A few weeks back, Arsenal were 10 pints behind their most hated rivals Tottenham Hotspurs who were looking very much a top 4 English Premier League side. A typical Spurs meltdown has however seen that gap reduced to a single point with Arsenal having played a game less.
It is exactly why Monday’s meeting with Rafa Benitez Newcastle is a must win game for Unai Emery’s side. The Gunners come into this match on the back of a very impressive win over Manchester United at the Emirates that was followed by a Europa League win over Rennes in the same venue.
Lucas Toreira will not be involved due to his red card against Spurs next month while there are doubts on the availability of midfield duo Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey.
Should any of the two miss out, Emery is expected draft in young French midfielder who has not played a minute since his error in the First Leg Europa League encounter with Rennes back in February.
Arsenal’s sole objective tis season was to qualify for next year’s Champions League at all costs. A win today would not only aid in achieveing that objective, it would send a statement to their rivals for a top 3/4 finish.