Latest EPL standings as well as fixtures and results are found below the predictions.
Arsenal go to Newcastle on Sunday in an English Premier League clash between two sides ready for the season to end.
The beaches, or at least the European Championships, are calling for two squads that have endured underwhelming EPL campaigns.
Mikel Arteta’s side are limping along in tenth place in the table, making a mockery of their universally derided, bungled bid to join the botched European Super League a couple of weeks ago.
Back in the real world the Gunners were continuing to grind it out at the Emirates Stadium, drawing with relegation candidates Fulham before losing to out-of-form Everton.
The Londoners have won just once in their last five in the league, while also slipping to a first leg defeat against Spanish club Villareal in the Uefa Europa League semi-finals in midweek.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang appears to have made a successful return to fitness up front and could well be joined at the sharp end by Alexandre Lacazette.
Kieran Tierney remains a doubt and Arteta has some thinking to do over how much to preserve his key players ahead of their second leg in Europe next week.
Newcastle will be starting to consider switching into cruise control for another year, just how owner Mike Ashley likes it, as the clock ticks down on the Premier League season.
The Toon Army have rallied well in recent weeks, scooping up eight points from a possible 12 in four unbeaten games to pull away from relegation strife.
Steve Bruce’s side sit 16th coming into the weekend’s action, nine points clear of Fulham the wrong side of the dotted line and with Brighton nestled in between them.
They struck with the last kick of the match at Anfield last time out, piling on the irritation for outgoing champions Liverpool and whetting the appetite to tackle another fallen giant this weekend.
The spine of the Tynesiders’ side has been shorn of the injured keeper Karl Darlow, Jamaal Lascelles and Isaac Hayden, while on loan Joe Willock won’t be allowed to sneak on and play against his parent club.
Ryan Fraser is crocked, while doubts remain over the fitness of Matt Ritchie and Fabian Schar.
Newcastle vs Arsenal: By the numbers
- Coming into this game, Newcastle United has picked up 8 points from the last 5 games, both home and away. That’s 1.6 points per game on average. BTTS has landed in an intriguing 4 of those games. Newcastle United has scored 8 times in the last 5 fixtures.
- Superb stuff from Newcastle United at home, where they are currently unbeaten in 5 games. Can they go another game without defeat?
- Arsenal’s defence will have to be at their best today if they’re to stop Newcastle United from scoring. The home side has scored in the last 8 games in front of their own fans. They have failed to score in 3 home matches this season.
- Momentum is really building for Newcastle United as they have now gone 4 games without losing. They have won 2 of the last 5 games they have played.
- It’s possible we will see a couple of goals here, with the last 6 games for Newcastle United ending with 2 goals or more being scored.
- Newcastle United will be looking to keep up the momentum today against Arsenal, having lost just 1 game from the last 5. They have won 2 and drawn 2
- In the last 5 matches for Newcastle United, 4 of those games has ended with both teams scoring. This season 19 matches (58% of all matches) involving Newcastle United has seen BTTS landing.
- It’s likely that Newcastle United will score today, as they have netted in the last 4 games coming into this one and have scored 8 goals in the last five games.
- Coming into this game, Arsenal has picked up 5 points from the last 5 games, both home and away. That’s just one point per game on average. BTTS has landed in just 2 of those games. Arsenal has scored 7 times in the last 5 fixtures.
- Arsenal has enjoyed playing away from home recently, with the side currently unbeaten in 4 games.
- Things have not been going that well in front of goal for Arsenal recently, with the side failing to score in 2 of the last 5 games. Will the manager change his tactics today, or throw in another forward?
- Arsenal has fired blanks in 12 games this season. That’s 36% of games where they have not been able to find the back of the net. Do they need a new forward? In the last 5 games, they have scored just 7 goals.
- Just 2 of the last 5 games for Arsenal has ended with both teams scoring. They have won 1 of those 5 games. Overall, BTTS has landed in 15/33 games for Arsenal this season.
Stats source: FootyStats.org.
Newcastle vs Arsenal: Prediction
Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based off publicly available odds. For example, if a team’s odds are 2.30, the expected chance of winning is 43%. If the odds are 1.62 the expected chance of winning is 62% and so on. These are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change. Where there is no value listed, the odds were not available at the time of writing.
Newcastle vs Arsenal: EPL starting XI prediction
Probable Newcastle Starting XI: Martin Dubravka, Federico Fernandez, Ciaran Clark, Paul Dummett, Jacob Murphy, Miguel Almiron, Jonjo Shelvey, Sean Longstaff, Matt Ritchie, Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson.
Probable Arsenal Starting XI: Bernd Leno, Hector Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kieran Tierney, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Willian, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Find all the latest English Premier League predictions, fixtures and results for 30 April to 3 May?here.