Newcastle United will face yet another volley of heavy artillery across their ramparts when the Gunners of Arsenal raid the northerly bank of the Tyne this Sunday tea time.
Season-long title chasers who have rediscovered their mojo take on a team red hot with eight wins out of nine in a battle at soccer's heady heights. Maybe home rule is on the line but Newcastle have repeatedly confronted and repelled many such challenges of recent times.
Indeed since Eddie Howe was appointed manager in November of 2021 the only visiting teams to record a victory at St James Park are Liverpool (twice) and Manchester City. Howe's impressive record is won 18, drawn nine, and lost three. Long may the trend continue.
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Of course the visits of Arsenal and Brighton before an epic season draws to a triumphant conclusion with Champions League qualification will test that record to the ultimate. Other facts and stats also reveal what a momentous season this has been for United.
Sixty one goals scored is the joint fifth best total in the Premier League, 27 conceded the very best three ahead of Man City, and a goal difference of 34 in the division's third best.
Incredibly the top record as the meanest defence on the planet stands despite the fact that Newcastle have kept only one clean sheet in their last 14 matches while marching to seven victories in their last eight. Producing a shut out against Arsenal would be the perfect time to revert to what was once nature.
It would also help Nick Pope who is chasing David de Gea for the Golden Glove. Pope is currently second to De Gea having kept 13 clean sheets to the Man U stopper's 15. Ironically the chasing pack is headed by Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale on 12.
How I am looking forward not just to the overall battle but the personal confrontations _ Bukayo Saka v Dan Burn, Gabriel Jesus against Fabian Scar and Sven Botman, Bruno and Martin Odegaard contesting midfield, Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak testing a stand-in central defender, Ramsdale and Pope compared as England's two back up keepers.
Bombs will be dropped all over the park and probably on the touchline as well. Mikel Arteta is a jack-in-the-box jumping all over the place with an in-yer-face approach which endears him to no one but Arsenal devotees while Eddie Howe displays an English reserve which occasionally gives way to a clenched fist when United score.
While on the subject of the manager may I ask doubting United fans to reserve judgement on Anthony Gordon because the Howe stardust is always just a motion away from being sprinkled. Gordon has been written off by a vocal minority after his spat with Howe when being subbed and his poor first-half performance against Southampton but the lad is just 22 years of age and has began only three matches since his £40m arrival. He will not start against Arsenal but he has a future.
Remember Alexander Isak was originally held back because he was deemed physically short _ some daft critics asked if he represented money wasted _ and then recall if you will the miracles Eddie worked with Joelinton, Miggy Almiron, Jacob Murphy and Sean Longstaff. Do not judge in haste. Just after the World Cup finals serious doubts were voiced about Callum Wilson. Now he is white hot.
As for Gordon himself and that tantrum he will do well to listen to Martin Dubravka who only this week emphasised that if anyone fails to buy into the squad ethic at Newcastle then they do not stay round with Howe. Arsenal are back in the groove having destroyed a woeful Chelsea, habitual losers under Frank Lampard, to end an unaccustomed run of three draws and a defeat.
The lift Arsenal craved they duly got in midweek with a deluge of first-half goals but United will not be the sad surrenderers that Chelsea's decrepit Pensioners were.
Precisely how good is this current Newcastle side? Very flippin' good my friends. The best since Bobby Robson finished third 20 years ago (2002-03), better than Alan Pardew 11 years ago when out of the blue they made fifth (2011-12).
The yardstick remains Kevin Keegan and a second successive runners-up position 26 years gone (1996-97) but to be challenging those giddy times so quickly after staring into the abyss of relegation is truly remarkable. May I never wake up.
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