Newcastle United can ill-afford any more slip-ups this season.
While Eddie Howe’s side have pulled off a number of big results to date, consistency remains an issue.
The prospect of going to Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday remains daunting even if Newcastle have already beaten the Gunners this season.
Indeed, it seems no one is giving Howe’s team much of a chance. Paul Merson, after all, has predicted a 3-1 win for the home side and suggested things could get “messy” for Dan Burn up against Bukayo Saka.
Chris Sutton, meanwhile, has gone for an Arsenal win too.
Now, Peter Crouch has had his say on the matter.
Arsenal vs Newcastle: Peter Crouch prediction
Speaking on the latest episode of his podcast, Crouch said: “I said to 2-1 to Arsenal.”
Arsenal vs Newcastle: Performance crucial for Eddie Howe
Teams can lose away at Arsenal. Both Liverpool and Manchester City have done exactly that this season.
Still, it is the manner of performance that matters most for Howe. Well beaten at the Etihad Stadium, Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, it’s time Newcastle really show up in a big away game.
Should Newcastle go down battling, it would at least provide some optimism for what could come between now and the end of the season.
With big players in the form of Alexander Isak coming back, there are reasons to be positive. This season has not quite gone to plan for various reasons but to end it with European qualification in at least some capacity as well as a deep run in the FA Cup would be very productive indeed.
In order to do that, Newcastle need to show they can still rise to challenges. A big performance away at a title challenger would surely do just that.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
