What version of Arsenal turns up on Tyneside for latest pivotal encounter?

CRUCIAL OUTING: Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal shakes hands with Eddie Howe, manager of Newcastle United. Pic: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal go to Newcastle United on Saturday with their reputation and Premier League title aspirations once again on the line. 

Few grounds in Europe hosts an atmosphere as intimidating as St James's where Arsenal have to maintain their unbeaten start to the season to be taken seriously.

This fixture has fallen in the May of the past two seasons and has been pivotal to Arsenal's aspirations on each occasion. 

They experienced disaster and triumph in equal measure in those two encounters and once again cannot afford to lose the tea-time tussle. 

The difference this season, albeit only ten matches in, is that Newcastle are also on the glory trail.

Impressive manager Eddie Howe is transforming the culture of the richest club in the world and Arteta recognises his players have to be at their resilient best to resist a side that is also making Champions League inroads this season and scored three at Manchester United in midweek.

“Taking away their resources, what Eddie has done is remarkable regardless,” Arteta said. “I'm not taking away any merit from what he has done because it is very impressive. It’s one of the toughest places to go and win but we’ve done it. There is nothing new to it. We know what we expect and it’s very clear what their strengths are and what our opportunities are to take the game where we want.” 

Arsenal went there in 2022 needing to bounce back from a defeat by Tottenham and get a win to secure a return to Champions League football. They had an injury-depleted side and flopped miserably.

Granit Xhaka, now of Leverkusen and badly missed in Arsenal's midfield this season, could see the warning signs at half-time as he shouted: “We are playing like a second division team – wake up!" 

Arteta's reaction to that insipid two-nil defeat was also brilliantly captured by Amazon's fly-on-the-wall cameras as he addressed his crestfallen millionaires afterwards.

“It is f*cking embarrassing to come here the way we have done it,” he shrieked. “Embarrassing. What happened today is f*cking unacceptable and if you accept something like this, you live in a different world. Don’t worry, I will face the people. Today it is hard to defend you guys. Hard. I will take all the sh*t, again!” 

 Defeat in the northeast last season would have handed Manchester City the Premier League title while three points kept their title hopes just about alive.

Newcastle had European aspirations and after failing to break down Arsenal with an early onslaught deployed relentless time-wasting tactics to try and get a draw and disrupt Arteta's tactics. 

They had not accounted for an inspired Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who ultimately led his team to a pivotal two-nil victory. What a transformation in attitude and performance in only 12 months.

The question now is which Arsenal will turn up on Tyneside less than six months down the line.

Arteta, speaking at his club's training ground shortly before venturing north, intimidated the recently rested Odegaard would be fit again to start in a team that should also welcome the spine of William Saliba, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka back to a side that hobbled out of the League Cup at West Ham on Wednesday.

Asked why he could approach the game with confidence, he explained: “First of all, belief and then performances. You need to first of all be so convinced that you go to Newcastle and you fully believe that you're going to win the game. Then it has to be really clear what we have to do in order to achieve that.” 

The Spaniard also recognises that success for his free-scoring side – only Newcastle have scored more than their 23 this season – could rely on a sound performance by their defence and new goalkeeper David Raya. They have the second meanest backline, having conceded eight times to Manchester City's seven, and lead the Premier League for keeping clean sheets in half of their ten matches.

Arteta added: “I think that is a key thing to success, if you can get clean sheets in this league - in any league. And to win championships, to be at the top, you have to do that and you have to learn in a very consistent way. You have to do that as well. Especially in big matches. That’s the task and I think we're moving in the right direction.” 

Newcastle started the weekend in sixth, but are unbeaten in six games too and are seen by many as Premier League title contenders in the making. Arteta, however, says that is an unfair tag on them for this match and maybe this season too, despite their Saudi Arabian riches.

"I think it is too early for anybody to be called title contenders. We are still really early in the season. They have given signs last season and this season, and in Europe, that they can compete with any other teams.

"Eventually? Yeah. But we all have resources and if you look at the teams around, everybody has it. It is what you make of the resources by using them in the best possible way - and then many factors are going to contribute to the success or not success of your season. Some of them you cannot control even though you have tried to make all the right decisions.” 

With the pre-match talking over, it is down to Howe and Arteta's players. It was a feisty one last season with heated touchline exchanges matching those on the pitch.

The Arsenal players will be well drilled as to what to expect. 

Arteta concluded: “Obviously game management is a big thing in football and expecting what the opponent can do. We have to deal with that emotionally to stay in the mindset and the frame of mind that we have. We know there will be factors that can get you out of that. It's very important to control them.”