Last Game Of The Season As Arsenal Face Newcastle United

Last Game Of The Season As Arsenal Face Newcastle United

Arsenal travel to the north-east of England to face Newcastle United in the final round of fixtures in the Barclays Premier League. The Londoners have quite an incentive to perform, and the league standings make their goal simple. A win is all they need to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Anything less than a win gives their rivals Spurs a chance.

Of the two sides, Arsenal have more recuperating to do since they played their 37th fixture on Tuesday against Wigan Athletic, while Newcastle have had two more days of rest. However, the home side have had a bigger share of injuries between the two. The Magpies have up to 9 players injured, including star goalkeeper Tim Krul, former Arsenal target Cheik Tiote, and summer signings Moussa Sissoko and Massadio Haidara.


Given the injuries, Alan Pardew has been forced to play the infamous 4-5-1 formation with Papiss Demba Cisse as the lone striker. Pardew will be depending on the quality of French winger Hatem Ben Arfa to provide Cisse with adequate support in attack. Club skipper Fabricio Collocini will have a big role to play, as the Argentine’s calm and composed approach to the game makes him a natural leader.

Arsenal, on the other hand, will be sweating on the fitness of midfielder Mikel Arteta, who faces a late fitness test. Another player in the same department is Jack Wilshere, who has been kept safe on the bench for the past few matches, with Arsene Wenger not risking the England international in the intense games. Wilshere, as reported this past week, will undergo minor surgery which will allow the footballer to play the entire next season, building up to the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Wenger would be encouraged by the fact that sides like Liverpool and Sunderland have humiliated Pardew’s side at St. James Park 0-6 and 0-3 respectively this season. Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski will storm the Newcastle defense, and attempt to test the resolve of one of the worst defenses this season. Santi Cazorla’s creativity will be vital in midfield, and should provide Walcott with the appropriate service.

The Verdict? Given the fact that Newcastle have been under immense pressure, and that for Arsenal it is a must win match, we predict a close 1-2 victory for the Gunners.