ยท 16 May 2025, 10:30
**Arsenal and Newcastle United meet for the fourth time this season on Sunday at the Emirates in a 4:30pm kick-off live on Sky Sports.**
Newcastle are looking to make it four wins in four games over Mikel Arteta's side this season, having already beaten them twice at St James' Park and once in their own backyard.
Eddie Howe and Newcastle live rent-free in Mikel Arteta's head, and the pressure is on the Gunners going into this game as a defeat will see them drop out of the top two for the first time in months.
It's the wrong time of the season to be giving up your runner-up spot, and that pressure could get to the Arsenal team, along with the injuries and suspensions Arteta has to deal with.
Chris Sutton has hailed Sunday's game as a grudge match
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Newcastle will still want to win, obviously, but momentum is in their favour. However, Chris Sutton can't separate the sides in his prediction for the [BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c74qlyll721o).
> "This is a big game with second place up for grabs, and it is a bit of a grudge match too."Newcastle have beaten Arsenal three times already this season, and their meetings have been quite spiky since the Magpies grabbed a controversial win over Mikel Arteta's side in 2023."Arsenal will be absolutely desperate to put one over them this time, but I can see this turning into a real battle, and I would not be surprised if it ends up in a draw."That is a better result for the Gunners, because a point would all but guarantee them a Champions League place - their goal difference is much better than the other teams in that race - even if their fans will want more.
>
> "**Sutton's prediction**: 1-1"
It just feels nice getting one over on Arsenal these days
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A win for either side would guarantee them a place in the Champions League (unless Aston Villa went on a 20-goal winning streak over the next two games and Newcastle lost one of their remaining games).
Second place would be a monumental achievement for Newcastle this season, but if truth be told, qualifying for the Champions League, even if we finished fifth, would still put this down as Newcastle's most successful season in decades.
However, beating Arsenal would just sweeten everything, wouldn't it? Beating them to second place. That's just extra special gravy.