Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal's latest trip to face Newcastle United will be a 'very different game' after seeing their top-four hopes end on Tyneside last season. However, the Gunners boss admits they will have to 'play better' if they are to emerge with the victory required to keep the pressure on Manchester City in the title race.
Having led the Premier League for most of the campaign, Arsenal now trail Pep Guardiola's side and could be four points adrift come kick-off on Sunday afternoon. St James' Park will not hold fond memories for the title challengers however, with a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in May last year all but ending their bid to qualify for the Champions League.
Eddie Howe confirmed he would not be looking to last season's memorable encounter for inspiration in his pre-match press conference on Friday, arguing both sides have made huge improvements in the intervening year. Arteta echoed the words of his counterpart, but warned his side will have to be at the top of their game to pick up a win in the North East.
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He told Football.London: "It’s a very different game. Different players, different game. We’re gonna have to play better than last year that’s for sure because we know at home they’ve been really good."
Arteta is facing a defensive headache ahead of the clash with Newcastle, with first-choice central pairing Gabriel and William Saliba both potentially ruled out. The latter has missed the last seven matches, while Gabriel was substituted late on in the midweek win over Chelsea after a kick to his ankle.
Arteta said: We will have to see tomorrow how he is, but yeah he could not finish the game so that was a big sign for us. We’ll have to see how he is tomorrow."
Asked for an update on Saliba, the Arsenal boss added: "Not a lot of progress. He’s feeling better every day but he’s not been able still to have any activity around the first team so we don’t expect him to be with us."
