NOT an awful lot can be gauged from Arsenal’s routine dismissal of Chelsea on Tuesday evening, the latter a faint facsimile of who they should be.
Mikel Arteta’s psychologically wounded side merely had to go through the gears, recalling their well-established patterns of play, and put in a decent amount of effort in order to rack up a three-goal advantage by the break, effectively ending the contest. The only surprise was their killer instinct didn’t kick in thereafter, a merciless streak that has seen them score fours and fives when dominant on seven occasions this term.
Instead, they allowed a woeful, ill-organized mess of a side convert what proved to be a consolation but though Madueke’s goal felt inconsequential it actually was quite pertinent. Because since losing Wiliam Saliba to injury, Arsenal have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven league games.
It’s a neat fit, too neat to ignore, that the French defender succumbed to a back problem following Arsenal’s 3-0 besting of Fulham and subsequently they have conceded an average of two goals per 90. With his centre-back partner Gabriel limping off against Chelsea – fitness status currently unknown – there are therefore serious doubts that the title contenders can head to the North-East on Sunday and withstand the attacking blitzkrieg they will likely face from a Newcastle creation who are very much back in the ascendancy.
But we’ll come to the Magpies and the comprehensive manner in which they have revived themselves after a bad, bad day at the office at Villa Park.
First, it would be entirely remiss not to offer fulsome praise and admiration to Arsenal for responding well to their seismic loss at the Etihad, by comfortably beating their London rivals and doing so by quickly rediscovering their groove.
It was a much-needed righting of recent wrongs propelled by Martin Odegaard, a player who explains Arsenal’s fantastic campaign more than anyone because when he performs so does his team, and for much of this season the Norwegian has been exceptional.
On Tuesday night he was at it again, putting in a first-half masterclass by orchestrating from deep, then cleverly linking with the front three, before drifting into the box. Across 2022/23, in the league alone, Odegaard has contributed 22 direct goal involvements, elsewhere being an integral component of Arteta’s masterplan.
Another who impressed was Leandro Trossard and it will be interesting to see if Arteta goes with the Belgian or reverts to Martinelli, who was rested midweek. Certainly, Trussard has been a good luck charm with all seven of his league starts resulting in wins, six of them emphatic.
Beyond individuals, the importance of this fixture cannot be downplayed, for all that Arsenal supporters have seemingly thrown in the title towel.
With City now holding the advantage, a draw won’t suffice while anything but a big statement performance won’t be enough against a side that have only lost at home to Liverpool and Manchester City since October 2021.
Righted they may be but are the Gunners capable of doing that at this moment in time?
And as already alluded to, it’s a display that will need to have solid foundations at the back because with a top four spot pretty much secured Newcastle are revelling in running riot at present, atoning for their outlying defeat at Villa by banging in 13 in their three outings since.
It’s a prolificacy made possible by Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, both being in pristine form and essentially taking it in turns to grab the headlines. The brilliant Swede has fired seven in his last seven starts and boasts a better goals-to-shots ratio to anyone else in the top-flight. Wilson has scored every 38 minutes going back to the beginning of April and has a goals-per-90 record bettered only by you-know-who. No player has scored more off the bench this term.
If all this impresses, what really demands attention is how productive Newcastle are when both players are on the pitch. In recent weeks Eddie Howe has tried to find a solution to the greatest problem a manager can have by deploying both of his outstanding forwards and in those 134 minutes the Magpies have scored seven times. That equates to a goal every 19 minutes.
Still, despite consecutive braces for Wilson, it will most probably be Isak getting the nod this time out and he will link to good effect again with the criminally under-rated Jacob Murphy and Joelinton, the Brazilian completing 16 successful dribbles per 90. Only the ever-meandering – but injured – Saint-Maximin can top that.
In summary, the hosts should be fancied to prevail here, with Arsenal’s title hopes suffering a fatal blow as a consequence, but don’t place too much faith in early goals. Between them, Newcastle and the Gunners have conceded two fewer than Tottenham in the first half of games this season.
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