A look at the latest Newcastle United headlines on Sunday, 15 May.
Allan Saint-Maximin stats that show his continued importance to Newcastle United
Allan Saint-Maximin's supposed drop-off in form is not supported by recently released statistics. The French maverick has been criticised for some of his recent performances, especially as goals and assists have dried up.
However, in several parameters, he has actually improved on numbers posted in the first half of the season. This includes successful dribbles per 90 minutes, and progressive yards carried per 90. These have increased from 4.38 to 5.64, and 141.0 to 163.3 respectively, showing that in terms of carrying the ball forward, Saint-Maximin has become more effective.
Even more pressingly, Newcastle's number 10 has created more chances on average per 90, going from 1.50 to 1.82, which suggests that he is doing his job but those in the middle are not converting. This coincides with a drop in both expected assists and actual assists.
Lee Clark: Timescale for success at Newcastle and Arsenal will fear St James' Park crowd
Newcastle United go in against Arsenal on Monday night without learning a lot new following their 5-0 defeat at Manchester City.
It was always going to be tough but we all went into the game with one query and that was what the reaction of City would be after they lost to Real Madrid a few days. Well, they certainly answered that and in an emphatic manner too.
Against Newcastle then Wolves, with 10 goals rattled in across 180 minutes, City showed that's how you become one of the best teams in the world. They can overcome a setback very quickly and stop it becoming a slump. If Newcastle can develop that type of mentality moving forward then they won't have too many problems. You can certainly take a lot from Man City.
Mikel Arteta makes Arsenal vow as he prepares for 'huge' Newcastle United clash
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has responded to Antonio Conte's jibe at him by revealing that he is "fully focused on beating Newcastle" on Monday night. This comes after the Gunners were dealt a heavy blow by their North London rivals in their encounter on Thursday night, losing 3-0 away to Spurs.
That defeat left Spurs only a point behind their neighbours in the race for Champions League qualification with only two games left to play. Although Arsenal's fate still remains in their own hands, they know that any slip up could gift a top-four spot to Tottenham.
Arteta has therefore described Monday night's clash against Eddie Howe's men as "huge", as the Gunners look to get back on track with a win at St. James' Park.
Jamie Carragher has Newcastle United and St James' Park warning for Arsenal
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher reckons Arsenal will be in for a tough test when they travel up to St James' Park to take on Newcastle United.
The Gunners head for Tyneside under pressure after their North London derby defeat to Tottenham earlier this week. And Carragher believes Arteta and co are in for a shock if they think Newcastle will have nothing to play for.
"It’ll be a tough night," said Carragher on Sky Sports. "The atmosphere they’ve created there is something special. They’ll want to go out with a bang."
Where Newcastle United would be if Eddie Howe managed entire Premier League season
How dare anybody use the £90million spent in January to diminish the achievements of Eddie Howe this season. It is easy to forget the scale of the task at hand for the former Bournemouth man when he waltzed through the door last November.
The 44-year-old took over a side that were second bottom, winless, five points adrift, unfit and devoid of all confidence. Yes, the money spent in the winter helped plug the gaps that had been neglected by the previous regime. When Howe started Matt Ritchie and Jacob Murphy - two wingers - in a flat back four against Manchester City, it signalled to the owners that a pair of full-backs were needed.
A striker and centre-half, too, given the severity of Callum Wilson’s injury and Newcastle’s defensive woes. Chris Wood and Dan Burn arrived but they are hardly the Harlem Globetrotter signings rivals fans would have you believe given the reaction to the Magpies’ surge towards Premier League survival.
Mehrdad Ghodoussi’s Eddie Howe verdict after Newcastle United boss’ award nomination
When Eddie Howe replaced Steve Bruce as Newcastle United manager, the club were in the midst of a relegation battle which seemed likely to last all season. The Magpies had won only won game all season and only Norwich had a worse defensive record.
It took some time for the former Bournemouth manager to bring about the changes he wanted to see and the January transfer window certainly played its part. Since the new year, Newcastle have been one of the form teams in the division and an eight game unbeaten run, including six wins was enough to drag them well clear of relegation danger by the middle of March. Howe has now been recognised for the turnaround by a nomination for the Premier League's manager of the season award.
Newcastle director, Mehrdad Ghodoussi took to Twitter to congratulate Howe. He stated: "An (sic) so well deserved @nufc".
Newcastle United supporters react to suggestion that club badge could be set for a revamp
As Newcastle United have undergone a takeover from the richest owners in world football, there are set to be many changes in the pipeline over the coming years. Under the ownership of Mike Ashley, things had been allowed to grow stale and the club was existing rather than growing. Amanda Staveley and the Saudi Arabian PIF fund are determined that the future of the club will be a successful one and with that ambition will come changes.
Chronicle Live suggested last week that the club's badge could be one of those things which could be set for a change. That's due to it being 34-years-old, which is 10 years older than any other badge in the Premier League.
Whilst badges are something that fans hold dear, many clubs in the division have undergone rebrands in recent years. That's due to the fact that the Premier League has become a global brand and club executives want to appeal to fans of all ages and countries, with a particular interest in picking up new, younger fans.
