Arsenal extended its winning streak in all competitions to five games with a 2-0 victory Tuesday over Monaco in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash. They will look to stretch their unbeaten run to six games against a Newcastle side that is fresh off an embarrassing three-goal defeat to Everton over the weekend.
Who will emerge victorious in this Premier League matchup? Read on for a complete breakdown of this game and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the blockbuster showdown between rivals Liverpool and Manchester United here.
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Newcastle United vs. Arsenal Betting Preview
Where: St. James’ Park, Newcastle
When: Saturday, March 21, 11:00 AM ET
Line: Arsenal (-200) at Newcastle (+425), tie +295; total: 2.5 – view all EPL lines
What’s At Stake
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Arsenal can leapfrog Manchester City into second place with a victory over Newcastle this coming Saturday. Newcastle, on the other hand, needs at least a draw to remain in 11th place in the league table. A defeat against Arsenal this coming weekend, though, may see the Magpies fall down to 13th place in the team standings.
Betting on Newcastle United
Newcastle’s losing woes continued on Sunday as they suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park. It was the Magpies’ second consecutive loss and their third defeat in the last four games as they slipped down to 11th in the league table with 35 points.
Once again, it was Newcastle’s problematic defense that doomed the struggling Magpies. Newcastle were clearly second-best to a rampant Everton side as goalkeeper Tim Krul found it difficult to thwart the Toffees’ relentless attack.
Krul was responsible for the opener, diving away from McCarthy’s shot towards the center of the goal. That opened the floodgates for Everton who grabbed their first Premier League win at home in three months. The Magpies have been atrocious on the defensive end in their last four league games, allowing a total of nine goals in those matches.
It won’t get any easier for them as standing in their way in the next game are the red-hot Gunners. To make matters worse for Newcastle, captain Fabricio Coloccini is suspended for the next three games after receiving a red card in the game against Everton for his tackle against Aaron Lennon.
The Argentine center-back has been the rock of a Newcastle defense that has allowed 18 goals at home this season, 11th in the entire Premier League. With Steven Taylor and Paul Dummett also injured, manager John Carver now has a major dilemma in his hands with regards to his back four.
With their lineup now down to its bare bones, Carver must now patch together a make-shift defense that can handle Arsenal’s offensive firepower. Mike Williamson, the only remaining recognized center-back in the lineup, is expected to start at the middle of the defense alongside right-back Daryl Janmaat who will now be switched to the central defensive area.
Arsenal’s Champions League campaign may already be over after losing via away goals to Monaco on Tuesday but make no mistake about it, the Gunners’ season is definitely far from over. Arsenal are in the semifinals of the FA Cup and they are right in the hunt for a top four finish in the Premier League that will guarantee automatic qualification for Europe next season.
In fact, the Gunners boosted their chances of doing just that, beating West Ham in the league, 3-0, on Saturday. It was Arsenal’s fifth consecutive league win as they moved just a point behind Manchester City for second spot in the team standings with 57 points to their name.
Key to Arsenal’s sudden resurgence has been the superb form of striker Olivier Giroud. The French international opened the scoring against West Ham with a neat finish inside the far post before setting up Aaron Ramsey’s goal in the second half that put the outcome of the game beyond doubt.
Counting his goal against Monaco over midweek, Giroud has now scored an astounding seven goals in his last eight matches. With the form that he is in right now, expect Giroud to once again lead Arsenal’s forward line against Newcastle.
The Gunners are third in the Premier League in scoring this season, netting 56 goals in 29 games. Since losing to Tottenham a month ago, the Gunners have been on a tear, outscoring their last five league opponents, 11-3. They fancy their chances of adding to their goal tally against a Newcastle side that is third-worst in the league in scoring defense this season, allowing a whopping 46 goals thus far.
Arsenal are 5-0 in their last five matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Arsenal (-200) vent their frustrations against Newcastle, recording a 4-0 rout.
