Out-of-form Newcastle United will face an Arsenal side who are twitching over their title chances
Eddie Howe and Mikel Arteta
Eddie Howe and Mikel Arteta(Image: Getty Images)
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The fragile are entering the furnace. Two relatively young, bright managers suddenly vulnerable are seeking redemption but only one can cross to the sunny side of the street this weekend.
Mikel Arteta, forever the bridesmaid, is under intense pressure after squandering a lead as he attempts to take the final gigantic step to glory while Eddie Howe, touted as the finest of English coaches, looks to save a reputation in tatters.
Two romances which have hit the rocks. Divorce is not inevitably on the horizon but a visit to a marriage councillor is recommended.
Arsenal vs Newcastle United. Welcome to heaven and hell. Welcome to the reality of football. The greater prize remains dangling before the Gunners of course - their first PL title in many moons - but for Geordies there is plenty of despairing drama at their end of their switchback ride.
Who is twitching like a fried egg? Both unquestionably for vastly different reasons. Howe is on the verge of the chop, or at least a huge verdict of 'guilty' in the court of public opinion which can make life impossible, while Arteta is in grave danger of letting football's greatest domestic prize slip through his fingers like disappearing sand leaving him a perennial runner-up.
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He must beat Newcastle to remain in with a shout of the title and if he does it will be another nail in Howe's coffin. A ninth defeat in a dozen matches. Oh dear, no one dare lose.
Arsenal's inability to close out a season is really staggering. Where they were striding confidently forward on all four fronts not so long ago they have collapsed out of both domestic cups and in the league lost at home to Bournemouth as well as the killer game at Manchester City. That equates to losing four successive matches against domestic opposition including back-to-back PL games. Are we just the team they need at home to save their season? Certainly - if they are flapping then we are in a state of permanent collapse.
In United's time of glory Arsenal figured high. Last season when United won the Carabao Cup they unbelievably beat Arteta's Gunners THREE times in four meetings including home and away in the League Cup semi-final. That is how far they have fallen in such a short space of time.
No less than nine of the 11 players who started that historic 2-0 victory at the Emirates in the first leg of the league cup semi just over a year ago (January 7, 2025) are still on United's books so there are many in-house who have experienced winning in that particular nook of north London.
Just to remind all (including them) United's line up that night was: Dubravka; Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Willock, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
However in stark contrast everything at the moment seems like a big fat negative. Aaron Ramsdale is no upgrade on Nick Pope despite an England call up; Tino Livramento is now a regular mistake maker while Lewis Hall was hooked at half-time against Bournemouth; Sven Botman is ponderous, well short of pace, and short of punching his weight; Sandro Tonali a shadow; Harvey Barnes living on his goals camouflaging his general play; Dan Burn, an England World Cup player if he cannot get in this team? Anthony Gordon not as good as he thinks he is. Anthony Elanga worse than he thinks he is.
Even Will Osula with two goals in his last two PL outings is far from the answer. He is as raw an an underdone steak but gains brownie points because he at least cares, battles every ball, and runs about with the abandonment of a foal in a meadow. Things like that used to be a given but are now seen at Newcastle as a rare asset!
Hope lies in the imminent return of Captain Bruno, as much for his caring attitude and passion as his undoubted ability. His Brazilian mate Joelinton is still serving his two-match ban for being an obsessive card collector of course so no help there.
Honestly there are more minuses than plusses all over the park. Time is running out to save shattered reputations not just with Howe but most players as well.
United Cup hero honoured
If we need to lighten the mood round NUFC let me give you this: the Football Association are to honour one of Newcastle's FA Cup heroes as this year's competition builds towards its finale.
On the centenary of his birth a fitting tribute is to be paid to George Robledo who scored the winning goal when United beat Arsenal in the 1952 Cup final at Wembley as well as playing in our victorious team the previous year.
FA chair Debbie Hewitt is to present a commemorative certificate listing Robledo's many achievements in the English game to his daughter and only child, Elizabeth Robledo, prior to Saturday's semi-final at Wembley between Manchester City and Southampton.
Elizabeth who has flown over from Chile will then together with George's biographer Spencer Vignes embark of a three-week tour of England taking in some of the places that were important to her father including Newcastle (April 28 to May 5) and Barnsley, the home of another of his clubs, prior to attending the FA Cup final on Saturday May 16 as a special guest of the FA.
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