16 of their last 17 Premier League games against Newcastle, with the exception being a 2-1 away loss in 2018.
Since a 1-0 victory in 2010, the Magpies have lost each of their last nine away league games against Arsenal, failing to score in each of the last five
- Kostas Lianos
TEAM NEWS UPDATE
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has a near full-strength squad to pick from after last week’s 4-0 thrashing to Liverpool at Anfield.
Arteta will be missing Granit Xhaka due to a knee ligament injury, but the midfielder could return before the end of the year after making good progress in his recovery.
Sead Kolasinac is also still sidelined because of an ankle problem the defender picked up while on international duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this month.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is set to make his debut in the Magpies’ dugout for the first time since replacing former boss Steve Bruce.
Howe has been self-isolating after returning a positive COVID-19 test last week but recently tested negative.
But the 43-year-old head coach will have to make a late call on Dwight Gayle’s fitness as the striker is dealing with a hamstring problem.
Therefore, Gayle could join Paul Dummett in the sidelines as the defender is still recovering from a calf injury.
Howe will also have to decide whether to restore Martin Dubravka between the sticks following his return from a foot problem or continue using Karl Darlow.
The Toon are still looking for their first Premier League win of the season as they are the only winless team in the top flight
GETTY IMAGES - Alex Terrell
ARTETA ON PEPE
Nicolas Pepe's prospects are unlikely to change any time soon after finding himself behind fans' favourites Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in the Emirates pecking order, writes MARK IRWIN.
The Spaniard said: "It's not yet the moment to talk about that.
"What we are interested in is for Nico to perform at the level he can.
"He has had some really good performances for us since I have been here and other moments when he hasn't participated that much. That's a part of football which you have at every team. You only have 11 players on the pitch and when you have a 24-man squad there are 13 that don't play.
"Nico has very specific qualities and when he can put them in place they're magnificent.
"But we have talked about consistency and he needs to do what he is doing and even raise his level. That is what we want to make the team better.
"He is training well but sometimes the coach makes a decision based on other qualities that are necessary in the game plan for the day and has to choose between two or three players."
- Alex Terrell
RAINBOW ROAD
It's time for the rainbow laces in the Premier League this weekend.
And it's all to raise awareness for LGBT and inclusion within football.
Credit: Getty - Alex Terrell
IT'S GAME TIME
Hello, good morning and welcome to SunSport's live coverage of Arsenal vs Newcastle in the Premier League.
The Gunners are looking to get back to winning ways after a 10-match unbeaten run ended abruptly at Anfield last weekend.
As for Newcastle, it has been touch and go as to whether Eddie Howe would be on the touchline after being appointed Toon boss.
The former Bournemouth man has been self isolating for 10 days in a hotel on Tyneside and has been allowed to leave as of midnight on Saturday.
But SunSport understands he WILL head south to North London for this clash, with the Magpies winless in 12 Premier League games this season.
All of their six points so far have come courtesy of half a dozen draws.
Howe has one heck of a job on his hands if he is to turn around the sitaution at Newcastle, and after his Covid scare, he will be hoping his side catch the winning bug.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are looking to continue their steady climb up the table, which was arrested by the defeat at Anfield.
And they will not have many better chances than today, against a side rooted to the bottom of the table.
Granit Xhaka is still injured after damaging knee ligaments in the win over Tottenham and Saed Kolasinac is still unavailable.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is looking for some end product out of frustrating winger Nicolas Pepe.
He said: "We will see in the next few seasons if he is capable of achieving what we expect from him. But that is a difficult answer, not only with him but with any player.
"The value-for-money question is very particular. Is it just for individual performance or do you put their collective performance too? Because to pay money for a player – and you are in the Champions League – is value for money."
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