Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta faces a number of major selection decisions for Monday night's Premier League clash against Newcastle United.
The Spaniard saw his team lose 3-0 to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur last Thursday before the Lillywhites secured a 1-0 victory against Burnley on Sunday afternoon, a result that means the Gunners now need to beat the Magpies to go back into fourth place. Arteta will still be without Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey for the trip to Tyneside whilst first-choice centre-back pairing Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes both remain doubts following recent injuries to the talented pair.
Ahead of the match against Eddie Howe's men, football.london has taken a look at two ways that the north Londoners could decide to line up.
Read more: Full Arsenal squad revealed for Newcastle clash as Mikel Arteta faces major Gabriel decision
Risky setup
Considering there are just two matches left this season, Arteta may decide to start both White and Gabriel even if the two centre-halves aren't fully fit. The former appears more likely to be ready for a starting berth and Rob Holding's suspension means that Brazilian Gabriel could be risked alongside the former Brighton man.
It also makes a lot of sense to play Takehiro Tomiyasu in his favoured right-back role to combat the pace and unpredictability of Newcastle left-winger Allan Saint-Maximin, with Nuno Tavares potentially coming back in at left-back following Cedric Soares' woeful display against Spurs. A midfield three of Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard picks itself at the minute whilst a front three consisting of Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka has fared well in recent weeks.
Smith Rowe recalled
Hale End academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe has found himself in and out of the team this season but with ten Premier League goals to his name, his rare combination of elite ball retention, playmaking and final third output could mean he gets the nod over Martinelli on the left. Arteta may also decide that Gabriel isn't fit enough for a starting berth, a decision that would likely shift Tomiyasu to centre-back.
However, that would mean that Arsenal's fullback pairing would be Cedric and Tavares, a worrying sight for the Arsenal faithful.
