The negative trend Steve Bruce hopes to reverse on Saturday vs. Arsenal
By Durim Halimi
A win in Saturday’s FA Cup clash would be a big deal for Steve Bruce and Newcastle United.
Newcastle United did not have the luck of the FA Cup draw on their side when it was announced that their journey would begin in London against Arsenal. Newcastle United reached the quarter-final of the tournament last season, but that success involved some good fortune seeing that the Magpies drew two League One sides and a Championship outfit in the opening three rounds.
Newcastle United were snapped back to reality when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City to bounce out of the cup. That loss to Manchester City has set a frustrating trend for Steve Bruce as the Magpies’ head coach.
Bruce is yet to defeat a Premier League team in domestic cup competitions. In addition to their defeat in the FA Cup last term, Newcastle United lost their first game in the EFL Cup to Leicester City. Reversing that trend against Arsenal will be a difficult task as they enter the 2020-21 competition as defending champions.
Arsenal have been up and down in the Premier League this season, so it will be interesting to see which Gunner side shows up, but the same thing can be said for Newcastle United.
The way the Toon lost to Brentford’s “B” team in the EFL Cup a few weeks ago infuriated fans, and the team will need maximum effort in order to upset Arsenal.
Newcastle Toons Predictions
Carson A. Merk:
Newcastle United have looked a little bit better recently, but they still aren’t clicking at the moment. They have zero wins in their last six matches with four losses in that stretch.
With Arsenal stuck in the middle of the Premier League table, they may try to push for a deep FA Cup run to salvage something from the season. Newcastle have lost all three of their most recent away FA Cup matches vs. the Gunners by 3-0 scorelines. I think Arsenal control the match, but the Magpies pick up a goal late to avoid a clean sheet.
Predicted Score: Arsenal 3-1 Newcastle United
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Durim Halimi:
Personally, I think this game will be closer than most people think. Newcastle United seem to have abandoned their ultra-defensive tactics when going up against elite sides, which gives me hope that they will enjoy more possession and create some meaningful chances.
The problem, however, is that Arsenal is starting to develop some consistency in the league and that form will likely carry over to Saturday’s game. Moreover, despite being more organized defensively, Newcastle United are still being caught out by teams via quick counter-attacks. That will be the key for Arsenal to get the job done.
Predicted Score: Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United