After Spurs' narrow victory against Burnley, Arsenal know that nothing other than a win will do against Newcastle United to put the Premier League fourth place battle back in their hands.
The north London derby defeat saw Antonio Conte's side close the gap between Spurs and Arsenal to just one point, and with Spurs having played before the Gunners this week, the Lilywhites sit two points ahead of Arsenal. Mikel Arteta's side now need a win against Newcastle to enter the final day of the season in fourth.
A draw for Arsenal would see them remain in fifth place and behind Spurs, meaning the Gunners would have to rely on Spurs to drop points if they want UEFA Champions League football next season. The Magpies have been one of the best sides in England in 2022, and the task on-hand has been made even more demanding for Arsenal with a couple of major absentees.
READ MORE: We simulated Arsenal and Tottenham's final games to see who clinched Champions League spot
Rob Holding will be missing after being sent off against Spurs in the north London derby, whilst Gabriel was taken off with an injury. This leaves Arteta with minimal options, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu most likely to partner each other in the centre of defence.
So, what lineup will Arteta select, and who could come out on top? Let’s take a look.
Newcastle v Arsenal score predicted by simulation
We predict that Newcastle could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Targett; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.
We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ramsdale; Cedric, Tomiyasu, White, Tavares; Elneny, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe; Nketiah.
Despite some defensive issues for the Gunners, Arteta's side started on top, and Arsenal took the lead in just under three minutes through Martin Odegaard. After some precise passing play down the left between Nuno Tavares and Emile Smith-Rowe, a cross made its way into the Newcastle box.
The original delivery was cleared by the Magpies but only as far as Odegaard just inside the box, and the Norwegian midfielder hit a fierce first-time effort into the top corner to hand Arsenal the lead. The pressure continued from Arsenal not long after the goal, with more chances falling to the visitors in the first half.
Eddie Nketiah came close when Ben White threaded a pass through for the Englishman to latch onto in the box, but the 'keeper rushed off his line to quickly smother the striker's effort. Just a minute later, the Gunners came close again, this time with White trying his luck.
Up for a corner, the corner fell to White on the edge of the Newcastle box after a poor clearance from Newcastle. The defender opted to shoot and test Martin Dubravka, but the 'keeper made a great save at full-stretch to keep the gap between the sides at one goal.
Emile Smith-Rowe and Odegaard also had shots saved in the first half, with the Gunners somehow only one goal ahead at the break. The second half was much quieter than the first, and Bukayo Saka looked to finish off the game with 10 minutes remaining, but he failed to find the target from a tight angle.
A long pass from Granit Xhaka found Saka on the right, and the winger did well to bring the ball down and skip past his marker. Going around the outside, Saka tightened the angle to shoot, and his powerful shot skimmed the top of the bar, going behind for a goal kick.
FIFA 22 predicted final score: Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 22 predicts that a dominant display in the first half could see the Gunners take the lead at St. James' Park, but an impressive goalkeeping display could limit Arsenal's goals to just one. The simulation predicted a narrow win for Arsenal, though a win is all that matters when it comes to the real-life game.
