Newcastle United have an absolutely huge game against Arsenal on Sunday.
Indeed, Newcastle United are on the cusp of Champions League qualification, but the job is not yet complete.
The battle for the top five in the Premier League is bound to rage until the end of the season and Eddie Howe’s side are effectively just one win from confirming their place in it.
However, they have two tough games remaining. They may have beaten the Gunners three times already this season, but Mikel Arteta’s side are second in the Premier League table for a reason.
It will be a difficult game for the Newcastle United manager, who is set to miss a number of key players for the trip to north London. Still, a victory would see them overtake Arsenal into second. It’s a daunting challenge of course but the rewards are significant.
The sheer size of the game is not lost on Arsenal legend David Seaman.
Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images
Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images
David Seaman makes “massive” Arsenal vs Newcastle United prediction
The former Gunners and England goalkeeper was asked for his prediction for the game when speaking on his ‘Seaman Says’ podcast.
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He admitted it was a “massive” game for Arsenal. While he didn’t agree with the suggestion that Arteta’s side dropping below second place was a “failure”, he did talk about the importance of the north London clash.
“This is massive by the way,” he said.
“This is a big, big game for Arsenal and for Newcastle, because I think there’s two points difference.”
When asked about a potential failure if Newcastle finished above Arsenal, Seaman added: “Not failure. It’s still been a good season because of being in contention and how far we got in the Champions League.
“The reaction from the Liverpool game was brilliant I thought. It’s about getting Champions League but, ideally, we want to finish second.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, he tipped an Arsenal player to score first in the form of Gabriel Martinelli.
Newcastle United can ensure they embarrass Arsenal after Alexander Isak plan
Arsenal were hoping to sign Alexander Isak if Newcastle missed out on the Champions League, which now does not look likely to happen.
Three points at the Emirates Stadium would all but ensure Howe’s side seal qualification, meaning Arsenal surely won’t even have an outside chance of landing the superstar Swede this summer.
That would feel particularly sweet. There has been so much talk about Isak moving to Arsenal of late but it has never truly felt feasible. Newcastle value Isak at over £150million, and he still has three years to run on his contract.
Putting the story to bed in emphatic fashion would be a fantastic end to a historic season.