The Sky Sports pundit feels the Gunners’ Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham in midweek was a ‘blessing in disguise’ and will help Mikel Arteta’s side ‘focus’ on their Premier League campaign.
However, despite our injuries and Arsenal’s determination to get back on track, Merson sees us as a ‘good team’ who ‘rarely lose’ at home. Since Howe came in, only two teams (Liverpool and Arsenal) have beaten us on home turf in the Premier League.
We come into this game on a high following that 3-0 win over Man Utd, where we rotated heavily at Old Trafford but still performed brilliantly. The likes of Pope, Trippier, Lascelles, Schar, Burn, Bruno and Wilson were all rested, giving several key players a welcome break in the midst of our hectic schedule
Here’s what Merson told Sportskeeda in his weekly prediction piece:
“It could turn out to be a blessing for Arsenal that they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup as it allows them to put more focus on their Premier League title challenge.
“I look at this game and think if Arsenal win, the race for the league title becomes a heads or tails clash between the Gunners and Manchester City, as an away victory at St. James’ Park would be a huge statement.
“Newcastle have injuries but they are a good team at home and rarely lose games in front of their own fans. The West Ham result won’t hurt Arsenal in the long-term but could prove to be a bit of a knockout punch, so I’m going for a 1-1 draw here.
“Kai Havertz started in midfield alongside Jorginho and Fabio Vieira against West Ham and I felt a bit sorry for him, as that’s not his position and he doesn’t really have a fixed role in the team. 1-1”
Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Arsenal.
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