Granit Xhaka has predicted a 'very tough' game against Newcastle United on Sunday after the Magpies 'destroyed' his Arsenal side at St James' Park last season.
Newcastle ran out 2-0 winners when the two teams met in the corresponding fixture last season and there is even more at stake in Sunday's rematch. Not only are Arsenal needing a win to keep their title hopes alive - Newcastle can take another giant step towards qualifying for the Champions League with all three points.
Arsenal certainly won't need reminding of what happened 356 days earlier on Tyneside. At half-time last season, with the score still goalless, Xhaka hammered his team-mates in the dressing room, turning the air blue and telling them they were 'playing like a second division team'. However, those strong words did not have the desired effect and Newcastle ended up winning the game 2-0 following an own goal from Ben White and a late strike from Bruno Guimaraes.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted Newcastle played '10,000 times better' than Arsenal that night, as the Gunners' top four challenge went up in smoke, and Xhaka knows his team can't afford a repeat performance against Eddie Howe's much-improved side this time around.
"We don't forget the game that we had there last season," the Arsenal midfielder told Sky Sports. "I have to be honest - they destroyed us. They were much better. They wanted it much more and we have to go there and show them we are ready and we are there where we are.
"We deserve to be where we are at the moment, but it will be a very tough game because Newcastle are doing a very good job. We have to believe, we have to play our own game and, hopefully, we can take the three points back to London."
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