Newcastle Toons
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Discussing the Newcastle United-Arsenal opener with Pain in the Arsenal

By Carson A Merk

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 01: Miguel Almiron of Newcastle United is cahllenged by Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on April 01, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 01: Miguel Almiron of Newcastle United is cahllenged by Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on April 01, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United will take on Arsenal in two days. We caught up with FanSided’s Pain in the Arsenal to discuss the summer, the matchup, and how fans should react to a new manager replacing a legend.

In just a couple of days, Newcastle United will do battle with Arsenal to open the 2019-20 Premier League season for both sides. When it comes to the Gunners, FanSided boasts a talented team of writers at Pain in the Arsenal. To preview the season-opening fixture, we caught up with Henry Payne, a site contributor.

Newcastle Toons: Outside of Nicolas Pepe, who do you think are the most important additions from the summer?

Pain in the Arsenal: I hope that Dani Ceballos can play on Sunday. He brings a unique set of skills to the club with his ability to navigate tight areas, break lines, and avoid pressure. He has been compared by some of our fanbase to Santi Cazorla, which I think is a fair comparison. If he plays, everything we do is likely to run through Ceballos. He will be the link between our leaky porous defence and our lethal attack.

NT: Which Newcastle United players are you most fearful of entering this match?

PITA: Almiron, Joelinton & Saint-Maximin is an intriguing attack, especially considering how bad we are defensively! Saint-Maximin is seemingly much like Jonjo Shelvey (another player I like); capable of wonderful moments, but wildly inconsistent.

NT: As we enter the first match of the season, where do you think the Gunners will finish on the Premier League table?

PITA: I think we can finish 4th, maybe 3rd. However, I also think we could finish 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th! Chelsea have not been able to improve, Tottenham have only made one signing of note, Liverpool also haven’t improved their squad (as of writing). I think the race for Champions League qualification will be incredibly close, but I think we will sneak in by claiming 4th place.

Related Story. 2018-19 NUFC vs. Arsenal results. light

NT: Arsenal went through a managerial change from a legend in Arsene Wenger to Unai Emery. This summer, Newcastle United have gone through the Rafa Benitez-Steve Bruce transition. After what you guys went through, what advice do you have for Newcastle United fans going through a somewhat similar circumstance?

PITA: Your situation is incredibly unique and unfortunate. Nonetheless, I would say that it is important to exercise patience and to voice your frustration responsibly when it comes to the players. In your case, they are not the biggest problem.