“It’s going to be a great atmosphere at St James’ Park” - Alan Shearer predicts outcome of Newcastle vs Arsenal
Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has shared his prediction for their clash against Arsenal. The two sides will face off in the Premier League at St. James' Park on Saturday, November 2.
Newcastle are currently 12th in the league table with three wins, three defeats and three draws. They are without a win in their last five Premier League games, having lost three and drawn two. They lost 2-1 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their last league game.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have two wins, two draws, and one loss in their last five league games. They sit third in the table, five points behind leaders Manchester City and four behind Liverpool. They drew 2-2 against Liverpool at home in their last league match.
Alan Shearer has predicted the Gunners to play out another scoring draw when they visit St. James' Park to face Newcastle on Saturday. He wrote for betting.betfair:
"It's going to be a great atmosphere at St James' Park and the win against Chelsea in the cup will hopefully kick-start Newcastle's season.
"Arsenal have one or two injuries themselves so it's a tough one to call because they won't like coming to St James' Park with the great atmosphere and the defeat there last season. Having said that, they are a great team, so I'll go for a score draw."
Both teams notably won their respective EFL Cup Round of 16 clashes on Wednesday, October 30. While the Gunners beat Preston North End 3-0 away, Newcastle beat Chelsea 2-0 at home.
A look at last season's clashes between Newcastle and Arsenal
The two sides faced off twice in the Premier League last season as always. The first of them came at St. James' Park on November 4, 2023. It was a thrilling affair with both sides creating numerous chances. However, Anthony Gordon's goal in the 64th minute helped Newcastle to a 1-0 win.
The goal was highly controversial as many Arsenal fans believed midfielder Joelington had fouled goalkeeper David Raya in the buildup. However, the goal stood and potentially cost the Gunners as they lost the Premier League title against Manchester City by two points.
The second clash between the two sides at the Emirates was played on February 25, 2024. It was a dominant performance from Arsenal at home as they won 4-1. Sven Botman's own goal (18') opened the scoring before Kai Havertz added another six minutes later. Bukayo Saka (65') and Jakub Kiwior (69') scored a goal each before Joe Willock (84') got a consolation goal for Newcastle.