Howe is under pressure due to poor runPublished at 17:12 BST
Arsenal vs Newcastle (17:30 BST)
Newcastle are in worse form than Arsenal, losing eight of their last 11 league matches. 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 says 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 it taking them to their first domestic trophy for 70 years last season.
Legendary striker Alan Shearer cast doubt on whether Howe would still be at the top next season and criticized the players for their performance against Bournemouth. “They were horrible,” he said on his podcast. “They threw him under the bus, the players. It’s a difficult situation, a difficult summer coming up for Newcastle. They’ve got some big decisions to make. As I sit here, unfortunately, I don’t see Eddie in charge of Newcastle next season.”
Mitigation came in the form of key players being unavailable through injury and the team Howe fielded against the Cherries in a Premier League game was his youngest starting XI since May 2005, with an average age of just 24 years and 191 days.
The Geordies found no respite when traveling to the Emirates, a ground where they have managed only one league win in 17 attempts and none in the last 13. Only Stoke City, who have lost all 10 of their visits, have averaged fewer points per game than Newcastle at the Emirates since opening in 2006. They have taken only five points from 51 available and scored only one goal in their last nine visits.
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