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Mikel Arteta has named his team for today’s clash between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal know that a point against Newcastle United will be enough to secure Champions League qualification this afternoon. However, a defeat would see their grip on second place slip with the Magpies set to leapfrog them in the Premier League table should they do something that they have only achieved once in Premier League history - win a game at the Emirates Stadium.
For Arsenal, today’s match marks their last appearance at home this season before they end their campaign against Southampton at St Mary’s next Sunday. The Gunners tasted defeat the last time they played at home, but came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Liverpool last weekend.
Arsenal team news v Newcastle United
Arteta has made just one change to the side that started at Anfield last weekend, with Mikel Merino dropping out of the squad as he serves a one-game ban. The former Magpie has been replaced by Declan Rice in the starting XI, with Rice returning to the squad after missing out entirely last week through injury.
Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both start after receiving injury scares in midweek with Bukayo Saka making up a front-three that will be flexible without a recognised central striker. Kai Havertz is fit enough to make the bench.
Arsenal team v Newcastle United: David Raya, Benjamin White, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Lenadro Trossard
Substitutes: Neto, Riccardo Calafiori, Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho, Jack Henry-Francis, Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz
Newcastle United team news v Arsenal
Eddie Howe, meanwhile, has been handed a huge blow with Alexander Isak to miss this afternoon’s game. Isak scored at the Emirates Stadium in January during Newcastle’s 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win and also netted their only goal in the reverse fixture back in November, one the Magpies triumphed 1-0 in.
Callum Wilson comes into the team in Isak’s place as Howe again names a back-five. Sven Botman has been declared fit enough to start with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn either side of him in the heart of the defence.
Newcastle United team v Arsenal: Nick Pope, Jacob Murphy, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Sandro Tonali,Bruno Guimaraes, Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, Callum Wilson
Substitutes: Martin Dubravka, John Ruddy, Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles, Sean Longstaff, Lewis Miley, Joe Willock, Will Osula, Sean Neave.
Mikel Arteta’s praise for Newcastle United
Speaking to the media ahead of today’s game, Arteta said: “We need two (big performances) and we are going to start with that one (Newcastle). We need a big one and we need to be very clinical because we know the qualities of Newcastle, we know the results we’ve had lately against them and how thin the margins are with them, and the fact with how clinical we have to be in front of them to score the goals.
“You have to be always as good as you possibly can. Obviously, the dream of winning the Premier League this season has gone. So, as we said, we have to be the best of the rest and feel that pain to be better.”
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