he Magpies will be looking to not only dent Arsenal’s title challenge on Tyneside on the weekend, but all get themselves in the hunt for a top four place. A win for the Magpies would see them move to within just three points of leader’s Arsenal. The Gunners took their first win in four on Boxing Day but this is going to be another big test of their mettle.
The Magpies are in a pretty good stride after posting a comfortable 5-1 win over Stoke at St James Park on Boxing Day. There has been a return of eight goals in their last two games now from the Magpies and both Loic Remy and Yohan Cabaye have two in their last two. The latter has scored in three of his last four and is worth a look in the Anytime Goalscorer market at 4/1. Remy is a lot closer to the top of the market at a price of 2/1 for the Magpies. So with seven wins in their last nine matches now, Alan Pardew’s men are not going to fear this one. In that run the have beaten Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester United, so Arsenal shouldn’t faze them really. The Magpies have been good at home this season, posting five wins, three draws and just the one defeat. They may have been going along quietly for some, but they have scored at a rate of almost two per game at home this term.
Only in one of their last seven home matches in the Premier League have Newcastle failed to put at least two goals on the board. That should present a pretty big challenge to Arsenal. Newcastle are unbeaten in their last six at St James Park now. There is certainly enough in Newcastle’s form at the moment to suggest that they are capable of taking all three points here. It would be a turnaround in form, as they haven’t scored in their last two home games against the Gunners, and haven’t taken a win against Arsenal in the last five attempts. Arsene Wenger’s men snapped a three match winless streak in the top flight with a comeback 3-1 win over West Ham at Upton Park on Boxing Day. The Gunners have been looking a bit tired and leggy through December and really haven’t risen up to the challenge of some tougher matches. The West Ham game had became so important for Arsene Wenger that he only made one chance from the previous 0-0 draw against Chelsea instead of rotating his squad.
Arsenal have been decent on the road this term, winning six, drawing one and losing two. Those two defeats have come in their last four away games though (at Man City and Man United). They may need to get Olivier Giroud firing again, as the Frenchman hasn’t netted since November 23rd in the Premier League, a six match barren streak. Arsenal have averaged two goals per game against over their last four matches, so you can see goals coming in this one and Over 2.5 Goals is trading at 8/11 with Stan James. The Gunners still managed to hold on to top spot after Boxing Day, but the pressure is increasing all of the time. Do they have the legs to sustain themselves? There will be big questions asked of them of them on Sunday. They are unbeaten in their last seven visits to St James Park in all competitions though. Good enough for a point perhaps? Both Teams To Score offers some value at price of 4/6 it is isn’t a bad option at all in a game which really could go either way.
Prediction
There does look to be some straight forward betting options in this one and some may be surprised that Newcastle go as underdogs in this one. The good news in that, is that there is brilliant 5/6 value at Stan James in a Newcastle-Draw Double Chance bet.