Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
It was a dream finish to 2024 with 5 straight win and an emptying of Outdated Trafford, adopted by an equally excellent begin to 2025 as we beat Spurs in their very own yard on Saturday.
We’re flying. Six wins on the spin, as much as fifth, a degree from Chelsea in fourth, though the final word ambition stays to win a trophy, with a two-legged tie with Arsenal all that stands between us and one other journey to Wembley.
It’ll be a troublesome check, however the Gunners have misplaced their captain – Bukayo Saka – and gone a bit of flat. We’ll be lacking two large weapons for this one in suspended duo Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar, however this could possibly be an excellent time to face an Arsenal aspect struggling for objectives, struggling with accidents and managing a illness bug that has disruped their final two league video games.
Howe on Arsenal check – “We’ve received to be actually good off the ball and strong defensively. We’ve received to trigger Arsenal issues the opposite means. I don’t assume we should always overthink it, we simply must get that blend proper. Let’s try to proceed the nice performances we’ve given lately and try to win the sport.”
Howe on workforce choice – “You ask any participant, and I’ll ask each participant how they’re bodily, and they’ll all say they need to play. It’s a huge recreation for us, we’re underneath no illusions, a part of our power lately has been the consistency in our workforce choice so let’s see what we’ll do.”
Howe on Botman – “”He feels good, naturally a bit of little bit of fatigue on the finish. He has skilled for a protracted, very long time for this second. It’s not like he has been rushed again. Straight into motion, he did very nicely, very happy with him, he dealt with the depth nicely. We’ll have to talk with the participant and the medical workforce who will give me a few of the solutions to what we do with him subsequent.”
Bruno Guimaraes and Fabian Schar are suspended, Sven Botman might be assessed after taking part in his first league recreation since March at Spurs and Anthony Gordon (nostril) is OK.
Nick Pope (knee) is edging nearer, however Callum Wilson (hamstring), Jamaal Lascelles (ACL) stay out together with Emil Krafth (collar bone).
For Arsenal, they’ll be with out three wingers in Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri, whereas Ben White stays out. It stays to be seen if Kai Havertz will return from sickness after a bug within the camp.
(4-3-3): Dubravka – Trippier, Botman, Burn, Corridor – Longstaff, Tonali, Joelinton – Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Plugging the large gaps Bruno and Schar will go away is the important thing job for Howe heading into this one, though the Gunners have their star attacker lacking in Saka to steadiness issues out barely.
Livramento was excellent on Saturday and doesn’t need to drop out of the aspect, however with our midfield maestro and ball-playing centre-back each absent, I feel Trippier’s calmness, high quality in possession and expertise could possibly be key down our proper.
Forward of him, it seems like Longstaff will change Bruno as our right-sided No.8. Tonali has made that No.6 function his personal and Longstaff’s potential to plug gaps and defend in video games we’ve much less of the ball is well-known to Howe.
Willock is an choice, as is Miley, however the former tends to minimize the left an the latter appears unlikely to be thrown right into a recreation of this magnitude after easing his means again from two lengthy accidents and no pre-season.
Dubravka is totally anticipated to begin, but it may nicely be his final look for the membership, with reviews in Saudi Arabia suggesting he’s set to affix Al-Shabab as quickly as Pope returns from a knee difficulty.
Historical past suggests we hardly ever win with out Bruno, however current historical past additionally tells us we’ve received six straight video games, together with two away victories at Spurs and Man Utd. Due to that, we come into this stuffed with confidence and determined to present ourselves each probability of creating the ultimate when the 2 sides meet at St James’ Park subsequent month.
Arsenal are so sturdy defensively and received’t give us a lot, however we’ve the very best striker within the Premier League, an on-song Anthony Gordon and a defence that has conceded simply two objectives in our final six video games. The check might be how our midfield copes with out Bruno, together with Botman’s potential to begin twice in 4 days after so lengthy out.
A slim defeat wouldn’t be a catastrophe, I’ve simply received a sense we’d simply frustrate the Gunners and return to Tyneside with a draw.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Newcastle
Howay the lads!
