After back to back defeats to start the league campaign, Arsenal beat West Ham United and Cardiff City in their last two games to give themselves a much-needed lift. Unai Emery will now hope that his side can continue the winning form this weekend when they travel to St James’ Park. They take on a Newcastle United side, that is yet to register a victory.
Rafa Benitez’s men lost to Manchester City and Chelsea in the last two games but put in decent performances, which could test Arsenal on Saturday. The Gunners have enough quality in their side to get through this game without much damage. But they need their star players to be at their best, to make sure that they are not left frustrated at the end of 90 minutes. Here are three such players who could be crucial for Arsenal to go all the way in this game:
Alexandre Lacazette
The French international has a goal and an assist to his name but has been Arsenal’s most impressive attacker so far this season. He also has 1.5 key passes per game and keeping him quiet will not be easy for the hosts today.
He is expected to lead the line for Arsenal in this game and will be up against the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez, who are more than capable of giving him a hard time. If Lacazette struggles, Arsenal will have a tough night at St James’ on Saturday.
Mesut Ozil
The German international is yet to score or pick up an assist this season. He has just three key passes in the three games that he has played and had little to no impact in the final third. But he remains Arsenal’s best playmaker and could be the danger man Newcastle United have to keep an eye on.
The hosts are expected to sit deep and defend and Arsenal will need the expertise of Ozil to carve them open and create chances in this game. If Ozil fails to find some form, Newcastle United will have a better chance of causing an upset.
Shkodran Mustafi
The senior defender in the Arsenal backline at the moment, Mustafi, has had a mixed start to the league campaign. He was impressive in the last couple of games but will face a tricky test against a genuine goalscorer in Salomon Rondon. The Venezuelan international is strong in the air and his average aerial duels won is 4 per game. Mustafi wins just 2.8 air-balls per game and could be exploited.
However, the German also makes 2 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 7.8 clearances per game and could be hard to beat for Rondon. The Magpies striker will not get too many chances to test the Arsenal goalkeeper and if Mustafi can further shackle the burly striker, Arsenal will have a decent chance of a shutout.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
