Arsenal vs Newcastle United: Key stats and talking points

Howe under pressure as poor run goes on

Newcastle are in worse form than Arsenal having lost eight of their last 11 league games. In fact, only Tottenham and Burnley have lost more top-flight matches than Newcastle in 2026.

This relegation form has led to serious questions being asked of head coach Eddie Howe. He maintains he is still the right man for the job and that he will “fight to the end”, but it will be interesting to see how much credit he has left in the bank as a result of leading them to their first domestic trophy for 70 years last season.

Legendary striker Alan Shearer cast doubt on whether Howe will still be at the helm next season and lambasted the players for their performance against Bournemouth. “They were terrible,” he said on his podcast. “They chucked him under the bus, the players. It is a tough situation, a tough summer for Newcastle coming up. They have got some big decisions to make. As I am sat here, I don’t see Eddie in charge of Newcastle next season, unfortunately.”

Mitigation does comes in the form of key players being unavailable due to injury and the team Howe put out against the Cherries was their youngest starting XI in a Premier League game since May 2005, having an average age of just 24 years and 191 days.

The Geordies have no respite as they travel to the Emirates, a ground where they have managed just one league win in 17 attempts and none in the last 13. Only Stoke City, who have lost on all 10 of their visits, average fewer points per game than Newcastle do at the Emirates since it opened in 2006. They have taken a total of just five points from 51 available and have scored just one goal on their last nine trips.