ARSENAL gave their flagging title hopes the kiss of life with a midweek win but this clash with red-hot Newcastle United has the potential to crush their Premier League dreams once and for all.
A run of four games without a victory saw the Gunners surrender the initiative to Manchester City but they got back on track by beating Chelsea 3-1 on a night where my BTTS bet landed.
That returned them to the summit for 24 hours but the champions moved one point clear again with a game in hand when they beat West Ham 3-0 to bring up a bet for our man Slips Tips.
Pep Guardiola's men are showing few signs of slipping up down the home straight but all Arsenal can do is try to keep a bit of pressure on by winning their final four games.
That's easier said than done, however, and this trip to St James' Park is by far their most difficult assignment with Newcastle winning eight of their last nine games.
Eddie Howe's men stand on the brink of sealing a Champions League place for next season and an expectant crowd will be looking for them to rack up another victory when the Gunners come calling.
The Magpies have been blowing teams away of late, with 13 scored across their last three games, and will fancy their chances against an Arsenal defence that hasn't kept a clean sheet in their last eight outings.
How the bookies view it
It's a tough one to call but Newcastle are favourites at 6/4 with QuinnBet while Arsenal are a best 19/10 with BetUK. Plenty of punters will fancy the stalemate at 14/5 with the same firm.
Recent head to head
Arsenal have dominated this fixture of late, winning eight of the last 10 meetings. But the momentum has shifted in the last two clashes, with Newcastle winning 2-0 at St James' Park last term before battling to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates earlier this season.
Players to watch
Howe faces a dilemma up front with Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson both in electric form. He played both of them in the second half last time out against Southampton and may be tempted to do that again here. The Swede's electric pace could cause the Gunners problems and Isak is 17/10 at Unibet for anytime scorer. If he plays out wide an assist could be more likely and that's priced 9/2 at SkyBet.
Bukayo Saka's trickery and pace could make it a tough day for Magpies left-back Dan Burn. The England winger is 29/10 with William Hill for anytime scorer and 3/1 at SkyBet for an assist.
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal's defence has been vulnerable without William Saliba and even a dreadful Chelsea side could have scored a couple of times against them in midweek. With Howe's side in such thrilling form in attack I can see the Magpies getting some joy, with over 1.5 Newcastle goals a tempting 11/10 at Betfred.
The Gunners have still been superb going forward in recent weeks so it bodes well for a thriller. Over 2.5 match goals is just 4/6 at William Hill but the odds increase to 13/8 at Bet365 for over 3.5 strikes. I also like over 1.5 first-half goals and that pays 6/4 with Coral.
Unibet always have good stats bets and I like the look of the 19/20 they offer on Newcastle midfielder Joelinton having a shot on target. Cards are another good option after nine yellows were flashed in Newcastle's trip to the Emirates in January and over 4.5 cards in this one pays 31/20 with Unibet. If Thomas Partey starts for the Gunners, I also like the Skybet special that prices him at 11/8 for more than two foul.s
This English Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal will be played on May 7, 2023 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Newcastle United vs Arsenal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
