Vurnon Anita has retained his place even though Cheick Tiote returns to the line-up, after a one match suspension against Stoke City, and Ben Arfa finds himself on the bench after a Man of the Match performance on Thursday.
Cheick Tiote – returns to the side today
It looks like Newcastle will play in a 4-3-3 formation, with the middle line of Vurnon Anita, Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye and a front three of Frenchmen Moussa Sissoko, Loic Remy and Yoan Gouffran.
Sammy Ameobi is on the bench and Steven Taylor again finds himself not included in the match day squad of 18.
For Arsenal Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud start, but no sign of German star Mesut Ozil.
This is going to be a tough game for Newcastle, and we’ll have to come out of the blocks like a steam train at the start of this game – and then keep it up.
Howay The Lads!!
Teams:
Newcastle: (4-3-3): Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Davide Santon; Vurnon Anita, Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye; Moussa Sissoko, Loic Remy, Yoan Gouffran
Substitutes: Rob Elliot, Massadio Haidara, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Sammy Ameobi, Hatem Ben Arfa, Shola Ameobi, Papiss Cisse
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker (c), Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs; Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky; Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere; Santi Cazorla; Olivier Giroud
Substitutes: Lukasz Fabianski, Carl Jenkinson, Mikel Arteta, Ryo Miyaichi, Serge Gnabry, Lukas Podolski, Nicklas Bendtner
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
429 comments so far
TheToonKing
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Comment #401We needed a proper striker today…. Shola is cack and Remy is not an up front alone striker. Arsenal had it in Giroud.
We need to go big and January and sign just 1 player, 1 striker.
Ciaran
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Comment #402Very competitive performance, I’m actually quite heartened by how we played despite the loss. Remy and Gouffran didn’t do enough in trying to take risks and going for it, nor did we give them enough balls in behind to chase and stretch Arsenal, but that could be more to do with Arsenal’s superb defensive shape.
Don’t be too disheartened lads, that was a very good performance. Santon showed in 15 mins that he is more of a RW than he ever was a LB and HBA has amply demonstrated why his arse should remain permanently fixed on the bench.
All in all, gutted we didn’t get at least a point that we deserved, but happy with the team performance generally.
Oleg G
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Comment #403I will take this lose.
I know people think feel rubbed a bit. Maybe.
But this is football. We were good. This is still Arsenal. The team that showed great football this season.
0-1 is a minimal lose. And we were not bad at all. They were scared there and this shows they respect us.
Hatem did well too. 2-3 great moves by him. He is a started for me if he continues to pressure like he did today when he lose the ball. He is quick again. Deserves a try again in the first 11. This is how I see it.
Many more points out there for us to grab. We should continue to play like we did today. Just with more attacking options up front when we get to go forward.
davetoon
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Comment #404Cant believe how many headers Ameobi won in the last 15 mins against 7 arsenal players and noone could get on the end of the knock downs
valle
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:28 PM
Comment #405Sickening that we didnt get anything from that game… I cant fault the players much though, they played great, but the official didnt give us much in their area and we reduced arsenal, the self proclaimed ambassedors of great football to play ugly anti football.
jimiley
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Comment #406The difference between a team that wins honours and one that never does. Arsenal won and did not play well. We did not believe we could win. Played for a nil nil draw and only attacked them in the last 10 minutes when we had nothing to lose. You deserve nowt for being timid.
Ben3arfa
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Comment #407pardew will now come out and say were great and dont need any players. mediocre ambitions by our mediocre management
toonbrother
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Comment #408at this level the weak links in defence get punished. zero points what a shame. take colsohitty out of this team and we are a top 4 side
Thump
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Comment #409@JP: Shola is a brilliant player to bully defences in the mid table. Shola is not the player to be put on as a game changer against Arsenal. He did nothing and could do nothing, he was marked out of the game and when he wasn’t, his pace (or rather, lack of) wasted him.
Rotonda heights
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Comment #410Sad thing is when we had 5 in midfield we never looked like scoring and when we bring Shola on to hit and hope it to, we still look impotent.
Can’t fault the effort but soft free kick given away by Ben Arfa. The guy drives you nuts, absolutely brilliant at times but what a wind up the rest of the time.
It’s been a bad day together with Everton’s result and with Arsenals 42M player Ozil and their other player of their season Ramsay missing I really thought we could get something today.
Tsunki
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Comment #411Dont blame Hatem for trying its not like we had anyone in the box taking the opportunities, that was one department we sadly failed in today. Remy was a man off, was certain to be in all the wrong places today, should have subbed him with Cisse.
Anita subbed proves my point he was ineffective today. (Ted) 😉
Debuchy MoM
JP...from The Rock
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Comment #412Imagine if we had a player similar to Lukaku who is tough, can hold up the ball and IS a goal threat regularly. But what do we have coming off he bench Strolla Ameobi, with his dreadful Goals to Game ratio it’s like a nail in our coffin. He offers close to nothing and it’s like playing with 10 men.
Only this season he has done marginally better and that is only because he is desperate to get into the WC with Nigeria. Shows that he is rather selfish and lazy imo. Many mentioned it has been his injuries that have slowed his game but when you realize that in the twilight of his career he is doing his best work, it proves those injuries did not affect him one bit and he is just LAZY!! GET RID ASAP and BUY QUALITY UP FRONT IN JANUARY!
davetoon
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Comment #413LoL. . Giroud saying he’s happy to win the derby against his Frenchies..
Oleg G
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Comment #414Ancientcoptic // Dec 29, 2013 at 3:20 PM
Only the fear of our own shadows.
I also don’t get it. HBA to start for me next game. Anita is a good solid player. But he doesn’t give the edge that Arfa has. If Benny can help in defense as he did today and last game, no reason not to play him.
hadthetshirt
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Comment #415I don’t get pardwho at all.Losing 1-0 and he puts a striker with a ratio of 1/7 on never scored this year. The other has a 1/3 Then takes Sissoko off and puts a defender on.Very strange.
I wonder if any other manager in the premier league would have made those substitutes.I bet not.
NUFCarter
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:31 PM
Comment #416Arsenal DID NOT deserve that. Played well but deserved the draw!
Not a good weekend in terms of results with Everton and Man U winning. Can’t have spurs winning later and West Brom is a must win game!
jimiley
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:32 PM
Comment #417A lot of people think we played well? We just defended at home until we were forced to attack. How is that playing well? I call it timid.
Ciaran
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:32 PM
Comment #418Can’t defend HBA for his selfish cameo, that’s the HBA performances that sicken me. He is out for himself, always. 3 players to pick from in the box and he goes for a near post shot?
On the bench Hatem, and stay there until you take your head out of your arse.
Ted Bundy
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Comment #419davetoon
Yup, not enough risk taking and getting around him. One header he did miss ran through to Remy on the penalty spot and it bounced off his chest like it did all afternoon, a definite chance that seemed to not register with people on here. Remy was the greatest disappointment today – he said before the match these games separate the men from the boys, well he’s a little winkle.
Blofal
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Comment #420Pardew has to grow some confidence and attack. We sat back the entire first half and apart from the last couple of minutes of that half we were utterly toothless. We play best with 2 up front. Yes 4-5-1 worked against Manure but thats not the way we play best.
How about we disrupt opposition teams by forcing them to change formation when playing us… instead of us starting each game with a new formation. Find a style and stick to it. I thought we had with 2 up front but he has been dicking it around the last few weeks.
JP...from The Rock
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Comment #421Debuchy MOM without question. I am proud of the lads for a gutsy performance.
It was Arsenal who are top btw. We had them hanging on for their lives in the end and we could have / should have done better had we had more of a goal threat in the end. Strolla as I mentioned is not the answer from the bench!
Cabaye had another solid match, Sissoko did well and Willo was a rock.
Santon could have done better with their goal unfortunately but it was hard to defend a great ball in like that one by Walcott.
niafron
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:33 PM
Comment #422It’s not about deserving or not.
THis game was lost before it began. We just played exactly the way they need.
Think to it like you were Arsenal:
You’re amongst the top team, you got one million important game per year, you got to get out of St James Park with 3 full point, but without burning yourself, cause you play for victory every three days.
On the positive side, you used to play such games, you know your player could keep their head cool and wait for a good occasion to use their superiors skills.
So what kind of team do you want to have front of you?
-One who will wait quietly and let you enjoy this nice winter sunday noon?
-Or one who will run at you with determination and strong offensive intentions?
Ted Bundy
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Comment #423Ruddy
Aye, he’s been raised onto a pedesatl as the have-a-go hero, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be it by beating his man then providing for others. Don’t think he will ever learn that, not in his nature.
niafron
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Comment #424@CIaran
Total bollocks, was no free pass line, look at the action again.
jimiley
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Comment #425Pardew is OK until we concede. Then he has not got a skooby because he is a defensive coach. He was playing for a nil nil hoping to nick the winner in the last 10 minutes. We will win nowt playing like that. Fortune favours the brave and we were timid.
Ciaran
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Comment #426Niafron
HBA is your hero, you love him and will always defend him. The difference between you and I is that I love the club, while you love one player.
There was an option to put the ball back post, which would have been a much better option than a pathetic near post shot.
Ted
We need to strip him down from his pedestal because he believes his own hype. He is nowhere near as good as the supporters build him up to be, or as he himself thinks he is. He needs to be brought back to earth and taught to play for the team.
JP...from The Rock
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:39 PM
Comment #427HBA should have either crossed it or gone for the far post in that last shot of his. We can’t be too critical as we were trying our luck in the end.
The first goal was always going to win it today, sadly Arsenal got it and not us.
TheToonKing
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:40 PM
Comment #428some of you people…….
We played the EXACT same way against Man Utd and won.
Soak up pressure and hit on the counter. We’ve played the same all year against big teams. Beat Man Utd like and Spurs.
We lost this one by 1-0 to the table leaders by a lucky goal.
Shut up.
Ted Bundy
Dec 29, 2013 at 3:44 PM
Comment #429Niafron
I’d say our gameplan was working very well, and it was a singular lapse in concentration that cost us, at a time when Arsenal looked their most subdued in the match. The pattern of the game would have followed the same path I believe, whether they scored from that set=piece or not. They’re in the top 2 footballing sides in the league and didn’t open us up once, before scoring in an unlikely fashion.