Newcastle vs Arsenal predictions: Gunners too strong for toothless Magpies

Arsenal make the long trip up to the North East to take on Newcastle in the early kick-off on Saturday after both sides were in EFL Cup action in midweek (12:30pm, TNT Sports and Discovery+).

The Gunners ran out 3-0 winners over Championship side Preston North End to set up a quarter-final clash with Crystal Palace, while Newcastle will host Brentford after they beat Chelsea 2-0 at St James’ Park.

Newcastle go into Saturday’s game 12th in the Premier League table with three wins, three draws and three defeats from their opening nine games but they are without a win in their last five.

Their last victory came against Wolves on 15 September and since then they have lost against Fulham, Brighton and Chelsea and drawn with Manchester City and Everton.

It’s hard to predict what type of performance you will get from Eddie Howe’s side who were exceptional against City but then couldn’t break down an Everton side who had conceded 15 from their previous six games - in fact, the goalless draw at Goodison Park is the Toffees’ only clean sheet so far this season.

Despite their issues, betting sites have priced Newcastle up at 11/4 to record a win over the Gunners. Arsenal are favourites at 19/20, but there’s also a price of 11/4 on a draw.

Considering there have been 37 between the two sides and both teams have played out three already this season that might not be a bad shout, bearing in mind Newcastle’s result against City.

The lack of goals has been a real problem for Howe’s side, they have managed just nine so far which is the fourth-lowest in the league and have produced 36 shots on target, lower than Wolves, Crystal Palace and West Ham who sit below them in the table.

Harvey Barnes currently leads their scoring chart with three league goals, while both Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak have two apiece. The Magpies will need to be clinical if they are to get anything against Arsenal, emulating their victory over Chelsea in the EFL Cup in midweek, where Isak found the net in a 2-0 victory to send them through to the last eight.

At the other end of the pitch, Howe’s men have conceded only 10 goals and have kept two clean sheets, the same number Arsenal - the big difference though is that the Gunners have been more prolific, notching 17 strikes. It’s a clear difference why Mikel Arteta’s side are six points better off and nine spots higher in the Premier League table.

After the disappointment of twice seeing Liverpool come back to take a point at The Emirates, the Gunners will be desperate to get back to winning ways after picking up just one point from their last two matches.

Before the draw with Liverpool, they were beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth, following William Saliba’s red card in the first half. They are already five points behind the league leaders Manchester City and know they can’t afford to allow that gap to increase any further.

Arsenal seem to enjoy playing at St James’ Park with four wins from their last six visits, although the home side did come out on top in their last meeting up in the North East with Gordon scoring the only goal of the game in controversial circumstances.

Own goals seem to be a feature in this fixture as well with three in the last five games. Newcastle’s Sven Botman and Fabian Schar both put through their own net recently to help the Gunners to victory, while Ben White scored an own goal in a win for the Magpies in April 2022.

It’s a market to watch on betting apps, with a price of 11/2 available for another one being scored this weekend.

Arteta’s side do have injury issues, notably at the back with Gabriel, who limped off against Liverpool, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White all doubts for the weekend, but Saliba is back after suspension.

Despite these problems we still think the Gunners will have enough to keep the Newcastle attackers quiet, notably Isak and Gordon who have been off the boil in the Premier League this term.

At the other end, Newcastle were exposed by the pace of Chelsea’s attack in their Premier League defeat last week. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and company will be relishing the prospect of running at the Magpies’ defence.

Saka could be one to watch on the right flank facing Lewis Hall and Dan Burn, who have been suspect at the back.

Bet365 are one of the big football betting sites on the market, and to that end have a bet builder boost for this match, offering odds of 15/2 for over two goals in the match, an Arsenal win and for Saka to register two or more shots on target.

Newcastle vs Arsenal prediction: Over two goals, Arsenal win and Saka over 1.5 shots on target - 15/2 Bet365

New customers can sign up for new betting sites to claim free bet offers and more for betting on Newcastle vs Arsenal and other Premier League matches.

LiveScore Bet are a standout operator for new customers to consider with its impressive sportsbook and promotions.

Using the LiveScore Bet sign up offer, users can claim £30 in free bets for signing up, depositing £10 and betting £10 on any sports market with odds of 1/2 or greater.

Once your qualifying wager has settled, you’ll receive £30 in free bets to use across the sportsbook. There are also a wide range of promotions available for existing customers too.

You should always practice responsible gambling. ‘When the fun stops. Stop’ is more than just a slogan because betting should only be considered a form of entertainment – it has not, and will never be, a surefire way to make money.

Even if you know a lot about sport, always assume that you’re going to lose your bet. Only bet what you can afford to lose. Sports betting can also be addictive, so please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget.

The same applies if you’re playing on slot sites, roulette sites, poker sites, bingo sites or any other sort of gambling site.

Make sure you use the responsible gambling tools offered by gambling sites such as deposit limits, reality checks, loss limits, time outs and self-exclusion. These can stop your gambling from getting out of hand.

If you have gambling-related concerns, then seek independent help. There are several UK charities and institutions that offer support, advice, and information, with a few listed below:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.