Newcastle vs Arsenal predictions: Goals in short supply at St James’ Park
- Under 2.5 goals has landed in four of Newcastle’s last five competitive matches
- Arsenal have scored just five goals in four Premier League away games this season
- Recommended bet: Under 2.5 goals
Arsenal slipped five points adrift of the summit of the Premier League with a draw against Liverpool last weekend, and their difficult run of fixtures continues as they face Newcastle on Saturday.
The Magpies restored some confidence by beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in midweek and will be hoping to take advantage of a Gunners side that have a midweek trip to Milan coming up next week.
Team news
Newcastle remain without the defensive trio of Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, and Kieran Trippier, while Callum Wilson is also sidelined and Anthony Gordon faces a late fitness test after picking up an injury in midweek.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off against Liverpool last weekend and is a doubt for the trip to St James' Park, although William Saliba does return to the heart of defence after serving his suspension.
Martin Odegaard is still ruled out alongside Kieran Tierney and Riccardo Calafiori, while Takehiro Tomiyasu is unlikely to feature as he recovers his fitness following a spell on the sidelines.
The stats
Under 2.5 goals has landed in four of Newcastle’s last five competitive matches.
Arsenal have scored just five goals in four Premier League away games this season.
Under 2.5 goals has landed in six of the last seven meetings between these sides.
Newcastle have only scored four goals in four Premier League home games this term.
Prediction
Newcastle exacted revenge on Chelsea in midweek as they progressed in the Carabao Cup, but their Premier League form remains a concern and they face a tough task when Arsenal visit St James’ Park on Saturday.
The Magpies are without a win in five league games, scoring just three goals in this period, and that could point towards a low-scoring affair in the north east this weekend.
The Gunners, who also enjoyed cup success in midweek, slipped further adrift of the top of the table as they drew with Liverpool last weekend and they find themselves in the midst of a difficult run of fixtures that includes meetings with Liverpool, Newcastle, Inter Milan and Chelsea in the space of a fortnight.
Mikel Arteta’s side have sometimes struggled to make an impact going forward on their travels, scoring just five times in four league away days and seeing under 2.5 goals land in three of them.
Fewer than three goals have been scored in four of the hosts’ last five in all competitions, too, while the same can be said of six of the last seven meetings between these sides, so goals could be at a premium here.
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